1976 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow

The Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow made its public debut in October of 1965 and was powered by a V8 engine that had been introduced in the Silver Cloud. New features included a monocoque chassis, independently sprung chassis, and four-wheel disc brakes. The superb ride quality was due to the high-pressure hydraulic system from Citroen with dual-circuit braking and hydraulic self-leveling suspension. Initially, both the front and rear of the car were controlled by the leveling system, however, the front leveling was removed in 1969 as it had been determined that the rear leveling did the majority of the work.

To date, the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow has the largest production volume of any Rolls-Royce. Produced from 1965 through 1977, 16,717 Silver Shadow I and 2,780 long-wheelbase versions were built. Silver Shadow II production lasted from 1977 through 1980, with 8,425 examples built and 2,135 of the long-wheelbase version.

Although it shared several styling cues with the Silver Cloud, the Shadow I, designed by John Polwhele Blatchley, was a major departure from its predecessor. In comparison to the prior Silver Cloud, the Silver Shadow was 3.5-inches narrower and seven inches shorter. Over half of the Silver Clouds had been sold on the domestic market where the roads favored smaller vehicles. To this end, the Silver Shadow was designed to maximize luxury and comfort, and in regards to the driver, a narrow body provided less stress on crowded motorways. Despite its smaller footprint, the Silver Shadow offered increased passenger and luggage space thanks to more efficient packaging made possible by its advanced design.

The 6.2-liter, 90-degree V8 engine had overhead-valves, a cast-aluminum block and heads, two SU diaphragm-type carburetors, five-main bearings, hydraulic valve lifters, and 12-volt electric system. It delivered 172 horsepower and was backed by a General Motors-sourced Turbo Hydramatic 400 automatic gearbox. Pre-1970 right-hand-drive models received the same four-speed GM-sourced HydraMatic automatic gearbox as used in the Silver Cloud. In 1970, displacement grew to 6,750cc and horsepower to 189 hp, but the gearbox remained the same. The steering was by a variable power-assisted recirculating ball, disc brakes provided the stopping power, and the suspension was comprised of wishbones and coil springs in the front with automatic leveling, while the rear used semi-trailing arms with coil springs and automatic leveling.

Body styles included a two-door saloon that was soon followed by a convertible in 1967. The two-door saloon was available with coachwork by Mulliner Park Ward or James Young. Just 35 examples of the Silver Shadow wore James Young styling while the majority were given the 'Coke bottle' style fenders and coachwork by Mulliner.

Near the close of 1976, Silver Shadow bumpers were changed from chrome to alloy and rubber. In 1977, the model was renamed the Silver Shadow II due to several major changes, including to the front suspension and the addition of a rack and pinion steering system.

A long-wheelbase version, resting on a 123.5-inch platform, provided an additional four-inches of rear-seat legroom. Initially, a series of ten examples were built in 1967, including one being sold to Princess Margaret. It was offered in the United States from May of 1969, and available to domestic customers from early 1970. Some examples were fitted with a privacy glass divider, which negated the gain in wheelbase.

The Silver Shadow represented a complete break with tradition, with a 4-inch lower roofline, power-operated four-wheel disc brakes, and unitary construction. It remained steadfast to the company's mission of building luxury vehicles with large power plants and unquestionable elegance.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2020