Rolls-Royce details the history of the Spectre name

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Ben Chia

11/10/2022

In light of the upcoming new Spectre EV, Rolls-Royce looks back at its fascinating history with the Spectre name

GOODWOOD, UK

Rolls-Royce has a history of using storied names for its cars, with the likes of Phantom, Ghost, Wraith and Dawn all have precedents that stretch across the brand’s 118-year history.

For the brand’s upcoming first-ever battery electric vehicle (BEV), Rolls-Royce sought to have a name that equally offers a historic link to its past, while also representing a major and definitive shift into the future, and it has found the perfect name in Spectre.

CarBuyer takes an exclusive first look at the new Rolls-Royce Spectre EV

The Spectre name was first used by Rolls-Royce in 1910, when the company built Chassis 1601. Claude Johnson, the commercial managing director of Rolls-Royce at the time, used Chassis 1601 as a demonstrator of sorts, for trial use, and called it ‘The Silver Spectre’.

The next instance of the Spectre name showing up on a Rolls-Royce came on one of the brand’s experimental cars, which bore the suffix ‘EX’. These cars were used for experimenting with new engineering developments and technologies, and were often put through extensive tests across harsh and unforgiving real world conditions.

One of these cars, the 30EX, was developed with a brand-new V12 engine on a completely new chassis with independent front suspension. When the 30EX was ready for testing in 1934, it was given the codename ‘Spectre’, and nine examples were produced. The final product evolved into the Phantom III in 1936, and the 30EX ‘Spectre’ test models went a long way towards helping Rolls-Royce uphold its reputation for refinement, and its status as “The best car in the world”.

Nearly 80 years on, the Spectre name will now officially join the line-up as a full-fledged production. Like its historic forebears, the new Spectre will mark a major landmark for Rolls-Royce, and will continue to help the brand chart a new path forward into a new era.

About the Author

Ben Chia

CarBuyer's print editor went out to explore the Great Big World, including a stint working in China (despite his limited Mandarin). Now he's back, ready to foist upon you his takes on everything good and wonderful about the automotive world. Follow Ben on Instagram @carbuyer.ben

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