1947 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Drophead Coupe

This Silver Wraith wears coachwork by Carrosserie Franay. Only six drophead coupe bodies were built on the Silver Wraith chassis, and this is the first one. Each of the six examples were different. It is one of only eleven Franay-bodied Silver Wraiths.

This Rolls-Royce was equipped with instruments in kilometers and intended for use in France. Upon completion, the Cabriolet was displayed at the 1947 Paris Salon and then at the 1948 Concours d'Elegnace in Deauville.

This example was originally owned by Dr. Mounir Abdel-Latif, an Egyptian who was residing in Geneva, Switzerland. Dr. Latif brought the Cabriolet back to Egypt with him, though it was apparently registered in the United Kingdom at some point as 'FJH 679.' It was discovered in Egypt in late 1972 by Dr. James Rhea. The car returned to Arabia with Dr. Rhea and remained there until his passing later in the decade. Eventually, his widow imported the Rolls-Royce to their home in Georgia. It was subsequently sold in 1982 to Dr. Thomas Phillips of Atlanta.


In 1989, ownership passed to Thomas Phillips and Sam Ornstein in the United States, before traveling to Denmark in the hands of Jorgen Stroyer Hansen, who would own it for 13 years. By the mid-1990s, WVA63 was purchased by future Pebble Beach award winner Frank Ricciardelli of Monmouth Beach, New Jersey who put it on display at the 2002 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.

Over the following 15 years, the car has been cared for by several respected collectors, including Don and Rob Williams' Auto Collection, the late Bill Jacobs of Joliet, Illinois, and Arizona businessman Ron Pratte. Around 2013 the car was refurbished to its current cosmetic scheme of black paint with maroon fender trim.

The current owner acquired it in 2015.