The original Silver Ghost car was registered AX 201.
AX 201 was chassis number 60551, a 40/50 hp Rolls-Royce built in 1907. Claude Johnson, the company’s commercial and managing director, ordered it as a demonstrator. It was painted in aluminium-coloured paint and fitted with silver-plated fittings, helping inspire the name “Silver Ghost.” Its open Roi-des-Belges body was supplied by the coachbuilder Barker.
The car became famous after reliability trials in Scotland and a subsequent 15,000-mile test that included repeated journeys between London and Glasgow. These demonstrations helped establish Rolls-Royce’s reputation for quietness and dependability. The name originally applied to AX 201 specifically, but the press soon used “Silver Ghost” for the entire 40/50 hp series. Rolls-Royce did not officially adopt the name for the range until 1925, when the Phantom was introduced.