Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith

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For the Silver Wraith II, see Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow.

Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith
1955 Silver Wraith, body by Hooper & Co
Overview
ManufacturerRolls-Royce Ltd
Production1946–1958
1883 produced (incl. 639 LWB cars)
Body and chassis
ClassFull-size luxury car (F)
Body styleMostly 4-door saloons, but other body styles were erected on this chassis.
LayoutFront-engine, rear-wheel-drive
RelatedRolls-Royce Silver Dawn
Powertrain
Engine4.3 L (260 cu in) I6 (1946–51)
4.6 L (280 cu in) I6 (1951–55)
4.9 L (300 cu in) I6 (1955–58)
Transmission
Dimensions
Wheelbase3225.8 mm (127 in) (1946–53)
3378.2 mm (133 in) (1951–58)
Chronology
PredecessorRolls-Royce Wraith (1938)
SuccessorRolls-Royce Silver Cloud II LWB
1956 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith
touring limousine by H J Mulliner
Rear of the touring limousine

The Silver Wraith was the first post-war

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It was announced by Rolls-Royce in April 1946 as the 25/30 hp replacement for the 1939 Wraith in what had been their 20 hp and 20/25 hp market sector, that is to say Rolls-Royce's smaller car. The size was chosen to be in keeping with the mood of post-war austerity. Even very limited production of the chassis of the larger car, the Phantom IV, was not resumed until 1950 and then, officially, only for Heads of State.[1]

Improvements announced were: chromium-plated cylinder bores for the

synchromesh gearbox. Chassis lubrication was now centralised.[2]

Engine

The

overhead valve gear with an F-head configuration of overhead inlet valves and side exhaust valves and reshaped combustion chambers. There were new main and big-end bearings and a more efficient drive to the timing gear. To this prewar mix Rolls-Royce added chromed bores. Initially, this engine retained the Mark V's capacity of 4,257 cc (259.8 cu in) increased from 1951 to 4,566 cc (278.6 cu in) and in 1955, after the introduction of the (standard wheelbase) Silver Cloud, to 4,887 cc (298.2 cu in) for the remaining Silver Wraiths.[3]

Chassis

1956 Silver Wraith by Hooper clear perspex top for Nubar Gulbenkian

The first cars had an entirely new 127 inch (3226 mm) wheelbase chassis which differed considerably from that of the pre-war Wraith and was much nearer rigid. It matched the new Bentley chassis but with an extra 7 inch section added to the centre. The new chassis had coil sprung independent front suspension, which required a very rigid chassis to function properly, and at the rear conventional semi-elliptic springs and live axle. The braking system was a hydro-mechanical hybrid of hydraulic fronts and mechanical rears using the mechanical servo similar to that of the pre-war cars.[4]

The last short-wheelbase cars were delivered in November 1953. The long, 133 inch (3378 mm), wheelbase chassis was announced in 1951 and the first delivered in January 1952. 639 were made by the time of the last deliveries in October 1958.

This was not quite the last Rolls-Royce model to be supplied as a

coachwork designed and made by a rapidly declining number of specialist coachbuilders.[5] Most of the bodies selected used "formal" limousine designs.[5]

From 1949 until 1955 customers wishing to buy a Rolls-Royce fitted with a much smaller standard steel body could purchase the Silver Dawn. It rode on a chassis seven inches shorter than the Silver Wraith, and was almost identical to Rolls-Royce's Bentley Standard Steel saloon available alongside the Silver Wraith since July 1946.

Automatic transmission

Initially only a four-speed manual gearbox was offered, but this was supplemented by a General Motors Hydramatic automatic option from 1952.

Official uses

  • Irish Presidential State Car
    – 1947–present
  • Brazilian Presidential Ceremonial State Car
    – 1952–present
  • President of Zimbabwe's Ceremonial State Car - 1952–present
  • Royal Dutch State Limousine – 1958
  • Royal Danish Ceremonial Car "Store Krone" (Great Crown) – 1958–present
  • Royal Greek Ceremonial Car (Silver Wraith Hooper version) – 1959
  • 2 Australian Ceremonial Cars for Royal Tour (Silver Wraith All-weather tourer by Hooper) – 1959
  • Chief Minister of Penang Island,Federal Territory of Malaysia. Previously owned by Sir Henry Gurney, British High Commissioner of Malaya Before being ambushed by communist forces during the Malayan Emergency. – circa 1951

Film appearances

Gallery

State cars

References

  1. ISBN 9781848319639
  2. ^ News in Brief. The Times, Thursday, 4 April 1946; pg. 2; Issue 50418
  3. ^ Culshaw & Horrobin 2013, pp. 252.
  4. ^ "Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum - Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith 1". Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum. 2008. Archived from the original on 5 February 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2011. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  5. ^ a b "Spring Collection: Selection of new models announced at this week's Geneva Show". Autocar: 22–24. 19 March 1977.

Sources

  • Culshaw, David; Horrobin, Peter (2013) [1974]. The Complete Catalogue of British Cars 1895 – 1975 (e-book ed.). Poundbury, Dorchester, UK: Veloce Publishing.
    ISBN 978-1-845845-83-4
    .

External links

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