1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow

The Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, employing unitary construction for the first time, was styled by John Blatchley's talented team and broke new ground for the Crewe Company in many key areas, from its fully independent suspension with an advanced self-leveling system to four-wheel ventilated disc brakes. It featured a high-pressure hydraulic system licensed 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. Later, in 1969, the front leveling was deleted as it had been determined that the rear leveling did almost all the work. This arrangement gave the Rolls-Royce a high degree of ride quality.

The Silver Shadow came with the prior Silver Cloud III's all-aluminum 6.2-liter V8 engine and four-speed automatic transmission with fluid flying, the only major component it shared with its predecessor. A GM 400 three-speed box replaced the four-speed unit in October of 1968 while the engine was enlarged to 6.7-liters the following year. The interior of the Silver Shadow continued to use traditional materials and Old-World craftsmanship with modern fittings like electric windows. No fewer than eight individual Connolly hides were used to trim the interior of each car. Other niceties included Wilton carpets and burr walnut veneers. Each Silver Shadow employed 20 electric motors, powering all the electrical equipment including the radio antenna and the adjustable individual front seats. Air conditioning remained an option, except in America where it was standard. Seat belts and a clever heating and ventilation system were standard.

The styling was a major departure from its predecessor, the Silver Cloud, although it sourced several styling cues which were modified and preserved. Although the Shadow was 3.5-inches narrower and 7 inches shorter than the car it replaced, it offered increased passenger and luggage space thanks to more efficient packaging made possible by unitary construction.

Each Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow took no less than 12 weeks to build from start to finish. It was also the first Rolls-Royce in fifty years to turn a profit and thanks to strong demand around the world, roughly 16,717 were built before the revised Shadow II was introduced in 1977.

by Dan Vaughan

Saloon
Chassis number: SRH18029

This Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow is a right-hand drive example with nearly 70,000 miles on its odometer. It is an original, unrestored example and a three-owner car. It has a 6.7-liter V8 engine mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. It has air conditioning, AM/FM/Cassette, power windows, power locks, and a power antenna.

by Dan Vaughan

Saloon
Chassis number: LRC20622

This Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow is finished in two-tone paint with a saddle leather interior. It has full power options, new radial white wall tires, upgraded CD/Stereo system, and 87,500 miles on the odometer. It has the original V8 engine and automatic transmission.

by Dan Vaughan

Saloon
Chassis number: SRC18036

The new Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow was modern and shocked the world upon its introduction in 1965, especially for traditionalist Rolls-Royce customers. It was smaller all around by outward dimensions, but offered more trunk and interior space than the outgoing Cloud, thanks to the unibody construction. It had an independent rear suspension, disc brakes, and a very unique twin-circuit braking and hydraulic leveling suspension system used under license from Citroen. The leveling suspension was revised and improved, and the engine increased from 6.2L to 6.75L. Body styles soon included a two-door coupe and convertible, followed a short time later by a longer-wheelbase version.

By the time production of the Silver Shadow ceased in 1980, over 30,000 examples had been sold. In comparison, approximately 7,000 examples of the Silver Cloud were built from 1955 to 1966. To date, the Silver Shadow remains the sales record holder of the Rolls-Royce family.

This particular 1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow is finished in blue with full-size wheel covers and rides on white-stripe tires. Dual headlights flank the infamous vertical grille that is topped by the Flying Lady mascot. The interior is done in tan leather, with carpeting and piping that matches the body color. The dashboard features polished wood, and along the door tops and the center console, with Smiths instruments and an Alpine stereo nestled within.

by Dan Vaughan

Rolls-Royce's most significant model since the Silver Ghost was the Silver Shadow which took 11 years to come to fruition and included many technical refinements. Under the code name Tibet, this model was the first Rolls-Royce to use monocoque or unitary construction.

The Silver Shadow was a huge technical leap forward from its predecessors. The car had every luxury option possible at the time. Gear change, windows, seat adjustment, fuel filler cap, aerial, air conditioning, and heating were all electrically operated. A hydraulic system with pumps operated from the camshaft was also a considerable advance, as were power-operated disc brakes and self-leveling independent suspension.

The Silver Shadow was launched in October 1965, priced at 6,556 pounds. This made it 900 pounds more expensive than the Cloud III, but in technical terms, the Silver Shadow was superior - easily the most superior model ever offered by Rolls-Royce up to that point.

Early cars were powered by the 6.23 liter V8, but in 1970 it was increased to 6.75 liters to compensate for increasingly tight and power-sapping emissions legislation.

The Silver Shadow II was introduced in 1977 and was an improved version of the previous model with changes in external appearance, particularly wrap-around black bumpers with an air dam underneath; handling was also improved. The long-wheelbase Silver Wraith II had four inches more rear legroom.

The Silver Shadow and Silver Shadow II were destined to become the best selling Rolls-Royce cars ever produced and they remain to this day a Great British icon.

by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd.

by Rolls-Royce

Responsible for achieving the largest production volume of any Rolls-Royce, the Silver Shadow was introduced in October of 1965 at the Paris Auto Show. The most successful model ever produced by Rolls-Royce, the Silver Shadow had a remarkable production rate of 16,717 units sold during its 12-year run. For such an expensive model, this was quite an achievement. This vehicle was to be the future of Rolls Royce Motors, a product of more than ten years of development, filling a gap between the Silver Cloud buyer and the new generation of Rolls owners. A luxurious vehicle produced in Great Britain, the Silver Shadow was the first Rolls-Royce to use a monocoque chassis.

The Silver Shadow had a more modern appearance in comparison to its predecessor, the Silver Cloud. The styling was a product of Crewe's in-house styling department, led by Jon P. Blatchley. Unitary construction, the absence of a separate frame resulted in more room for passengers, and easier access for luggage towing. It also featured much more practical updates that included disc brakes rather than drum brakes, and independent rear suspension with automatic level control instead of the previous live axle design of previous vehicles. The standard Silver Shadow had a wheelbase that measured at 5.17 meters in length.

During its first year of production, the Silver Shadow came at a base price of $19,700 and weighed 4,700 pounds. Two-door saloons were available from 1966 on, and a convertible was offered the following year.

From 1965 until 1969, the Silver Shadow had a 172 hp 6.2 L V8 and updated to a 189 hp 6.75 L V8 from 1970 to 1980. These powerplants were merged to a General Motors-sourced Turbo Hydramatic 400 transmission. Pre-1970 right-hand-drive models used the same 4-speed automatic gearbox as the Silver Cloud.

The Silver Shadow also featured an impressive high-pressure hydraulic system that was licensed from Citroën and showcased dual-circuit braking and hydraulic self-leveling suspension. In the beginning, both the front and rear of the vehicle were controlled by the leveling system. This was updated to only rear leveling as most of the work was done from this area.

The Silver Shadow II was introduced in 1977. A bridge between the Silver Spirit that eventually followed in 1981. This newest version included technological advancement modifications to the front suspension that improved handling remarkably, along with rack and pinion steering. The bumpers were also updated from chrome to alloy and rubber.

To counteract power-robbing and ever-growing stringent smog regulation, the 6750cc V8 engine was updated. The aluminum-silicon cylinder block with cast iron wet liners and aluminum alloy heads continued to remain on the engine.

In 1969 an optional longer wheelbase variant added an extra 4 inches to provide additional rear-seat legroom. Several of these models were fitted with a privacy glass divider. These models today are still sought after by collectors today. These models were eventually renamed the Silver Wraith II in 1977. Updated with an Everflex covered roof, different wheel covers and a rear opera-style window the Silver Wraith II was quite a popular vehicle.

by Jessican Donaldson