Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has unveiled a new Black Badge Ghost commission on the Isle of Man, marking 120 years since Charles Rolls secured victory in the 1906 Tourist Trophy race.
The special edition draws inspiration from the Light 20 H.P. Rolls-Royce that Rolls piloted alongside his riding mechanic, Eric Platford. The Tourist Trophy required competitors to complete four laps of the Isle of Man's Highroads Course, which measured 65 kilometres in length. Success demanded that drivers balance speed against endurance, mechanical sensitivity and careful fuel management.
Rolls started from fourth position on the grid but had moved into the lead by the end of the opening lap. By the final circuit, he had established a 10-minute advantage over his rivals, a significant margin in a race that punished excess as much as it rewarded pace. He and Platford completed the 260 kilometre event in four hours, six minutes and 0,06 seconds, achieving an average speed of 63,4 km/h. Remarkably, only 0,54 litres of fuel remained in the 20 H.P. at the finish line, a testament to the precision and attention to detail that defined their approach.
Don't be ghosted - click here and see our Rolls-Royce offerings
"Charles Rolls lived with an extraordinary sense of adventure," said John Beckley, Regional Director for the United Kingdom, Europe and Central Eastern Asia at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. "As a racing driver, balloonist, aviation pioneer, engineer and innovator, he helped define the courage and curiosity that still shape Rolls-Royce Motor Cars today. His victory in the 1906 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was not simply a sporting achievement: it was a test of judgement, nerve and faith in a finely prepared motor car. The Black Badge Ghost Tourist Trophy honours that spirit, recalling both the motor car he drove and the character that made his achievement so significant."
The exterior of the commission is finished in Dark Emerald, a shade chosen to evoke the green hue of the Light 20 H.P. that Rolls drove in the race. A single Tan Coachline provides restrained contrast, complemented by a hand-painted motif bearing the number 4 in Arctic White. This references both Rolls' starting position and the four laps he completed in just over four hours.
Great insurance is a safety net you really need – click here to find out more
Inside the cabin, the Black and Tan colour scheme creates an atmosphere of controlled intensity. Black leather and Black Badge Technical Fibre give the interior a contemporary edge, softened by Tan leather, stitching and seat piping, alongside the warmth of Mocassin lambswool. The rear Waterfall features an embroidered outline of the Isle of Man Short Highroads Course, bringing the landscape of the victory into the intimate space of the cabin.
Concealed within the central 'eyeball' air vents are engravings recording details from the race-winning motor car and the event itself, including the registration number AX157, chassis number 26350B, the race date of 27 September 1906, and the start and finish line coordinates. Bespoke Illuminated Treadplates fitted to all four door sills also reference chassis number 26350B, forming a discreet private archive within the vehicle.
"Charles Rolls was a high-voltage Edwardian: experimental, audacious and moving faster than the world around him," said Alistair Barkley, Designer at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. "His victory in the 1906 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy demonstrated both courage and discipline – a demanding course, limited fuel, a finely prepared motor car and an absolute belief in what machines could make possible. The Black Badge Ghost Tourist Trophy carries that spirit with restraint. Every Bespoke detail is rooted in the race, yet the overall expression is contemporary, quietly assured and deeply controlled."
The commission reflects Rolls' character as an independent thinker, technically fluent and restless in his pursuit of what machines could achieve. It was this quest for the new and the extraordinary that drew him to the exhilaration of early motor racing, ballooning and aviation. In Black Badge Ghost, that restlessness finds contemporary expression, assertive in character, exacting in detail and disciplined in execution, with each Bespoke element connected to the Island, the course, the winning motor car or the man behind the achievement.
Colin Windell for Colin-on-Cars in association with
proudly ALL THINGS MOTORING
