1956 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Limousine

The Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith was introduced in 1946 and was the company's first post-war model, employing a chassis similar to that of the Silver Dawn and Bentley Mark VI, though with a seven-inch longer wheelbase (at 10 feet, 7 inches). The MKVI pioneered 'standard steel' coachwork while the Wraith was only intended for traditional coach-built bodies. Its bore and stroke dimensions were shared with the pre-war overhead-valve Wraith engine, with modern features including the 'F-head' layout, water jacketing around the valve seats, and larger valves.

Production of the Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith ceased in 1962, with a total production of 1,144 units. Production of the long-wheelbase version continued until the introduction of the Phantom V in 1959, by which time 639 chassis had been completed.

This particular Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith with chassis number LHLW39 (the 'L' prefeix decodes as a car that was delivered new in the rare left-hand drive form - the additional 'L' in the middle of the VIN confirms it to have been a long wheelbase series car), wears aluminum coachwork by James Young. A total of 16 examples of this style were built including four with two occasional folding seats to the rear compartment. An identical sister car carrying body number '1868' was exhibited at the 1956 Earls Court Motor Show.

Rolls-Royce delivered this car in April of 1959, to R. Herrera and by 1969, the car was in downtown Baltimore, Maryland in the garage of Andre Schneebeli. By 1971, the car had moved to the Midwest in the care of Skokie, Illinois enthusiast Arthur Lieberman. Mr. Lieberman kept the car at least through the late 1970s.

It is believed that around 2012, the car was given a restoration to its presentation of Brown over Gold with orange-brown leather both front and rear. The current caretaker acquired the vehicle in 2014.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2022