Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Limousine, 1954
Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith
Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith•
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Chassis No.: DLW125
- Exterior: Black
- Interior: Tan
- Body: Limousine
- 1 of 28 James Young Limousine bodies fitted to a long wheelbase Silver Wraith chassis
- Comprehensive restoration completed in the 1990s by marque expert Ralph Curzon
- Multiple award winner
- 4,566cc OHV inline 6-cylinder engine
- Rated at 178 HP
- Single Zenith carburetor
- 4-speed automatic transmission
- Independent front suspension with hydraulic dampers
- Liver rear axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs and hydraulic dampers
- 4-wheel servo-assisted drum brakes
- Finished in correct Mason’s Black
- Wool broadcloth rear interior, front compartment trimmed in leather
- Polished and veneered burled walnut accents
- Cocktail cabinet with Waterford crystal decanters
- Original owner’s manual
- Hand and road tools
Its war effort over, Rolls-Royce ushered in a new era in 1946 with its first postwar model produced at the company’s new home in Crewe, where it had manufactured Merlin V-12 engines for Spitfires. The Silver Wraith featured a new, much stiffer chassis with independent front suspension, servo-assisted hydromechanical brakes and a revised F-head version of the 4257cc 6-cylinder engine with a cast iron block and aluminum head.
Yet, the Silver Wraith was still a purely coachbuilt automobile, and, to be frank, the styling of many British coachbuilders remained stuck in a bygone age of prewar perpendicularity and wing-collared pomp, with separate headlights featured on many designs well into the ‘50s. That cannot be said of this rare 1954 design by James Young, which clearly presages the fashion-forward styling Rolls-Royce would adopt in 1955 for the highly popular factory-bodied Silver Cloud.
This Silver Wraith, with the larger and significantly more powerful 4566cc engine introduced in 1951, is a limousine by name, by virtue of its 133-inch wheelbase—10 inches longer than that of the Silver Cloud—which allows for more space, more comfort, the privacy of a glass division and even a cocktail cabinet. Yet, its harmonious proportions, with blended-in fender lines and integral head lamps, belie its size and defy definition. Formal? Certainly not. A touring limousine? Yes, in part, but also with attributes of the classic Royce-Bentley sports saloon. In short, it’s a touring sports limousine. In all the varied body styles on the Silver Wraith you’ll find few with these rare attributes.
That this style was unveiled at the 1953 Paris Salon, then the focus of “haute-carture,” speaks volumes. With a price tag that pitched it higher than most other custom-built examples, the James Young LWB Silver Wraith was a very select automobile, with just 28 supplied to discerning clients. Factor in a marque-specialist restoration and an impressive tally of RROC concours awards and this James Young Silver Wraith stands out even among that exclusive set.
https://www.mecum.com/lots/381057/1954-rolls-royce-silver-wraith-limousine/
