1922 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost

In the early twentieth century, Rolls Royce was generally considered to be the best car in the world. A huge backlog of orders from the U.S. prompted the British luxury car manufacturer to open a factory in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1920. It was the only place outside of England where a Rolls-Royce has ever been built.

The Silver Ghost was named for its quiet engine or what Rolls-Royce executives called “extraordinary stealthiness.” The quality of the car literally shines through the plentiful nickel trim and the silver-plated hood ornament “Spirit of Ecstasy.” Before delivery to the coachbuilder, each chassis was inspected and test-driven for 100 miles.

The Springfield factory made close to 3,000 vehicles before it ceased production in 1931. By that time, the Rolls Royce was considered mechanically outdated and overpriced by most American luxury car buyers.

More from our automobile collection:

In our current exhibit, From Carriage to Classic: How Automobiles Transformed America, we present the origin story of the American automobile through 23 cars from Heritage’s permanent collection of antique and classic automobiles. Come along for a ride from the late 1800s to the 1960s and watch the car evolve from a horseless carriage to a streamlined symbol of freedom and independence.