Years of manufacture: 1906-1926 

Price when new: £998 

Price now: £10million-plus

Engine: 7,036cc 6cyl petrol, 48bhp

Top speed: 60mph

Rolls-Royce launched a car called the 40/50hp in 1906.

A year later, a model was built for marketing purposes and called ‘Silver Ghost’ because of its silver paint and spooky quietness.

The car was exquisitely engineered – and to prove this, it was used successfully in reliability trials, which included driving between London and Glasgow 27 times. The task would be gruelling in a modern motor on today’s roads, let alone back then.

As a result the Silver Ghost became famous, and Rolls-Royce began to apply the name to all of its 40/50hp models. The original Silver Ghost, wearing the registration plate AX201, is now thought to be one of the most valuable cars in the world.

Tweet