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1956 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith

The Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith was the company's first post-war model and was introduced in late 1946 and employed a chassis similar to that of the Silver Dawn and Bentley MkVI, though with a 7-inch longer wheelbase at 10 feet 7 inches. It was designed to carry traditional coach-built bodies rather than the MkVI's pioneering 'standard steel' bodywork. The suspension was comprised of a coil-sprung independent front setup, which necessitated the rigid chassis to function properly, and a live axle with convention semi-elliptic springs at the rear. A hybrid hydro-mechanical system with hydraulic front brakes and mechanical rears using the mechanical servo providing the stopping power.

The straight six-cylinder engine was designed during the postwar era and initially intended to power the Bentley Mark V. The conventional overhead valve gear was replaced by an 'F-head' layout with larger valves and generous water jacketing around the valve seats. It had the same bore and stroke dimensions (albeit the bores were now chromium-plated) as the pre-war unit, thus the same 4,257cc displacement, which grew to 4,566cc in 1951 and in 1955, after the introduction of the Silver Cloud, to 4,887cc for the remaining Silver Wraiths. The engine used a new synchromesh gearbox and the chassis lubrication system was now centralized. Later, the four-speed manual gearbox was supplemented by a General Motors Hydra-Matic automatic option from 1952.

The original 127-inch wheelbase platform continued through November of 1953 when it was replaced by a longer, 133-inch wheelbase. Rolls-Royce would produce 1,883 examples of the Silver Wraith with 639 resting on the long wheelbase.

1956 Rolls-Royce

The 1956 Rolls-Royce lineup included the six-cylinder Silver Wraith resting on a 133-inch wheelbase with coach-built bodies created by Hooper, Mulliner, and Park Ward (among others) as limousine and touring saloons. The Silver Cloud had just been introduced in Britain in the spring of 1955 and intended to replace the Silver Dawn and a companion to Bentley's new 'S' (S1) series. It used a new frame with a wheelbase that measured 123-inches, three inches longer than the Silver Dawn, and equipped with the 298.2 cubic-inch F-head six-cylinder unit powering the Silver Wraith. Along with the standard Saloon coachwork, James Young, Park Ward, and Mulliner also clothed the Silver Cloud with custom coachwork.

The Phantom IV was based on the Silver Wraith chassis but strengthened and lengthened to 229 inches with a wheelbase of 145 inches. It was powered by Rolls-Royce's only straight-8 engine and between 1950 and 1956 just 18 examples were built but only 15 were ever sold, and only to heads of state and royalty.

Rolls-Royce continued to power its production vehicles with six-cylinder power through 1959 when it turned to V-8 powerplants for its Silver Cloud II.

by Dan Vaughan

Express Limousine by Hooper
Chassis number: ELW60

The Wraith was introduced in 1936 as its entry level vehicle and as a replacement for the 25/30. Production continued until the Second World War. When the war concluded the vehicle was updated and given the name Silver Wraith with production lasting from 1946 to 1959.

There were two wheelbases available on the Silver Wraith, the 127 and 134 inch. There were over 1200 examples built on the 127 inch platform and about half that amount on the 134 inch wheelbase. Under the hood was a 4.9 liter six-cylinder engine that was adequate enough to carry the vehicles along at a comfortable 80 mph. A four-speed manual gearbox was standard until 1952 when it was replaced with a four-speed automatic unit.

The Silver Wraith's were available as complete cars with factory coachwork or as 'chassis only'. The 'chassis-only' assembly allowed the buyer to completely customize their vehicle and have it finished by one of the renowned coachbuilders of the time, such as H.J. Mulliner, Park Ward, Hooper, and Freestone and Webb, to name a few.

Hooper Ltd. began bodying Rolls-Royce vehicles in the early 1920s. They built a reputation around their limousines and chauffer driven town cars, some the nicest designs in the business.

This 1956 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith with chassis number ELW60 is an Empress Limousine with design number 8390. It is one of only 13 Hooper Company coachbuilt examples built on a Silver Wraith chassis. The body is built from hand formed aluminum over a wooden skeleton. A chrome accent piece runs the entire beltline of the vehicle. The chauffeur's compartment is finished in silver-grey leather while the rear passenger compartment is matching silver-grey cloth. Hand polished woodwork can be found throughout the interior. The passenger's center console is equipped with a telescopic mirror and independent climate controls.

This Silver Wraith was created for the Chairman of the Libby Ball Bearings Company, Mr. Gwinn. Soon after its completion it was sent to the United States where it resided a Chicago Collection for a number of years. It was later purchased by a collector in Florida. The Silver Wraith stayed in the collection for 25 years before being purchased by its current owner. A mechanical and cosmetic restoration began in the 1990s and completed nearly 10 years later.

At the 2006 RM Auction in Meadow Brook, it was estimated to fetch between $80,000 - $120,000. It found a new home at a price of $118,250.

There were nearly 2,000 Silver Wraiths constructed. This example is one of only 13 Hooper examples. In 2010, this Empress Limousine by Hooper was offered for sale at RM Auctions 'Automobiles of Amelia Island' sale in Amelia Island, Florida. The car was estimated to sell for $75,000-$100,000 and offered without reserve. As bidding came to a close, the car has been sold for the sum of $93,500, inclusive of buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Touring Limousine by Mulliner
Chassis number: LEL W92

Mrs. Fricke for the Hotel Paris in Paris, France, ordered this car in 1956. The car came to the USA in 1980 and was used in the 1981 motion picture hit 'Arthur,' which starred Dudley Moore, Liza Minelli, and Sir John Gielgud. This movie won Oscars for its theme and Sir John Gieglud's performance. Through this movie, the so-called 'Arthur' car, became famous. After the movie, the car was sold to a collector in Boca Raton, who owned it for 20 years. The present owners purchased the car in April 2004 and had it refurbished to look as clean and original as possible.

The Silver Wraith was produced from 1946 through 1958 and Rolls-Royce enthusiasts have often claimed it to be the last true Rolls-Royce built without regard to fashion or price. The car is powered by a 4.88-liter, 6-cylinder engine developing 135 horsepower and weighs 4,620-pounds.

Limousine by Park Ward & Co.
Chassis number: FLW7
Engine number: L7F

This 956 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Limousine by Park Ward has an automatic transmission, deeply skirted fenders, and a swept tail and was originally delivered in October 1956 to Rolls-Royce Ltd. itself (the build sheet noting 'Company Car—Derby Transport Department'). By 1976, the car was owned by James H. Selway of York, Pennsylvania, and would remain in his care through 1993. It is believed to have remained in New York, and John L. Finlayson listed it with the Rolls-Royce Owners' Club from 2004 to 2016. The car was later donated to the Rolls-Royce Foundation.

by Dan Vaughan

Touring Limousine by Mulliner

The very first Rolls-Royce to be built following World War II was the Silver Wraith in 1946. Production continued until 1959. Chassis were shared with the Bentley MKVI, though the Silver Wraith was never fitted with standard steel coachwork - all 1,883 were bodied by custom coachbuilders.

Delivered by H.J. Mulliner to its first owner, the Maharani of Baroda (Princely State of India) on March 20, 1957 in London it was then shipped to France for use at her homes in Paris and Monte Carlo. One of 639 long-wheelbase models, it is equipped with dual front and rear radios, a fully-equipped cocktail cabinet and two combined picnic table/vanity compartments.

Touring Limousine by Mulliner
Chassis number: LELW84
Engine number: L83E

This Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Long Wheelbase Touring Car with coachwork by Mulliner (style 7356) was ordered by Chauncey Devereux Stillman (grandson of James Stillman—the founder of what later became Citibank) in the winter of 1955 through J.S. Inskip in New York. It was finished in black over tan Connolly hides and devoid of the interior division window - the only example so ordered. It was, however, equipped with blind quarters for rear privacy. Prior to delivery of the car in the early spring of 1956, Inskip added a roof ducted air conditioning system.

From 1988 through 1998 the car resided in the collection of William Gounaris of Louisville, Kentucky, then to Vantage Motorworks in Miami and Florida from 1998-2001. It was sold to a Las Vegas collection for some time before finding its way back to Florida, and then into the care of its current owner in 2014.

The car remains in original condition except for the addition of primrose paintwork on the center section of the body and wheels.

by Dan Vaughan

Touring Limousine by Mulliner
Chassis number: LELW100
Engine number: L99E

The Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith was introduced in late 1946 and produced through 1959 with a total production of 1,144 examples. The short-wheelbase production ended in 1962 while the long-wheelbase version continued until the introduction of the Phantom V in 1959, by which time 639 chassis had been completed.

This Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Long Wheelbase Limousine was delivered new in the left-hand drive form. It was ordered with a seven-passenger limousine body by H.J. Mulliner. It was built for Dorothy M Rice, wife of explorer A. Hamilton-Rice, residing in Paris, France. The car was delivered in May of 1956 and it is believed that Mrs. Rice retained the Rolls for about a decade before it was purchased by a Mr. J. Collyer of New York City. At the end of February 1975, it entered the care of Harold Dickerson of Newport Beach, California. It later entered the collection of Roy Carver and Dale Dillard. At some point in the past three decades, the car received a restoration. Around the 2010s, the car entered its present ownership and has been on static display ever since.

This Rolls-Royce was delivered new with power steering, P100 headlights with Marchal units, speaker and radio, high-frequency horns, and a roof luggage rack and cover for touring. It is powered by an F-Head inline 6-cylinder engine displacing 4,887cc and delivering approximately 125 horsepower. There is a four-speed automatic transmission, hydraulic drum brakes, and an independent front suspension.

by Dan Vaughan

Limousine by James Young
Chassis number: LHLW39
Engine number: L38H

The Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith was introduced in 1946 and was the company's first post-war model, employing a chassis similar to that of the Silver Dawn and Bentley Mark VI, though with a seven-inch longer wheelbase (at 10 feet, 7 inches). The MKVI pioneered 'standard steel' coachwork while the Wraith was only intended for traditional coach-built bodies. Its bore and stroke dimensions were shared with the pre-war overhead-valve Wraith engine, with modern features including the 'F-head' layout, water jacketing around the valve seats, and larger valves.

Production of the Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith ceased in 1962, with a total production of 1,144 units. Production of the long-wheelbase version continued until the introduction of the Phantom V in 1959, by which time 639 chassis had been completed.

This particular Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith with chassis number LHLW39 (the 'L' prefeix decodes as a car that was delivered new in the rare left-hand drive form - the additional 'L' in the middle of the VIN confirms it to have been a long wheelbase series car), wears aluminum coachwork by James Young. A total of 16 examples of this style were built including four with two occasional folding seats to the rear compartment. An identical sister car carrying body number '1868' was exhibited at the 1956 Earls Court Motor Show.

Rolls-Royce delivered this car in April of 1959, to R. Herrera and by 1969, the car was in downtown Baltimore, Maryland in the garage of Andre Schneebeli. By 1971, the car had moved to the Midwest in the care of Skokie, Illinois enthusiast Arthur Lieberman. Mr. Lieberman kept the car at least through the late 1970s.

It is believed that around 2012, the car was given a restoration to its presentation of Brown over Gold with orange-brown leather both front and rear. The current caretaker acquired the vehicle in 2014.

by Dan Vaughan

Limousine by Park Ward & Co.
Chassis number: FLW7
Engine number: L7F

The Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith was introduced in 1946 and produced through 1959. It was an evolution of the prewar Wraith offering a new chassis and fitted with a 4.2-liter engine developed before the war. A four-speed manual gearbox was utilized and hydraulic brakes were used for the first time. Customers had to choose their own coachbuilders to design and build their particular car. This limousine was built by Park Ward of North London, England, which began coachbuilding in 1919. Park Ward was purchased by Rolls-Royce in 1939, then became known as Mulliner Park Ward in 1961 when Rolls-Royce also purchased its former competitor.

The Silver Wraith, launched in 1947, was an evolution of the pre-war Wraith and was offered in the traditional chassis form ready for the fitting of Bespoke coachwork. The 4,257cc overhead-inlet, side-exhaust engine developed before the war was used, as well as a modified coil and wishbone independent front suspension. Hydraulic brakes were used for the first time on a Rolls-Royce with hydraulic brakes.

The Silver Wraith was constantly refined during its production. The engine was replaced with the 'big bore' 4,566cc in 1951 and automatic transmission was offered as an option in 1952.

Once again the press raved about the car. 'All the world knows that Rolls-Royce carry on an unremitting search for engineering perfection in everything they undertake. The qualities which made their aircraft engines famous, and their cars the finest procurable, are the result of hard work scientifically conducted, and of a painstaking attention to detail from the large to the most minute. And now a new range of cars is about to appear it is believed that the new cars are the best that Rolls-Royce have ever built.'

The Silver Wraith was described like this: 'In common with all Rolls-Royce cars, the Silver Wraith has an indefinable something about it, a delicacy of behaviour, which escapes definition in written words. it is a car for the connoisseur in cars'.

by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

by Rolls-Royce

At a time when most of England was suffering post-war and didn't have much use for a luxury motorcar, Rolls Royce decided to no longer produce cars in strictly separate series. Instead, they would create as many parts of the engine, chassis, and gearbox that would be identical for the different makes, and therefore easily interchangeable. The British economy had suffered due to raw materials shortages, prohibitive purchase tax, and petrol rationing. The Silver Wraith was the embodiment of the new company philosophy of a reliable car with components that could be easily maintained.

Considered by many to be the most technologically advanced Rolls Royce model in history, the Silver Wraith was an exceptionally graceful and elegant automobile. Introduced in 1946 the Silver Wraith was produced at the Crewe factory. The first post-war Rolls-Royce model, the Silver Wraith rode on a 127-inch wheelbase that was based heavily on the pre-war Wraith with coil-sprung independent front suspension and semi-elliptic rear with a live axle. Also based on the Wraith, the engine featured a cylinder head with overhead inlet valves and side exhaust valves and an initial capacity of 4,257 cc and 135 horsepower.

The capacity was increased to 4566 cc in 1951, and to 4887 in 1954 on the long-wheelbase models. The Wraith's braking system was a hybrid hydro-mechanical system with hydraulic front brakes and mechanical rears that utilized the mechanical servo from the pre-war cars, which was patented by Hispano-Suiza and built by Rolls Royce under license. For the first time on a Rolls Royce hydraulic brakes were used.

In 1951 Rolls Royce announced the long, 133-inch wheelbase chassis. A total of 639 of these units were produced until 1969. The final short-wheelbase models were made in 1953. At first, only a four-speed manual gearbox was available but in 1952 a General Motors automatic option was added to the list of offerings.

The Silver Wraith was the final Rolls-Royce model that would be delivered in 'chassis only' form with the intent to be bodied by independent coachbuilders. The number of specialist coachbuilders was quickly declining over the years. Many of the Silver Wraith bodies selected used 'formal limousine designs'. The Bentley Mark Vi was offered for customers that wanted to purchase their car with a standard body already fitted. The Silver Wraith differed from the Mark VI in the fact that it wasn't a complete car, merely a rolling chassis. The Silver Wraith outlived the Mark VI and continued to survive until 1959 by undergoing modernizations like automatic gearbox and power-assisted steering. The Silver Wraith would be the final Rolls Royce that showed a vast variety of coachwork styles.

The Rolls Royce Silver Wraith has filled many official capacities over the years including the Royal Dutch State Limousine in 1958, the Royal Danish Ceremonial Car 'Store Krone' also in 1958, the Irish Presidential State Car from 1947 until now. Other official uses include the Ceremonial State Car for the Brazilian President in 1952. The

The Silver Wraith had numerous movie cameos over the years including 1968 'The Love Bug', 1975 'The Return of the Pink Panther', 1989 'Batman', 1992 'Batman Returns' and even the recent 2012 film 'The S

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_Silver_Wraith

http://www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com/wraith/

by Jessican Donaldson