The Silver Wraith was the first Rolls Royce produced after the second world war, and it was a delicate reintroduction for the company to back into manufacturing. More importantly, it began the transformation of the company from being purely a motor and chassis builder into a fully-autonomous automotive manufacturer by beginning to phase out the necessity of a coachbuilder. Rolls Royce’s offering of a body built by them has made the coachbuilt Silver Wraiths more bespoke. This Silver Wraith chassis and motor was sold to its first client in 1949 and was then delivered to James Young for private coachbuilding that same year. When finished, the maroon paint elegantly flowed over the svelte bodywork, and to this day the pure radiance of that craftsmanship still is evident beneath the faded original paintwork. The opportunity to own a car manufactured during such a significant transitional period for Rolls Royce has charmed one particular individual who purchased our vintage Silver Wraith yesterday for $18,250 (plus fees).
Our Silver Wraith came with a 4.3-liter inline-six engine that, when new, provided 30 horsepower. A short while ago, the last owner refreshed the motor’s head gasket and top end seals with a radiator cleaning to restore performance. Those renovations have made the Silver Wraith once again a running and driving Rolls. The standard four-speed manual transmission (one of the last used by Rolls Royce) still operates smoothly, and shifts from an unusual floor mounted shifter. In the roomy cabin, tan leather and carpeting, although displaying significant signs of wear, shroud the seats, headliner, floors, and door panels. The dashboard and door tops don natural burled wood, and the steering wheel (with centrally mounted suspension adjustments) has its original leather wrapping. Outside, the maroon paint is still in its primary condition but has begun to exfoliate on the rear quarter panel. The paint fade is particularly noticeable near the bustle-back which provides a shelf, enclosed luggage space, and hidden toolkit with spare tire compartment. We happily wish the new owner many years of enjoyment with their classic Rolls Royce – cheers!
