This is the most expensive Rolls-Royce in Russia, - the owner of this wonderful retro car assured me.
The presentation of the legendary Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost took place back in 1906 at the Olympia Exhibition Center as part of the London car showroom, and deliveries to the first customers had already begun in 1907. This model made a lot of noise at the exhibition, defining automotive fashion for many decades.
But above all, the highest reputation is the most legendary car The Rolls-Royce family deserved for its strength and reliability, silence and soft smoothness. The chassis design of this Royce turned out to be so strong that it was able to carry a body weighing up to two tons. During the First and Second World Wars, from 1915 to 1944, heavy armored cars were built on the basis of the first Rolls-Royce 40 / 50HP Silver Ghost models.
It is worth recalling that Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, the leader of the world proletariat, had a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. Lenin's car came to Russia in 1915, Empress Alexandra Fedorovna ordered it, and the palace department paid 17.5 thousand gold rubles for it, which was then 1850 pounds sterling - the exchange rate of the ruble to the British pound sterling from 1791 to the present day - about 420 thousand dollars. The car was assembled by craftsman Mack Egerton at the Norwich factory - the company's tradition was to record the name of the person connecting the body and chassis of the car. All the details on it are native, only the silver figurine on the radiator cap was stolen in 1990 by one of the visitors of the Lenin Museum, where the car is still standing and now there is an duralumin copy in its place. Registration number Lenin's car - 236, pre-revolutionary year - 1915. The Lenin copy already had an electric starter, and the car with number 236 was started by a handle that still sticks out from under the radiator on the Lenin model car.
The Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost was constantly upgraded and improved until it was finally replaced by the next model- Rolls-Royce Phantom. In England, the production of the Silver Ghost continued until 1926. In addition, from 1921 to 1931, the Silver Ghost was produced by the American branch of Rolls-Royce in Springfield.
Today I will show you a very rare version of the Silver Ghost of the turning point in 1921. In the world, exclusively in private collections, there are only a few models of the Silver Ghost. The price of the same version of the car is crazy, but nevertheless, the Moscow collector estimates this particular version of the car at $ 60 million.
60,000,000 dollars!
This is the most expensive Rolls-Royce in Russia. Its owner, oddly enough, is a very wonderful and extraordinary person whom you all know well. I never would have thought that he was also a collector of reto cars.
The tradition of decorating the hood with a figurine of a flying lady, officially called the Spirit of Ecstasy, appeared on this particular model in 1911, so it is not on the hoods of the oldest examples. The figurine was created by the sculptor Charles Sikes specifically for Lord Montagu's car. The secretary and beloved of Lord Eleanor Thornton posed for him. For many years, Saike personally cast figures for each car and put his signature on them.
Rolls-Royce cars get their names for a reason: Phantom, Ghost, Spirit and so on. First, they are absolutely unattainable for most people. And secondly, they often appear unexpectedly. This meeting was not on my calendar either. A fleeting rendezvous, and therefore even brighter. In the morning I was sitting at the press conference of the BMW group on the results of the past year, and in the afternoon I was handed a heavy keychain with a double R on a lacquered case - do what you want, but for all two hours. A mixture of excitement and delight - that's what I experienced, settling in the driver's seat Rolls-Royce Ghost at a price of 20 million rubles. A Hollywood bohemian car, world-famous rap stars, Arab oil traders and other non-distressed characters.
Comparing the cost of a Phantom with an apartment in Moscow is as banal as posting photos of food on Instagram. Rolls-Royce owners they just don't live in such apartments, and they don't care how much they cost. Such a metaphor would be interesting rather drivers and guarding the owner of the Rolls. Although, you know, you can move around in Ghost without resorting to the services of the latter. The classic strict dress code is the older Phantom: it is five to seven million rubles more expensive, more conservative. At the same time, in the Phantom there are “only” 460 Horse power and not so modern interior. It is difficult to imagine the owner of the Phantom "in the steering wheel", but the owner of the Ghost is quite. And that's why.
Tight parking - no the best place in order to get acquainted with the dimensions of the insanely expensive limousine. I turn on the "reverse" located on the steering column with a thin selector of the eight-speed "automatic" ZF and carefully rotate big steering wheel with a slender rim. Everything is done here so that the driver does not feel even half of the mass (which is almost 2.5 tons) and the length of almost 5.7 meters. Therefore, the feeling of controlling a giant crystal vase disappears in just a couple of maneuvers: Ghost is incredibly obedient and friendly from the first meters.
Do you think that Rolls-Royce consists only of sedate nobility? Then just step on the gas! The stunning 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 will take a deep breath and take you to another reality. Never before have I accelerated so quickly and so serenely: 570 horsepower and 780 Nm hurl the bulk of the body with such ease, as if it were made not of metal, leather and wood, but of papier-mâché. Four and nine to a hundred, and after all the same hellish pressure. Wherein external world somewhere behind the thick windows, and he can't catch the speedometer needle. To return to the usual dimension, simply lower the glass: the noise of the road, wind and engine will correspond to the speed gained in an instant.
Previously, the creators of Rolls-Royce indicated the power of their engines without resorting to numbers: the word “sufficient” appeared in the characteristics. Now that the under-hood herd is no longer a secret, I use this word to describe handling. Any other "mercenary" can envy the Rolls driver. Huge car very obedient, as if it were a nimble golf class. The steering wheel is very “clean”, even with all the ease of its rotation, and the large diameter of the “helm”, coupled with a short rail, make the sedan unexpectedly responsive. The same with the pedals: the accelerator and brake drives are weighty, but comfortable and absolutely transparent. And the air suspension is especially good: in motion, the feeling that you are walking barefoot on a luxurious Persian carpet does not let go for a second.
Not everything is perfect with dimensions and visibility; but don't worry - this car doesn't need turn signals either. Even on German roads, where there is no special reverence for the powers that be, a humble respect for the Ghost is noticeable. However, enough driver's prose - whether this Rolls is at least three times a "driver car", the main place of its owner is still behind the right. Once he gets there, he will smile at himself in the mirror in rear rack and forget about the driver's seat. After all, life was good, and “to steer” he has a full garage of Italian and German supercars.
There are even simple details here. For example, a tidy or a clock - with their conciseness, they demonstrate the fact that this car is on a completely different level. It is above trends and fashion - there were not and will not be color displays, "optitrons" and multi-colored scales with "three de"-graphics of the onboard computer
Sitting in the back, you are in an ideal space: here in a special way it is comfortable, cozy and stylish. It all starts with landing - the doors of the "suicidal" type seem to open their arms and invite you inside. The soles sink into the pile of the carpet, and the hand rests on the chrome keys for adjusting the sofa. Mentioning that there are heating, and massage, and separate settings for each passenger, would be redundant. However, it has already taken place. The interior designers tried very hard to ensure that every time you perform elementary actions in the cabin, you experience a small tactile orgasm.
Open air duct? Pull on the chrome ball crowning the stud protruding from the polished brushed aluminum panel. Buckle up? To do this, you need to take a coffee-colored belt, which, without the slightest effort, stretches out of the chrome-plated window and flows under the leather loop on the back of the sofa. Whatever you do in this salon, you will touch amazing details every time. Interestingly, by what period of ownership does a passenger of such a car cease to change the direction of air flows for no reason and grab the handles on the ceiling? Done no worse than his portfolio for 10 thousand euros.
Concepts base price in relation to Rolls-Royce, it can be said that it does not exist. Each machine is custom-assembled in Goodwood, England, by 60 pairs of hands over a period of 20 days. So if you're considering buying a new Ghost, you'll have to go through the exhilarating process of refining the package, countless colors, materials, stitching, device list, and more. Moreover, Rolls-Royce is ready to satisfy almost any whim, if you are able to surpass the fantasy of factory designers. The average cost fork can be roughly outlined in the range of 16-20 million rubles. It is noteworthy that Moscow is one of two cities in the world where there are not one, but two whole dealers of the British brand! The second is New York.
The “spirit of ecstasy” figurine in front of your eyes is something. It's like a Mercedes star multiplied by itself. Meanwhile, her story is full of romance. At the beginning of the last century, it became fashionable in England to decorate the nose of a car with a similar talisman. Lord Montagu-Bellew was a car enthusiast, publisher of the British magazine The Car and, of course, the owner of a Rolls-Royce car. He asked his friend, a sculptor named Charles Sykes, to decorate the nose of his Rolls. The model for the master was the mistress and assistant of the Lord named Eleanor Velasco Thornton. Soon, in 1911, the manufacturer bought the rights to the figure from Charles Sykes, asking him to slightly modify and update it. And so the Spirit of Ecstasy was born, which has since become an indispensable attribute of all Rolls-Royces. By the way, the figure of the Ghost can be removed into the bowels of the lattice by pressing one of the buttons on the key fob
Most of us don't understand these machines. Just because there is nowhere to get in touch with them - these are cars from the world of rich, very rich people. I admit, before I got to know Rolls-Royce, I unknowingly had a biased attitude towards these cars. It was thought that this was nothing more than kitsch, an expensive toy, like a gold-plated iPhone with diamonds. But now I know for sure that Rolls-Royce is not a BMW "seven" with re-hinged hinges. rear doors. This is a thing that has been done with endless perfectionism. It is quite possible to approach the Ghost with the usual yardstick - he does not try to hide anything behind grandeur and pathos. Because he always has something to answer.
Dmitry Laskov
Photo: Vlad Klepacha
The original name of the model is "40/50 h.p.". One of Rolls-Royce's demo cars was dubbed the "Silver Ghost" for its aluminum body paint and quiet engine (quiet relative to cars of the time, of course). The press liked this bright name and later, they began to call all the cars of this model.
The model was produced from 1906 to 1926. Then it was replaced on the assembly line by a model called Phantom I.
In 1921, in the USA in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, the American Rolls-Royce plant was opened, which produced Silver Ghost cars, with Brewster bodies and slightly modified headlights. The photo is of the exact same car.
Rolls-Royce cars of those times were not much different technical specifications or a complete set from its competitors. Their main difference was impeccable quality production of each car. Everything was made exclusively by hand without any automation or assembly line. The quality requirements were such that even cars made in the USA were exactly the same. High Quality manufacturing as well as cars produced in the UK. Some Englishmen even ordered cars made overseas.
The cars had a full leaf spring suspension, with each spring having its own cover that protected them from dust and dirt and the subsequent squeak. Until 1923, cars were equipped with drum brakes on the rear wheels only.
The car in the photographs was filmed in the mini-series "Boardwalk Empire", the series tells the story of the emergence of the gambling center of Atlantic City during the "prohibition" in the United States. It is on this car that the hero of Stephen Buscemi, the chief treasurer of the city and part-time boss of local organized crime, drives.
"Silver Ghost" was owned by many famous people those times. It was a very expensive but very prestigious and really reliable car.
It was ridden by the 28th President of the United States, Woodrow Wilson.
Emperor of Japan Hirohito.
Indian Raja Sir Raghunandana Prasada Sikh. The Indian elite generally bought hundreds of them, this one is simply the most unusual of all.
Well, the leader of the world proletariat, Vladimir Ilyich, also had a couple of ghosts. The "heavy and worn legacy of the tsarist regime" was replaced in the early 20s with brand new Rolls-Royces. Even despite the fact that the state was a worker-peasant state and famine raged in the country, money for the purchase expensive cars found, although later this fact was heavily concealed, claiming that Ilyich inherited the cars from the royal garage. In those years, only one chassis Rolls Royce cost 1,820 pounds, at the then exchange rate it was 5,824 dollars. IN USA simple Ford T cost $ 265, and a luxurious Lincoln is already from 4,600 and more. In total, about 7,000 pounds were spent on the purchase of two cars for the leader, i.e. with this money you could buy 84 cars brand Ford-T for the young state of workers and peasants.
One of the vehicles was converted into a half-tracked autosleigh. The sled has been converted from stock car workers of the Putilov factory, on the personal order of Lenin.
It will not be brought to the Frankfurt Motor Show. The number of horsepower under its hood doesn't matter. He does not recognize the words "with benefit" and "available." For him there is no concept model year. It doesn't have a price cap. Being a car is just one of its functions. If you once bought one, you can never sell it.
There are few Rolls-Royce cars. But even the one-of-a-kind ultra-luxury brand has a model range, which means there is also a flagship - the largest, most luxurious and expensive model. This is it - Phantom. The predecessor of the presented limousine - the seventh generation Phantom was produced for almost 14 years. The very fact of the termination of its production was discussed for a year, and even we.
What is the essence of the most luxurious car? If we analyze individual parameters, we will inevitably miss the point, since Phantom is not going to be a champion in each specific discipline. For example, the only one faster (the 8-cylinder Mercedes-AMG S 63 is even faster), Mercedes-Maybach gives significantly more equipment per linear centimeter of a bundle of money, and the number of advanced technical solutions in the latest Audi A8 will make Apple, Google and Tesla cry. Oh yes, and Bentley will gladly give you a certificate for any of its cars that it is / a fast Bentley, a sedan, a car outside of Germany (select the one you need) in history. And yet none of them intend to sign up as competitors. Rolls-Royce Phantom.
Rolls-Royce Phantom EWB is 200 mm longer than the standard one and gets close to six meters
Why? Because in the category of luxury, intangible attributes begin to matter, and the number of massage pneumatic chambers in the chair ceases to be an argument. Few people consider motor yachts primarily as a means of transportation, and Wrist Watch with a biaxial tourbillon - as a device for measuring time. The eighth Phantom immediately begins its life as a piece of art, not a car. How is this possible? The main thing is that the company persistently and consistently ignores market trends and the speculative race of technologies, while maintaining in such a mass and standardized segment as cars, both small runs and full individualization of each instance.
There must always be one less Rolls-Royce than required. And the creators of the new Phantom have done everything to ensure that the demand for it is extremely high, although the price will not be lower than 400,000 pounds. In addition to the impressive amount, you will need to be patient, because only Daihatsu are made quickly ...
The appearance of the new Phantom is not a revolution. This is a smooth development of the 2003 Phantom VII, whose shape was so monumental that adding something to it is a difficult and dubious matter.
As before, there will be a standard version with an increased base (+ 20 cm to the distance between the axles) - its length is only slightly short of six meters.
The most technologically advanced Phantom in history still goes without load-bearing body. External elements installed on a power spatial architecture made of aluminum alloys - there are many similarities with its predecessor. This design is closest to the so-called integrated frame. modern SUVs. That's what they call "architecture of luxury." Availability own name, in particular, refutes the persistent misconception that the Phantom has common platform with the "seven" BMW *.
Rolls-Royce is part of German BMW group since 1998. Related Brand Bentley along with the plant and existing models went to the Volkswagen group, and the Bavarians got only the Rolls-Royce brand, the rights to the design of the Spirit of Ecstasy figurine and the patented shape grille in the shape of an ancient temple. Despite the fact that the Rolls-Royce of the BMW era began with clean slate, the first model, repeatedly mentioned Phantom VII, was presented five years later. And he had nothing to do with the BMW 7 Series. The new house of Rolls-Royce (the word "factory" is poor for this place) was built in Goodwood, in the domain of Lord March, one of the greatest automobile enthusiasts alive today. It is he who hosts the famous Goodwood Festival of Speed every summer.
Phantom is much larger than the "seven", and frame structure will allow you to create piece bodies - to the return of the golden era of coachbuilders ( good word, use it!) in Goodwood are ready. An example of this is the unique one, according to rumors, which cost the mysterious customer more than 10 million euros.
Cars tend to get lighter from generation to generation. But Phantom even got a little heavier. Yes, this is the case when 75 kg fit into the concept of “a little”, because its curb weight exceeds 2.6 tons. 130 kg of sound insulation were hidden under the new body. Glasses are double, 6 mm thick. The tires have a special noise-absorbing layer. All this allows engineers to call the new "Phantom" the most quiet car in the world. They say that to measure the noise level, they even had to re-calibrate the equipment.
At first glance, everything is familiar in the interior: it is a classic design for Rolls-Royce. In the center of the front panel is a 12.3-inch media system screen. It also displays images from four cameras. all-round view. Nice care of the driver! The instrument panel also turned into one big screen.
There is no tachometer on Rolls-Royces. Its place is traditionally occupied by the power reserve indicator - it is on the left
The design of the climate block is another characteristic feature. Rotary knobs adjust the air temperature in layers (top and bottom separately) for each passenger
But the main person still gets into the Rolls-Royce through the door that swings open against the move. The huge hand-polished steel doorknob is a powerful symbol on the outside, but it is duplicated on the inside by an electric touch button. rear seats somewhat reminiscent of antique armchairs: the adjustments are hidden from view, although there are many of them here.
The cocoon of comfort and silence was called the beautiful word Embrace - this is the mentioned "embrace effect". You can order a three-seater sofa, or two individual seats- by means of an electric drive, they turn slightly towards each other, so that it would be more comfortable for passengers to talk. Even the ceiling above back row above. Seat ventilation, separate climatic zones, folding tables and media system screens - of course, all this is there, it’s embarrassing to even mention it.
The gigantic Rolls-Royce carries people on board carefully, as if not touching the ground. Let's imagine the crew of the liner that is responsible for this. Suspensions (double-lever front and five-link rear), of course, are not unified with anything in the inhabited part of the universe. Instead of springs - pneumatic struts that maintain a constant ground clearance and the equanimity of the body, even if there are nasty traces of patch bombing under the wheels, and the first drops of the apocalypse drumming on the windows. Let's add adaptive shock absorbers here, electronically controlled, and thrusters rear wheels, making the giant quite maneuverable.
And even that's not all. The stereo camera under the windshield is able to recognize bumps in front of the car, and the chassis prepares to compensate for them in advance. For example, the passage of a "speed bump" at the permitted speed will be almost imperceptible for the inhabitants of the cabin. Similar systems Mercedes-Benz and Audi have them, but Rolls-Royce engineers implemented them a little differently - not through active hydraulics or electromechanical drives, but with the help of variable stabilizer stiffness roll stability. This is potentially a very durable design, and primarily for this reason it got a place on the Phantom, because damping bumps Rolls Royce cars and they do it like no other.
The system received a subtle name in English - Flagbearer ("Flag Bearer"). So at the dawn of the automobile era, they called special attendants who, by law, were required to carry a red flag in front of the car, warning of the approach of the car. Today it would be difficult to do this: there is a clear shortage of people in the world who, like the Phantom, could reach 100 km / h from a standstill in 5.3 seconds or develop 250 km / h. Yes, even with a red flag.
It would be necessary to put in a good word about that glorious unit, which almost silently wears a heavy limousine with a figure on the hood as if it were a paper airplane. Everything is here the highest rank: twelve cylinders, two turbochargers and canonical 6.75 liters of displacement. Recoil - 571 hp and 900 (nine hundred, sir!) Nm of torque. Traction is literally always available, and there is always a supply of power under the gas pedal. Unlike the 8-cylinder engines that are found under the hoods of sports cars, the V12 practically does not betray its presence: 12 cylinders are perfectly kinematically balanced. Only such motors are suitable for Phantom, Ghost, Wraith and Dawn. And here the mention of BMW is already quite appropriate. It is not known whether the V12 would have appeared under the hood of the BMW M760 Li if it had not been developed for Rolls-Royce models ...
The Phantom's drive is exclusively rear, and an 8-speed automatic is responsible for transmitting traction to the wheels, which even receives satellite navigation data. The transmission knows that there is a downhill, long climb or a bunch of turns ahead, and takes this into account when shifting.
The equipment includes, for example, laser lights. high beam can illuminate the road at a distance of up to 600 m
None of the equipment, however advanced, will make its debut on the Phantom. With full access to BMW Group technology, the engineers choose only what they think is necessary. Their approach is explained by the fact that Rolls-Royce can stay with the owner for life. This is something more than a car, so not everyone is in a hurry to change an individual and sweet thing made to order. This means that you can apply not trendy (and possibly momentary) solutions, but only carefully tested ones.
So main feature the eighth "Phantom" was not invented by engineers, but by designers. The seat on the opposite side of the front panel from the driver can be occupied by anything at the request of the owner. This design move was called the "gallery". The client can not only express a wish how to fill this space, but also ask his favorite artist or sculptor to create a work especially for him. Several versions of the "gallery" were prepared for the premiere. And it must be seen!
Oil painting? Please!
Rolls-Royce 40/50HP "Silver Ghost"
Production and operation
The Silver Ghost was one of the first Rolls-Royce cars. Only very rich people could buy it for themselves, and a chauffeur was usually hired for these cars. Like all Rolls-Royces, the Silver Ghost was famous for its quietness and excellent assembly [ ] .
Surviving copies
V. I. Lenin had two “Silver Ghosts” at his disposal. One of them was equipped caterpillar drive- to move around winter roads. Such a copy has been preserved and is located in the Moscow representative office of Rolls-Royce on the territory of the State Historical Museum-Reserve "Gorki Leninskie" in the Moscow region.
The Rolls-Royce "Silver Ghost" was bought in England for a government garage. Initially, it was a "regular" car on four wheels. In Russia, at the Putilov factory in Petrograd, it was redone: undercarriage the chassis was put on tracks, and skis were fixed on the front wheels. On this car, Lenin came from Moscow to Gorki, made walks around the Moscow region.
Exhibition Rolls-Royce Silver The Ghost was sold into private hands in 1908 and ended up in Italy. In 1948, Rolls-Royce bought it, but, alas, lost it again. After the bankruptcy of Rolls-Royce and its transfer to BMW, the Bentley brand, previously owned by Rolls, was sold to Volkswagen. Subsequently, as a result of the division of ownership, the car went to Bentley Motors. Now "Ghost" is considered the most expensive car in the world, estimated at $57 million.
Machine in popular culture
For the sake of its reputation, the company avoided the immediate introduction of innovations that appeared from other automakers. That's why electric lights"ghosts" received only in 1914, battery ignition - in 1919, and a little earlier, in 1913 - drum brakes with foot drive. Earlier examples had a hand lever brake.
Conservatism did not always bring good luck to Rolls-Royce, clinging to the outdated 40/50 hp model, the company began to lose customers over time. When the Rolls-Royce New Phantom was finally developed, the 40/50 hp model (it was in production for another year) was called the Silver Ghost to distinguish it from the newer one (both cars were equipped with the same engine of the same name - 40/50 hp) . The adjective "silver" has long been fixed in the names of the company's models: "Silver Seraphim", "Silver Spur", etc.
The tradition of decorating the hood with a “lady” figure, officially called the “Spirit of Ecstasy”, appeared precisely on the “ghosts” in 1911 (therefore, it is not on the hoods of the oldest specimens, including the Silver one). The figurine was created by the sculptor Charles Sikes specifically for Lord Montagu's car. The secretary and beloved of Lord Eleanor Thornton posed for him. For many years, Saike personally cast figures for each car and put his signature on them.
Notes
Literature
Ian Fleming. Goldfinger. (From a series of novels about J. Bond (agent 007)). Eric Goldfinger had such a car with which he was smuggling gold.
This car is also mentioned in the novel by Marcel Proust "Under the shadow of girls in bloom."
Links
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