Early Motoring
Unlike their tracked (and slightly larger) cousins, early armoured cars were usually based off a civilian car chassis. This makes a lot of sense when you realise that during this era of automobile manufacturing, customers were often purely sold a chassis and an engine! It was then on the new owner to take their functional, if not impractical and rather uncomfortable, vehicle to a coachbuilder who would then construct bodywork to your exact specifications. It was very much a rich person’s game.
The Rolls
This is exemplified by the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. Arguably the ultimate Grand Tourer of the period, capable of driving large distances whilst being able to take many of knocks and hits of the Early 20th century European road network.
Rudyard Kipling is perhaps one of the most famous owners of a Silver Ghost. He owned three around the time of the Great War, with the most famous being ‘The Duchess’ – a 1913 chassis with a black and dark green Limousine Landaulet body built by Hooper & Co.
Yet there is the obvious question of how you take luxury civilian vehicle and turn it into one of the most successful Armoured Fighting Vehicles ever produced.
It is not quite as simple as mounting some armour plate to a Chassis – but as a testament to the build quality of the Rolls, it’s not far off…
What is needed?
Below is a transcription (partly reformatted for ease of reading) of a document from our archive of what appears to be a parts list from a potential South African purchase of Rolls-Royce Armoured Cars 1923. While not certain it would be the same for every Rolls, it gives a very good understanding of what modifications were required.
- Stronger front and rear springs.
- Stronger rear axle
- 8 Single Michelin Disc Wheels similar in every respect – 1 pair fitted to each rear hub, and one single fitted to each front hub; remaining two-disc wheels to be carried as spares. All the wheels fitted with 895 x 150 m/m Palmer Cord tyres. This equipment in lieu of standard Dunlop Wire Wheels, hubs and tyres.
- Special Aero type magneto.
- Special dashboard.
- Metal battery box in frame with battery, in lieu of standard battery-box and battery.
- Lighting equipment consisting of:
- 2 head lamps – No. L.70
- 2 side lamps – No. G.260
- 1 tail lamp – No S.220
- Connecting lamps to chassis wiring.
- Auxiliary combined petrol and oil tank on dashboard.
- Internal hand starter gear with tumbler switch and wiring.
- Mechanical tyre pump of R.R. design, incorporating Schrader pressure gauge.
- Hand starter magneto.
- Special petrol funnel.
- 2 extra step irons, bolts and nuts.
- 4 extra mudguard sockets, bolts and nuts.
- 2 extra wing stay stumps.
- Front and rear towing hooks.
- Front mud wings.
- 2 spare wheel carriers.
- Running Boards.
- 36 non-skid chain hooks.
- 18 non-skid chains complete with studs and nuts.
- 1 ½ spare links for whittle belt.
- 3 each R.H. and L.H. studs, detachable nuts and lock nuts for front wheels.
- 6 each R.H. and L.H. studs, detachable nuts and lock nuts for rear wheels.
- Angle irons and wooden blocks for supporting internal hand starter.
- Change speed and brake levers to be modified to clear armour.
- 2 extra spare, non-skid chains with hooks, studs and nuts.
- 1 spare Hans Renold chain for S.S. motor
The Cost
The quoted price for each chassis was £1,850 – but with a ten percent discount due a bulk order – and a suspiciously round £300 for the additions stated in the transcript.
Giving a grand total of £1,965 per chassis!
Adjusted for inflation this is the equivalent of around £103,000 in 2025. In contrast, a modern Ghost will set you back over three times that amount.
The move from luxury touring cars to armoured vehicles is a powerful reminder of how necessity sparks innovation. Rolls-Royce turned from a symbol of elegance into a trusted name on the battlefield, paving the way for the future of armoured transport.
Learn how luxury cars like the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost evolved into formidable armoured vehicles during the early 20th century. Explore their history, design, and battlefield transformation.
