Rolls-Royce Wraith Landaulet, 1939
Rolls-Royce Wraith
Rolls-Royce Wraith•
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Chassis No.: B9WP
Auction: Monterey 2023
Auction date: August 19, 2023
Lot No.: S165
$74,250 | Sold
- Odometer: 24,560 miles
- Engine: Inline 6-cylinder
- Transmission: Manual
- Exterior: Black/Off White
- Interior: Tan
- Body: Landaulet
- 1 of 5 Wraith Landaulets delivered in 1939 — purported to be the only 1 built by H.J. Mulliner
- Retains the original engine and H.J. Mulliner coachwork
- 4,255cc OHV inline 6-cylinder engine with cross-flow cylinder head
- 4-speed manual transmission with synchro-mesh
- Transmission Servo Action Power Assist
- Black and Off-White exterior with new Landaulet Beige leather top
- New Tan leather front interior with Burlwood dash
- New Tan leather and wool rear seat with custom leather divider bar featuring glassware/flasks
- Leather Rolls-Royce thermos kit
- 2 rear compartment “occasional” leather seats
- 17 inch wire wheels with self-locking hubs
- Tool kit
- Custom car cover
- Please note that the intercom system needs servicing
- 5 owner car
- Stored in a temperature controlled facility since 2019
- Illustrated in Book “Coachwork On Rolls Royce 1906-1939,” published in 1975, pg 194, book included
Wraith, a Scottish word approximating to ghost or spirit, was a fitting appellation for the very last prewar Rolls-Royce model, for though derived from the earlier 25/30, the new 1939 model adhered to the company’s tenet of evolution rather than revolution. As a result of these developments, a company brochure proclaimed the Wraith to be “probably the quietest of all Rolls-Royce motor cars.” Contributors included the new welded—rather than riveted—chassis, independent front suspension and a revised engine mounting.
The cross-flow cylinder head was a new addition, so too the sophisticated hydraulic dampers at the front, which were controlled by a governor to adjust damping rates in-line with speed. As standard, there were four-wheel drum brakes assisted by a mechanical servo, 4-speed manual transmission (synchromesh on upper three ratios), built-in hydraulic jacking and one-shot chassis lubrication. With 491 chassis built and only in 1939, any Wraith is rare. All were coachbuilt, and this is one of just five fitted with a landaulet body, and the only known landaulet bodied by H.J. Mulliner.
As was the preferred practice of the day, the chauffeur’s compartment is upholstered with hard-wearing leather, with wool-cloth seating in a rear passenger compartment replete with appointments and luxury finishes that would cause a real estate agent to gush. Set off by sumptuous burlwood veneers, there’s a custom leather seat divider bar equipped with glassware and flasks, occasional leather riding seats, radio, Smiths clock and an intercom (needs servicing). Lowering the landaulet top brings the outside in; with it raised, the opera lights provide an intimate glow at night. The etched-glass sliding divider further preserves privacy.
So as not to scare the horses, the twin horns can be operated in either soft or loud mode. That’s one measure of the attention to detail. Another is the fully equipped tool tray in the trunk, which would come in handy should one wish their chauffeur to assist stricken motorists in lesser cars. The recipient of recent work including new leather and wool upholstery and new landaulet top, this rare five-owner 1939 H.J. Mulliner Wraith, which is featured in the book “Coachwork on Rolls-Royce 1906-1939,” has been stored in a temperature controlled facility since 2019. Though the Wraith chassis was produced only in 1939, some were bodied during the war, and others after.
Not so with this 1939 landaulet, which serves as an evocation of a passing age of hand-crafted opulence and luxury.
https://www.mecum.com/lots/1095397/1939-rolls-royce-wraith-landaulet/
Cost
272,684 AED
