Rolls-Royce Ghost

It's official – Rolls-Royce has revealed that its new 'compact' luxury saloon will be called...the Ghost. The name was announced by CEO, Tom Purves at a press conference held at the Shanghai Motor Show.

Resurrecting a famous name last used by Rolls-Royce in 1925, the new model will go on sale later this year. Previewed by the 200EX concept, which debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in March, production of the new Ghost will begin at the company’s Goodwood plant later this year, following in the footsteps of its bigger brother, the Phantom.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO, Tom Purves, said: “We are delighted to formally announce the Rolls-Royce Ghost. It is one of the most revered names in the automotive industry, evoking images of adventure and technical innovation.

"The name reflects this new model’s breadth of abilities. The first cars to bear the Ghost name were known not only for impressive dependability and refinement but also great flair and style. This car will be the first in a new generation of models to carry this evocative name and will give us two pinnacle product lines – Phantom and Ghost.

"The Rolls-Royce Ghost will be built on its own dedicated production line at Goodwood but will share paint, wood and leather workshops with the Phantom series of cars. Rolls-Royce has expanded all areas of its manufacturing facility over the last 18 months to prepare for the introduction of the Ghost model."

The Ghost gets an all-new 6.6-litre V12 engine with upwards of 500bhp. It will be hooked up to a new eight-speed automatic gearbox.