1980 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II

Rolls-Royce shed its traditional construction motif in the mid-1960s and embraced modern, unitary construction for its Silver Shadow. It broke new ground for the Crewe Company in several key areas including the use of four-wheel ventilated disc brakes and the sophisticated fully independent suspension with an advanced self-leveling (high-pressure hydraulic) system licensed from Citroen. The aluminum 6.2-liter (6230cc) V8 engine that had powered the Silver Cloud III remained in service, powering the new Silver Shadow and backed by a four-speed automatic transmission with fluid flywheel, the latter replaced by GM's 400 three-speed box in October 1968. The engine grew to 6.75-liters (6750 cc) in 1969 and although no power output was ever divulged by the company, merely described as 'adequate', the Silver Shadow was more than capable of easily cruising the motorways.

Traditional materials and craftsmanship graced the interior with no less than eight individual Connolly hides were used to trim the interior of each car and the standard of finish on the upholstery, rich Wilton carpets, and burr walnut veneers were impeccable. Each Silver Shadow employed 20 electric motors, powering everything from the radio antenna to adjusting the individual front seats and the electric windows. Each Silver Shadow took no less than 12 weeks to build from start to finish and build quality remained paramount.

The John Polwhele Blatchley-penned Shadow was shorter and narrower than the body-on-frame Silver Cloud III it replaced, but due to the unitary construction, it possessed greater space for both luggage and passenger.

Upgrades introduced in 1977 were sufficient for Rolls-Royce to dub the new model `Shadow II.' Among the list was a switch from recirculating ball to rack-and-pinion steering, revised front end suspension geometry, and a change of carburetors, exhaust and cooling fans all aimed at improving fuel consumption. Among the more visual changes were the rubber-tipped bumpers, a deeper radiator shell and different door handles with more deeply recessed buttons. Additionally, there was a bib spoiler below the front bumper and a new style (spring-back) door mirror that was adjustable from inside the car.

Specifications
The Silver Shadow had a 119.5-inch standard-wheelbase size and a 123.5-inch size for the long-wheelbase version. Though not published, the 6.2-liter V8 used from 1965 to 1969 delivered approximately 172 horsepower while the larger 6.75-liter V8 produced nearly 190 horsepower. The pre-1970 right-hand-drive models used the same four-speed automatic gearbox as the Silver Cloud while all other versions used the GM-sourced Turbo Hydramatic 400 automatic gearbox.

Production
Rolls-Royce produced 30,057 examples of its Shadow between 1965 and 1980 earning it the distinction of being the largest production volume of any Rolls-Royce. Naturally, the standard-wheelbase size was the more popular with 25,142 units builts including 16,717 of the Silver Shadow (1965-77) and 8,425 of the Silver Shadow II (8,425). The long-wheelbase version was more exclusive, with production reaching 4,915 units with 2,780 being Silver Shadow LWB and 2,135 being the Silver Wraith II.

Silver Shadow LWB and Silver Wraith II
Rolls-Royce began offering the Silver Shadow LWB in May of 1969 to the United States, and to domestic customers from early 1970. Some of the cars had privacy glass divider but with this installed, negated the four-inch improvement in rear-seat legroom. Vehicles built for markets other than the United States had a separate air conditioning unit mounted in the boot. This was not allowed in the U.S. due to safety laws which would have required the relocation of the petrol tank.

When the Sivler Shadow II was introduced, the longer wheelbase version became known as the Silver Wraith II.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2022