Rolls-Royce has launched the exclusive Alpine Trial Centenary Collection to commemorate the marque’s 100th anniversary of conquering the arduous Austrian Alpine Trials.
In 1913, the Rolls-Royce Works Team and privateer entrant James Radley covered 2929km of challenging mountain terrain – considered the toughest automotive endurance test of the time – in four Rolls-Royce Silver Ghosts.
The cars performed without fault, establishing a reputation for peerless reliability and mechanical excellence and gaining the unofficial but widely acknowledged title as the ‘Best Car in the World’.
Debuting at this week’s Shanghai auto show, the 2013 Rolls-Royce Ghost Alpine Trial Centenary Collection celebrates these endeavours by paying tribute to the styling of the 1913 Alpine Trial cars.
The exterior takes inspiration from Radley’s Silver Ghost, mirroring its baby blue paintwork, silver bonnet and black wheel and radiator grille – the first time a contemporary Rolls-Royce has worn a painted grille.
The focal point of the cabin is the bespoke analogue clock, which displays the stages and timings of the original Alpine Trial rally, while the dashboard fascia and rear picnic tables display the topography and distances of the Alpine route.
In celebration of the centenary of the 1913 Alpine Trial, the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Works Team will drive both Radley’s Silver Ghost and the new 2013 Alpine Trial Ghost in a faithful re-enactment of the rally, starting in Vienna on June 14.
The duo will be joined by more than 40 Silver Ghosts traversing Austria, Slovenia, Italy and Croatia before returning to Vienna on June 29.
