Members of the 20-Ghost group, the oldest Rolls-Royce owners' group in the world that is dedicated only to vehicles made before 1940, participate in the 110th anniversary recreation of the 1913 Alpenfahrt, and they make a successful return to Salzburg.
The 20-Ghost Club's grand recreation of the Salzburg Alpenfahrt in 1913 comes to an end.
The occasion commemorates the 7-day, 2,600-kilometer trial that made Rolls-Royce "the best car in the world" on its 110th anniversary.
Participants drove some of Europe's highest highways in near resemblance to the original Alpenfahrt itinerary, including pre-1940 and modern Rolls-Royce automobiles.
Inspiring Greatness Trophy, presented for the first time by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, evoking the honors given to the all-conquering Rolls-Royce Works squad in 1913.
"The Silver Ghosts of the Rolls-Royce Works team's overwhelming performance at the 1913 Alpenfahrt established Rolls-Royce as 'the best car in the world. This magnificent recreation, which commemorates the 110th anniversary of that momentous occasion, pays honor to their accomplishments as well as the superior engineering of these vintage Rolls-Royce automobiles. It is a monument to their loyal owners' painstaking care and attention that so many instances are still in use today and are still completely functional as well as capable of engaging in the same astounding endeavors they did more than a century ago. I feel privileged to have been a part of this extraordinary experience with these incredible people and their magnificent automobiles. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Chief Executive Officer Torsten Müller-Tvös
After a 16-day, 2,600-kilometer odyssey through the Alps, the participants in the 110th anniversary re-enactment of the 1913 Alpenfahrt, which includes members of the 20-Ghost Club (the world's oldest Rolls-Royce owners' club dedicated exclusively to models built before 1940), triumphantly arrive in Salzburg. The Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, which is commemorating its own 20th anniversary this year, produced bespoke examples of the brand's Ghost and Black Badge Ghost models to accompany members on some of their trips.
The rally in 2023 mostly traveled the same route as the first rally, which included some of the highest roads in Europe. Silver Ghosts, including one from the original 1913 Works Team that helped cement Rolls-Royce's reputation as "the best car in the world," were among the participating vehicles.
Even though the drivers of today were taking part in a more leisurely tour than a fiercely contested competition between formidable business and sporting rivals, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars added an additional element of competitive realism by presenting its first-ever "Inspiring Greatness Trophy". It honors the 20-Ghost Club member who best exemplifies the marque's core concept, "Inspiring Greatness," and is judged and awarded by Ken Forbes and Nick Naismith.