Rolls Royce showed off a unique edition ghost in Shanghai devotion Rolls
Royce’s four car contribution – three works cars and one private entry –
in the 1913 Alpine Rally anywhere it earned the sobriquet, ‘The Best
Car in the World’. The private entry car for 1913 was piloted by James
Radley, who had contributed in the 1912 Alpine trials in a Rolls Royce.
Radley’s experience in the 1912 Alpine trials led to alteration in all
four cars entered in 1913, not the least of which was a lesser
(numerically higher) first gear. While the Rolls Royce
entry did well in 1913, they did come in after the Audi works team (and
Audi at the time was a very distant precursor of the Audi we know
today).
So the special version Ghost will be orderly with black radiator slats,
black wheels, bespoke blue paint, and a silver fedora, echoing the trim
of Radley’s car. And on the outside that’s a nice little respect to a
time long, long, ago and a car that few populace have seen.
But the 1910 – 1914 Alpine trials were important tests of the premature
motor car. The 1914 trial took place on a 1660 mile loop of chiefly
alpine roads – and these were not runway or concrete roads, but extend
alpine goat paths. Inter-alpine roads were comparatively new – most
having been built in the 19th century. And terra-forming, on an American
scale, was unfeasible with the machinery obtainable. These roads were
steep, torturous, and badly preserved.
The Alpine trial was the forerunner of hill-climbs and rallying.
Manufacturers were enthusiastic to highlight their cars ability and the
Alpine trials were tough location to compete in, high risk, and high
payment. While the trials first years were episodic by World War I, the
trials revisit in the inter-war years and another company used them to
establish the ability of their newest automotive products.