ROLLS ROYCE GOES ON TRIAL

Showing that even one of the most iconic brand names in the world does not rest on its laurels, Rolls Royce has returned to the Austrian Alps this summer to repeat the Alpine Trial that helped establish it as the ‘Best Car in the World’ in 1913.

This top motor, favoured by the rich and famous as well as not-so-rich and not-so-famous but dedicated fans around the world, is celebrating the centenary of this event in some style.

The splendid car shown above, driven in 1913 by James Radley, privateer leader of the Rolls Royce team, set off again from Brown’s Hotel, hard by Savile Row, in May. Whether it had quite the same start as 100 years ago is not revealed. Perhaps Health & Safety would preclude the glass of champagne that Radley poured into the radiator but it clearly did the grand old motor no harm as it is still going strong.

It and a modern-day Ghost, seen left,  from the Alpine Trial Centenary Collection that has just been showcased in Shanghai, set off to cover the same gruelling route of the 1913 Trial through the mountains, starting from Vienna on June 14.

Joined by some 40 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts, many over a century old, from the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club, the group is driving over 1,800 miles on circuitous Alpine roads, passing through Italy, Croatia and  Slovenia before returning to Austria.

In 1913, four specially prepared Silver Ghosts took this route, acknowledged then as one of the toughest tests for car and driver. Radley held the lead most of the time, closely followed by the other three cars driven by members of the Rolls-Royce Works Team. As a result of their exceptional performance and ease with which they tackled the mountainous terrain, Rolls-Royce not only took the top prizes of the rally but earned the accolade ‘Best Car in the World’.

Keen to show that it still warrants the title, the cavalcade of Rolls-Royce that have driven through four countries this summer have undoubtedly aroused much attention and reaffirmed its pole position in the luxury car world.

A Ghost-ly finale is to be held at the grand Pallavicini Palais in Vienna, as took place 100 years ago, and then the cars will go on to what will surely be a spectacular gathering of Silver Ghosts at the Riva Del Garda in Italy. Here, the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club is lining up one hundred historic examples owned by its members, in the largest assembly of Silver Ghosts ever to take place.

This promotion comes hard upon the wheels of a major triumph for Rolls-Royce at the Auto China show in Shanghai in April. Here, the Alpine Trial Centenary Collection made its debut, a limited edition of Ghosts that has been inspired by the Alpine Ghosts of 1913.

Craftsmen at the company’s Goodwood hq have lovingly recreated the look of the vintage models, featuring the distinctive black grille and wheels of Radley’s car. Exterior colouring matches Radley’s, while interior picnic tables and the front fascia feature the topography and distances of the Alpine route, each hand-crafted. The clock display incorporates stages of the rally and timings.

China is now the top market for luxury cars, more important to Rolls Royce than America. Its display at the Shanghai show proved to be a great draw and follows the sell-out success last year of its Dragon Phantom in the Year of the Dragon.The splendid red Dragon is shown centre above.

And keeping the show on the road, the new Wraith made its debut to at the Geneva motor show in March, seen above and above left. This is the most powerful and fastest model ever built by the company, and though as a two-door it may not be so popular with Chinese buyers, its sporty lines should appeal to a younger market.

On the shores of Lake Como, it showed itself to be every inch the latest model of a modern Rolls Royce.