Rolls-Royce has revealed the Black Badge Ghost Tourist Trophy on the Isle of Man, marking 120 years since Charles Stewart Rolls won the 1906 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy.
The one-off commission draws on the Light 20HP Rolls-Royce driven by Rolls and his mechanic, Eric Platford. The 1906 race ran over four laps of the Isle of Man Highroads Course, shortened to 40.38 miles. Rolls started fourth, took the lead by the end of the opening lap and finished ten minutes ahead of the field.
Rolls and Platford completed the race in four hours, six minutes and 0.06 seconds, averaging 39.4mph. The car finished with one pint and one ounce of fuel remaining, underlining how much the result relied on fuel management, mechanical sympathy and sustained pace rather than speed alone.
Moving on to the Black Badge Ghost Tourist Trophy, pictured above, the exterior is finished in Dark Emerald, referring to the green bodywork of the original Light 20HP. A single Tan coachline runs along the body, joined by a hand-painted motif that incorporates the number ‘4’ in Arctic White, marking Rolls’ starting position in the race. The Black Badge version of the Ghost uses a 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 producing 592bhp and 664lb ft of torque.
For the Black Badge, Rolls-Royce recalibrated the chassis to give it a firmer, more immediate feel. The suspension uses the marque’s Planar system, with an additional upper-wishbone damper above the front suspension working with electronically controlled dampers and self-levelling air springs. The Black Badge version receives specific chassis tuning, and Rolls-Royce also raised the brake-pedal biting point to give more response through the pedal.
The gearbox is still the eight-speed automatic, linked to the company’s Satellite Aided Transmission system, which uses GPS data to preselect ratios for upcoming road conditions. In Black Badge form, the transmission calibration is altered through the Low function: when throttle load exceeds 90 percent, gearshift speed increases by up to 50 percent. Low mode also makes the exhaust more vocal, giving the 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 a stronger presence
Inside the Tourist Trophy edition, Rolls-Royce uses Black leather, Black Badge Technical Fibre, Tan leather, plus Tan stitching and seat piping. The effect is more archival than decorative, with most of the race references placed discreetly within the cabin.
The rear Waterfall seat carries an embroidered outline of the Isle of Man Short Highroads Course. The central eyeball vents also feature engraved details from the winning car and race: registration AX157, chassis number 26350B, race date 27.09.1906, and start and finish line coordinates of 54˚09’27.1” N 4°29’54.7” W.
Bespoke illuminated treadplates are fitted to all four door sills and also reference chassis number 26350B. Together, these details turn the cabin into a compact record of the 1906 victory without changing the external form of the car.
More details can be found here.
