1951 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith

The Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith was on the assembly line for 13 years and was the last of the all-hand-built, all-aluminum, custom-bodied Roll-Royces. Introduced towards the end of 1946, the Silver Wraith - Rolls-Royce's first post-war model - rested on a chassis similar to that of the Silver Dawn and the Bentley MK VI, though with a 7-inch longer wheelbase (at 10 feet, 7-inches). The Mark VI pioneered 'standard steel' bodywork while the Wraith received traditional coachbuilt bodies. The 4,257cc six-cylinder Rolls-Royce engine used a cast-iron, monoblock construction with an aluminum cylinder head featuring overhead inlet and side exhaust valves. Only the bore and stroke dimensions were shared with the pre-war overhead-valve Wraith engine. The new 'F-head' layout had large valves and generous water jacketing around the valve seats. It was paired with a four-speed manual gearbox with synchromesh was standard initially; an optional General Motors Hydramatic automatic transmission became available for export models at first and available to other markets in 1951. By this point in history, the engine displacement had grown to 4,566cc and a long-wheelbase chassis (11-feet, 1 inch) was introduced. Following the introduction of the standard wheelbase Silver Cloud in 1955, displacement grew to 4,887cc. Production of the short-wheelbase Silver Wraith ceased in 1952, with a total production of 1,244 units built. The production of the long-wheelbase version continued until the introduction of the Phantom V in 1959, by which time 639 units had been completed.

The chassis of the Silver Wraith was independent at the front with GM-style wishbones and coil springs, and a conventional setup at the rear with a live axle and semi-elliptic springs. It was an evolution of the pre-war chassis with deep outer channels and a cruciform center section. Braking power was via a hybrid hydro-mechanical system with hydraulic front brakes and mechanical rears using a mechanical servo. Steering was by Marles cam and roller. The bodies were created by custom coachbuilders with most examples receiving 'formal' limousine coachwork.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2022