1967 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow

Frederick Henry Royce was an English engineer and industrialist by trade, and his firm was a maker of heavy electrical equipment and cranes before he began building cars. The Honourable Charles Rolls was an ardent supporter and dealer of automobiles. In 1906, their union was formalized as a legal entity with the formation of Rolls-Royce Limited. During its early years, Rolls-Royce produced five chassis consisting of a 2-cylinder (10 horsepower), a three-cylinder (15 hp), a 4-cylinder (20 hp), a 6-cylinder (30 hp) and a V8 (20 hp). From this vast portfolio, Rolls-Royce engineers built the 40/50 hp 'Silver Ghost' masterpiece which allowed the company to discontinue all other models and concentrate its engineering and production efforts to build this one model. The Rolls-Royce received the title, 'the best car in the world,' after chassis number 60551 endured a 15 thousand mile trial without any break-downs. This slogan would remain with Rolls-Royce for most of the 20th century.

Rolls-Royce built the automobile chassis while coachbuilders made and mounted the bodies on those chassis. Following World War II, the factory introduced standard body designs for its cars. With the introduction of the Silver Shadow, Rolls-Royce used a monocoque body, commonly referred to as unibody construction. This configuration increased body rigidity and allowed for a more spacious interior.

At the Paris Motor Show in October of 1965, Rolls-Royce introduced the Silver Shadow which bore a close resemblance to the Silver Ghost of more than five decades earlier, wearing the iconic 'Spirit of Ecstasy' mascot and fitted with the classic radiator design. The new John Polwhele Blatchley design proved timeless with the basic shape of the Silver Shadow remaining the face of Rolls-Royce for over two decades, the longest of any model in the company's history, lasting from 1966 until 1980. It offered a stylish and more practical alternative to the Silver Cloud it replaced.

The engine was the company's standard-issue 6.2-liter all-aluminum overhead-valve V8 with - as described by the company - 'adequate' horsepower and 'sufficient' torque. Like a gentleman, Rolls-Royce never told. Most estimates stated 200 to 250 horsepower and 300 pounds-feet of torque. The engine was one of the few features carried over from the earlier car. The engine displacement increased in 1970 to 6.75 liters and came with revised cylinder heads. A General Motors-sourced Turbo Hydramatic 400 transmission was used for both engines, except on the models built before 1970 with right-hand drive, which were fitted with the same 4-speed gearbox as the Silver Cloud.

The drum brakes of the preceding model were replaced by disc all round. The outdated live axle design was replaced by an independent rear suspension setup. A hydropneumatic system, licensed from Citroen, offered hydraulic self-leveling suspension and dual-circuit braking. Initially, the front and rear of the car were controlled by the leveling system. In 1969, the front leveling setup was removed after determining that most of the work was performed at the rear.

Interior accouterments include grain and walnut instrument and door panels, Connolly leather, and footwells of Wilton carpets.

The Silver Shadow represented a shift for the company and the firm's image as a producer of chauffeur-driven limousines to more approachable owner-drive coupes and sedans. In comparison to the car it replaced, it was 3.5-inches narrower and 7-inches shorter. Despite the smaller footprint, which was more suited to the roads and parking conditions of the home market, it managed to offer increased passenger and luggage space due to the unitary construction. The standard Silver Shadow wheelbase measured 119.5 inches and had a length of 203.5 inches. A longer 123.5-inch wheelbase was also available.

Silver Shadow II
After several major changes, most notably the addition of rack-and-pinion steering, the model was renamed the Silver Shadow II. The chrome alloy bumpers were replaced with rubber staring with the late 1976 Silver Shadows. These energy-absorbing bumpers had been used in the United States since 1974 in compliance with safety standards.

Mulliner Park Ward
Two Rolls-Royce subsidiaries, Park Ward and H.J. Mulliner & Co were merged by 1961 to form Mulliner Park Ward. Park Ward of Willesden, London had been a Rolls-Royce subsidiary since 1939. H. J. Mulliner & Co. of Chiswick was a Rolls-Royce subsidiary since 1959. The Mulliner Park Ward continues to operate as a vehicle customization division of Bentley Motors Limited, the successor of Rolls-Royce Motors.

Mulliner Park Ward built a convertible version with 'coke bottle' style fenders and was marketed as the Silver Shadow Drophead Coupe.

Early in 1966, both Mulliner Park Ward and James Young built a two-door saloon version. The Mulliner Park Ward version featured 'coke bottle' styled fenders while the James Young model was rarer, built-in fifty examples consisting of 35 Rolls-Royces and 115 Bentleys. The James Young version was discontinued in 1967.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2020