On January 17, 1921, the first Rolls-Royce "Springfield" Silver Ghost rolled off the assembly line, though it was not in the UK but rather the US. The marque had a facility at the time located in Springfield, Massachusetts and these cars benefited from the creativity of US coachbuilders such as Brewster, Willoughby, Merimac, and Hollbrook.

As part of this 100th-anniversary celebration, Rolls-Royce points out these US-built Silver Ghosts were not only handbuilt for US clients but were equally as desirable as their UK counterparts. Production lasted in Springfield from 1921 until 1931; the Great Depression made it difficult even for wealthy Americans to buy coachbuild luxury cars.

During that 10-year production period, a total of 2,946 cars rolled off the production line, including 1,703 Silver Ghosts. The "Springfield" Phantom joined the lineup in 1925. Today's Rolls-Royce Ghost and Phantom both trace their roots, not to mention namesakes, back to these early 20th-century coachbuilds. But why is the luxury automaker celebrating this particular model's production start date? What makes it so special?

One key reason is that the Silver Ghost originated the "best car in the world" phrase, a reputation the marque still proudly stands by. The term was given to the original Silver Ghost in 1907 by Autocar, the world's oldest automotive publication, founded in 1895.

Rolls-Royce also proudly claims that a full two-thirds of all vehicles ever commissioned remain in solid mechanical condition and are still driving. Many are regularly displayed at the world's finest auto shows. Today, the Rolls-Royce Ghost is one of the luxurious vehicles on the planet and customers have a seemingly unlimited number of customization options.

During our own recent experience behind the wheel, we applauded the latest Rolls-Royce Ghost for its design inside and out, an abundance of power, and its new and exceptional Planar Suspension System featuring the company's Magic Carpet Ride technology. Base price: $332,500. Living luxuriously has never been cheap and never will be.