1913 Rolls Royce Alpine Trials Car
A hundred years old and still strong enough to race!
By Imthishan Giado
Talk about your scene stealers. Taking centre stage in the lobby of the Palais Coburg Hotel in Vienna during the launch of the new Rolls Royce Wraith was this astonishing automobile, a 1913 Silver Ghost Convertible built to take on the toughest endurance race of its time.
This particular car was built for and driven by the early aviator James Radley for the 1913 Alpine trial, a gruelling 2600km event sprawling over 19 mountain passes. It was part of the team of four cars prepared by the Rolls Royce factory for the event and it is the only one that survives today. A canny competitor, Radley specified the ultra low gearing which helped this car romp to victory every single day of the event.
After the race, the car changed hands several times, eventually ending up as a lowly breakdown truck in Wales. In 1950 the battered but still functional Ghost was unearthed, restored and used daily until the late 1980s. Since then, it has undergone a comprehensive second restoration restoring the car to its glorious 1913 racing specification.
This rather risqué mascot is a replica of the original used by Radley which is now the property of his mechanic’s daughter, believe it or not.
Since the restoration in 1993, the renewed Ghost has travelled a fairly mind boggling 150,000 kilometres without issue, including runs up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and a successful recreation of the record-breaking 1913 Alpine Trial. They definitely don’t make them like this any more.
1913 Rolls Royce Alpine Trials Car
Chassis Number: 2260E
Engine: 7428cc straight-six cylinder, four-speed transmission
Price (when new): £800 including extras; £1350 with Radley-specified coachwork
Coachbuilder: Radley-Morison
