French title

Chassis No. WVA74 Engine No. W159A

- Model built to special order, probably unique

- Magnificent styling

- High-quality restoration

- No reserve

Presented in 1946, the Silver Wraith was the first new post-war Rolls-Royce and the company’s top-of-the-range model; it used the chassis of the Silver Dawn and the Bentley Mark VI, but with a slightly longer wheelbase. With bodies supplied by the leading coachbuilders, 1144 units of the Silver Wraith were built up to 1952.

The example on offer was bodied by Freestone & Webb, based in north London, one of the top British coachbuilders working with the most prestigious marques, Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Mercedes-Benz. The car features a "Sport Saloon" body, with tapered rear end and sliding sunroof. The factory register tells us that the car was first owned by a certain J. White of Rushden (Northamptonshire), before passing on to Arnold Engineering and Construction Ltd, of Clydach (Swansea). There are two other owners recorded here, the first from London and the second a Mr S., a member of the British aristocracy, who acquired the Wraith in December 1963.

This stunning automobile had major mechanical work carried out in 1991 by Rolls-Royce Motors, in Crewe, for the cost of £40 000. The current owner bought the car, in excellent condition, at an Artcurial sale in 2016. Setting the highest standards for his car, however, he had extensive, in-depth work carried out. The charming Rolls was taken apart, the 4.9-litre engine rebuilt, its mechanical gearbox overhauled and the brakes and electrical circuit refurbished. It was also subjected to microblasting, brightening, polishing, with parts copper plated and finally the whole car was fully re-painted. In short, close to €50 000 was spent at Castels Automobiles in Dordogne to return this exceptional automobile to its original splendour, both aesthetically and mechanically. The two-tone coachwork is complemented by a magnificently finished interior, complete with tan leather seats and door cards in matching cloth. The wood trim adds to the level of luxury and there is a cocktail cabinet fitted in the rear compartment. The trunk opens and serves as a support on which a picnic case can sit, with a curtain that closes the chest just behind it. The current owner acquired the car in 2022 and has since had the radiator rebuilt, dispensing with the thermostatic control system for the shutters. The front wheels, which were rubbing against the inside of the wings, have been replaced by wheels from a Bentley Type R. 



With its elegant coachwork and luxury fittings, this unique model bodied by one of the most prestigious coachbuilders, represents the ultimate in aristocratic motoring from a British point of view, in the post-war period of revival. Charismatic, elegant, exclusive, luxurious, it possesses all the marque’s original features that a demanding collector could want.