Wheels: Rolls-Royce Revisits 1913 Alpine Rally

Rolls-Royce Even today, the steep gravel road on Loibl Pass is treacherous.

A new book called “1913: The World Before the Great War,” by Charles Emmerson, reminds us of life during the last year before World War I, when civilization seemed to be at its height of sophistication. The next year, the war would change everything, toppling empires and roiling class structures. The self-satisfied air of progress that had existed amid mounting prewar tension vanished.

But the summer before the war started, Rolls-Royce set out to demonstrate that its cars stood at the summit of auto technology. It joined a competitive drive, called the Alpine Trial, that sent automobiles some 1,850 miles on a tour over the roof of Europe, through Italy, into the Balkans and Austria.

This month, from June 14 to 29, Rolls-Royce re-enacted the Alpine Trial with a 1913 Silver Ghost that made the trip first time around, as well as 47 Ghost models of various vintages. The 1,850-mile trip set out from Vienna and traveled through Austria, Croatia, Slovenia and Italy, driving over steep passes. Even in June, the motorists encountered snow.

Rolls-Royce A map of the Rolls-Royce Alpine Trial.

To make such a journey in 1913 was not very far removed from Hannibal herding his elephants across the Alps centuries before. But the event was a landmark in establishing the worldwide prestige of Rolls-Royce. The success of three Rolls-Royce cars in particular stood out, cementing the marque’s international reputation.

As far as engineering went, Rolls-Royce cars were cutting edge in 1913. But the British company was also a pioneer in automotive marketing. What began as simply the 40- to 50-horsepower model was turned – because of a coat of aluminum paint, the addition of precious metal fixtures and a flashy name – into a legend: the Silver Ghost. The three cars that made the mountain journey became known as the “Alpine Eagle” cars.

Rolls-Royce A photograph from the original Alpine Trial held in 1913.

Rolls-Royce had distinguished itself in similar rallies in Britain, but its reputation on the Continent still lagged behind the competition in 1913. In 1912, for instance, the company’s image had been marred by failure at an Alpine event by James Radley, a Rolls-Royce owner. For 1913, Radley’s car was upgraded in a manner consistent with the factory cars, with the addition of a fourth, lower gear to its 3-speed gearbox — the better to take on steep grades.

Crossing the Alpine passes, the drivers were greeted along the way with festive receptions. At Lake Garda in Italy, for instance, they were met with illuminated boats and fireworks displays. One of the toughest spots on the course was Loibl Pass, which rises 2,300 feet in only three miles. The road has changed little since 1913, Rolls-Royce reports, “with a loose graveled surface rising to two obelisks at the top marking the Slovenian-Austrian Border.” But as in 1913, the now-antique Rolls-Royce cars managed to get through, ascending to reach the obelisks and celebrating a high point the company had reached there so many years ago.

Rolls-Royce Nearly 50 antique Rolls-Royces participated in the 1,850-mile trek across the Alps in June.