Rolls-Royce Ghost News

The show includes artworks and objects that tell the story of motoring pioneer Lord John Montagu - editor of The Car Illustrated magazine, his secretary and mistress, Eleanor Thornton, and the sculptures of her that led to the Spirit. The first Rolls-Royces did not have radiator mascots, but many owners commissioned their own to decorate their cars. Montagu had Charles Sykes create one for his Silver Ghost, and the sculptor modelled The Whisper -- a figurine of Eleanor Thornton in fluttering drapery, with her finger to her lips symbolising the secret affair. It was one of the more dignified personal mascots of the day. By 1910 Rolls-Royce had become concerned that many owners were mounting vulgar mascots to their cars, and managing director Claude Johnson commissioned Sykes to design a mascot that could be "the spirit of the Rolls-Royce". Sykes again used Eleanor as the inspiration for the figure that was first known as the Spirit of Speed and later became the Spirit of Ecstasy, which has since decorated nearly every Rolls-Royce. (Notable exceptions are Queen Elizabeth's mascot of St George slaying a dragon, and the late Princess Margaret, who chose a Pegasus.) However, Eleanor did not live long enough to see how enduring her image became. She was killed in 1915 when the ship on which she and Lord Montagu were sailing to India was torpedoed by a German submarine. Montagu survived and is said to have grieved in secret for the rest of life. The exhibition at Palace House - the Montagu family home - will feature The Whisper and other Spirit of Ecstasy figurines, and special edition covers created by Sykes for The Car Illustrated magazine, among other items. The mascot - which is also nicknamed Ellie in her Nightie - has been through many changes over the years, several of which were prompted by the lowering height of the cars. A kneeling version was produced briefly in the 1930s, but was later replaced by a smaller standing mascot. In the US she was made to bow a little lower to better protect the car bonnets. On recent cars, the Spirit is spring loaded and retracts into the bonnet to deter thieves.

China is clearly on top of the car world in 2011.

The British super-luxury brand confirms the Ghost, which arrived last year as a four-door limousine, will be stretched into both a coupe and convertible to copy the lineup of the flagship Phantom.  There are no details yet, but Rolls-Royce chairman Ian Robertson hints to Carsguide that a drophead coupe based on the Ghost could be seen later this year. "There is likely to be an entry to the model line-up. I think you will see some Rolls-Royce derivates this year that move in that direction. A derivative," Robertson says. Rolls-Royce brought the convertible first when it stretched the Phantom line, before going on to the drophead coupe, but Robertson refuses to be drawn on the way the Ghost will be stretched.  "You'll have to wait and see," he says. The smaller, less-expensive Ghost - priced from $645,000 in Australia - has been a huge hit for Rolls-Royce and helped the company to sales of 2711 cars in 2010. This was a new record and more than double the previous record of  1212 cars in 2009. "Ghost is doing phenominally well. The Ghost has done the job it was supposed to," says Robertson.  "The interesting thing is that Phantom is holding up as well."  The top selling models in the Phantom range are the four-door cars, including the extended-wheelbase limousine that lists from $1.25 million without the bespoke customising done by almost all owners. Rolls-Royce says almost every Phantom had some sort of custom work in 2011, from something as simple as a special paint colour to kick panels inside the doors to full custom wood interiors with major entertainment packages. "The bespoke operation requires non-normal processes. If you use the normal process it does not happen," says Robertson, who predicts the bespoke business to grown considerable in 2011 with the Ghost.

Since cars all deliver on the same basic promise of personal mobility, and many vehicles do it with incredible value and panache, good design can often make the difference between buying and losing.Ian Callum knows it and, after more than four decades of top-class design work on everything from HSV Holdens to Volvos, Aston Martins and now Jaguars, he is the right man to be talking. "This is a time of car design. It's not just styling any more. You really have to understand design, and the elements that make up a good design," Callum says. "We're also seeing a lot of change in the automotive world. The make-up of cars is changing. Designers are going to have an incredible influence."Callum has revolutionised Jaguar design over the past 10 years and just visited Australia to showcase his all-new XJ flagship, which steps right away from anything which has previously worn the brand's leaper mascot. "I didn't want to be a slave to heritage," he says simply.Callum believes good design is simple but incredibly difficult, elegant and timeless, but also challenging and filled with tiny little details. He is rare among designers because he backs his promises with commitment and talent, and is also happy to give an opinion.So, then, how does he judge the work from some of his rivals? Surprisingly, Callum is happy to go on the record with a simple tick-or-cross verdict on the latest designs in showrooms.Here are his ratings: Aston Martin Rapide - tickAudi A5 - tickBMW GT - two crossesBMW X6 - crossFerrari F458 Italia - tickHSV EII Commodore - tickLexus LFA - tickMercedes E-Class - crossMercedes SLS Gullwing - crossNissan GT-R - crossPorsche Panamera - crossRolls-Royce Ghost - tickToyota Prius - tickVolkswagen Golf - tick 

The $695,000 indigo blue Rolls-Royce Ghost - number four off the production line - landed in Australia to woo clients before being air freighted back to the UK. Even before it landed the buzz surrounding the newest Rolls has secured firm orders.  So far, of the 40 cars expected in Australia, more than 30 have been sold, even though deliveries do not start until next June.Rolls-Royce distributor, Trivett Classic, expects the Ghost to be one of the most popular Rolls-Royces available.  The factory is aiming to build between 2000 and 2500, more than doubling output at its UK factory in Goodwood.General manager, Bevin Clayton, says there has been a strong level of interest in the smallest and cheapest Rolls, even though it boasts a 6.6-litre 12-cylinder engine capable of 250km/h and a zero to 100km/h sprint of 4.9 seconds.  "It has certainly appeal to a wide number of Melbourne buyers, which has further strengthened the high demand we are experiencing in Australia despite the current economic climate," he says.Clayton says there are signs of a recovery in top-end luxury car sales, with Trivett selling three Phantoms in recent months.  He describes the Ghost as ‘business suit’ Rolls-Royce, where the larger Phantom is the ‘dinner suit’ Rolls.  Many Ghost customers are new to the brand, he says."It is luring people out of other high-end European cars," he says.  One customer is trading his $500,000 AMG Mercedes-Benz S-Class to go British.Ghost No4 may have been fresh off the production line but it boasts some exquisite features, from a silver satin bonnet, to 20-inch alloys, dual chrome exhausts, lambswool floormats, front and rear ventilated massage seats and picnic tables.As befits a Rolls, the Ghost uses the finest wood and leather materials.  Housed in the front doors are integrated teflon-coated umbrellas, while it borrows the Phantom's rear coach doors that open to a generous 83 degrees.For a limousine ride, the car rides on a high-tech air suspension that can detect even the smallest change in road surfaces.  For example, it will detect the movement of a single rear seat passenger from one side of the vehicle to the other and adjust the ride.

...plus, we put the Mercedes 320cdi through its paces and Rolls Royce CEO Ian Robertson tells us more about the Rolls Royce Ghost.

The smaller, cheaper — less costly — luxury limousine is still firmly on track for a production preview at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September ahead of the first sales in 2010.Undisguised test cars are now a relatively common sight in Britain, where Carparazzi photographers caught this Ghost during on-road trials close to Rolls-Royce headquarters at Goodwood.Work is also well advanced at the Rolls-Royce factory, where a second production line is being installed for the Ghost alongside the existing Phantom assembly line. The plan is to double production from 800 to 1600 cars, although this number could be adjusted during the expected early rush for the Ghost.More information has just come on the car, which will have an engine producing 420 kiloWatts and 780 Newton-metres of torque. Rolls-Royce says this will be enough for a top speed limited to 250km/h and a 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.9 seconds.

Well, you will in 2010 when the newest Rolls-Royce hits the road. The baby brother of the hulking Phantom has just been named, and it's officially the Ghost. The name takes over from the RR4 tag used during development of the compact new Rolls-Royce and was announced today at the opening of the Shanghai Motor Show. The Ghost name has a long history at Rolls-Royce, starting from 1906, although it has not been used since 1925. The company's best-known car is the original Silver Ghost. The Ghost will become Rolls-Royce's fifth model when it joins the Phantom, Phantom extended wheelbase, Phantom Drophead coupe and Phantom coupe. It will be built on a dedicated production line at the Rolls-Royce factory at Goodwood in the UK, and is expected to more than double sales from the 1212 sold in 2008.  

You'd never think that driving a Rolls-Royce would be so difficult. But that's what happens when you get a 1924 version of the brand that for decades was recognised as the world's best and most famous marque.This 1924 Silver Ghost, housed in the National Motor Museum, in Birdwood, is long, the 3.5m distance between its 21in diameter spokes wheels alone equalling that of a small car. Its top-hinged bonnet runs forward to the famous Spirit of Ecstasy lady.Under the bonnet sits a long, inline six-cylinder engine of about seven litres, dressed in brass tubing. There's even an oil can attached to the bulkhead.“There are so many grease and oil points that it could take you hours to grease it up,” museum director Kym Hulme says. But in those days cars were high maintenance items for their owners, or probably in this case, the chauffeur. The car was driven by an eccentric Irishman to Australia. For about 30 years in Adelaide it was owned by Ray Pank, who donated it to the museum a few years ago.Step over the footplate embossed with 'Coachwork by Maythorn & Son, London and Bigglesworth' and the back seat boasts enormous leg room. Your valet and lady-in-waiting can sit on the jump seats facing you. There's even a tiny glass sunroof.But to the driving; best get in from the left and slide across because the gearshift and handbrake lever block access from the right.Now, to the multi-stage starting procedure. There's a carburettor switch on the dash for 'starting' or 'running.' The steering wheel hub has just four controls - a lever for spark adjustment on the right, one for idling on the left, a fuel mixture control at the top and in the centre the ignition switch button which pulls out and rotates. They can get in the way of crossed-arms steering so it's the old push-and-pull routine with hands on the sides of the steering wheel. Steering lightens up at speed but for slow-speed corners it's heavy.The four-speed floor shift has gates but requires moving to the left on its way from first to second but then to the right on the way to third. Or something.It easily moves off in second gear despite its over two-tonne weight and it will idle along in third, such is the torque of this big engine.Downshifting is another matter - double-de-clutching while wrestling with this complicated gear change is difficult.It's a majestic car to travel in - even more so in its day - but you do feel for the chauffeur.