Rare Touring Saloon - without division. Stunningly original in presentation.
Make: | Rolls-Royce |
Model: | Post War Silver Wraith |
SubModel: | Touring Saloon |
Type: | Touring Saloon |
Trim: | (without division!) |
Year: | 1953 |
Mileage: | 12,000 |
VIN: | WVH45 |
Color: | Black |
Engine: | 4.6 litre straight six |
Cylinders: | 6 |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Transmission: | 4 speed manual |
Drive type: | Rear wheel drive |
Interior color: | beige (light tan) "Renillum" Connolly hides |
Vehicle Title: | Clear |
Item location: | Barrington, Illinois, United States |
Extras |
Listed by |
Private seller |
Description of 1953 Rolls-Royce Post War Silver Wraith Touring Saloon |
Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Touring Saloon - non division 1953 3 owner from new - excellent "preservation class" example! Words cannot describe this stunning 1953 Silver Wraith Touring Saloon by HJ Mulliner. Finished in black with light tan (beige) Connolly leather upholstery fashioning everything in a very original and restored manner. Body and paint is excellent with no known repaint during the industrialist's ownership. She presents very smooth and lustrous with only the typical blemishes and imperfections you can normally expect of such an older car, albeit well maintained. She is finished off with off-white fine lines the side coach-work in the correct hand painted tradition. Chrome, glass and fitting all present well. ~~ This stately Silver Wraith is an outstanding example of the marque that is ready to be driven and enjoyed. She is of RROC preservation standard that can also be used for special occasion or sunny weekend enjoyment. Take her to your next Rolls-Royce meet and you will attract considerable attention, maybe pick up a prize as well! ~~ International buyers welcome! Interesting Information on the Silver Wraith. Few do not realise that only some 1,800 Silver Wraiths were ever made. The Silver Wraith was the first post-war Rolls-Royce. It was made from 1946 to 1958 as only a chassis at Rolls-Royce's former Merlin engine plant, their Crewe factory, alongside the shorter Bentley Mark VI. Mulliner did not make many Saloons, (around 26 total) and of the 7249 design they only manufactured 77, of which only4 were saloons instead of limousines. 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, their Phantom, was not resumed until 1950 and then, officially, only for Heads of State. Improvements announced were: chromium plated cylinder bores for the engine; a new more rigid chassis frame to go with new independent front suspension and a new synchromesh gearbox. Chassis lubrication was now centralised. Engine The straight six-cylinder postwar engine, which had been briefly made for the aborted by war Bentley Mark V, replaced conventional 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 4257 cc. increased from 1951 to 4566 cc and in 1955, after the introduction of the (standard wheelbase) Silver Cloud, to 4887 cc for the remaining Silver Wraiths. Chassis 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 hybrid hydro-mechanical system with hydraulic front brakes and mechanical rears using the mechanical servo similar to that of the pre-war cars. 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 "chassis only" ready for a wide variety of bespoke coachwork designed and made by a rapidly declining number of specialist coachbuilders. Most of the bodies selected used "formal" limousine designs. Overview:
A note from RRMOTORSINC: For those Rolls-Royce enthusiasts who have followed my auctions in the past I welcome you all. For those who are new to my adverts and/or the marque, please note that as a serious collector of some 30 years, all my cars are truly described examples. I have my own private Rolls-Royce workshop (not open to the public but dedicated to my own cars and fellow RR enthusiasts) with trained Rolls-Royce craftsmen who are proficient in all aspects. As a team, we are dedicated to the preservation of the marque and as such, any car that leaves the stable is completely inspected and work-shopped to ensure mechanical and operational items are maintained appropriately. We adopt a “keep it original” mentality with pride and confidence, offering after sales technical support and assistance well beyond the sale. Because most of my cars are offered for the pleasures of driving enjoyment it is not always possible or practical to seek perfection (in the true sense of the word) but we do always uphold excellence in whatever we do. Our cars are by no means cheap priced cars but we like to think they are amongst the best. To this end, I firmly believe in the famous adage; “Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten.” We hope you do too.” We at Park-Ward Motors – the things we do. When our Rolls-Royces are commissioned for resale, they are indeed professionally and correctly “fully work-shopped”. No corners are cut. And it is all addressed in true Crewe tradition. There is way too much to list here but to give you an example of our commitment to excellence of the various processes, this is one such example of what we do: Doors and windows:- Every car has its interior door panels removed. If the wood is in need of repair (as most are) it is refinished in-house by trained and talented craftsmen at Park-Ward Motors. This is a detailed process of stripping the wood of its old lacquer, repairing the veneer if there is damage, staining the top surface as per Rolls-Royce methodology and refinishing with no less than 25 coats of clear lacquer. Hand wet-sanded and polished between all of its last 15 coats. New window felt guides and wood-to-glass foam seals are fitted. All window mechanisms are checked and serviced for smooth and efficient up and down movement. This includes an electrical modification to rectify the typical “slow window syndrome”. All tracks, chains and gears are lubricated. Where central locking is fitted, these are all serviced to ensure no “solenoid sticking”, another common problem. Units are repaired and or changed as required for refurbished units. Door wiring and door-to-body wiring is checked, repaired and/or replaced as required. The splash plastic on the inside of the doors to protect the leather panels from rain splash from inside the door is replaced with correct specification black plastic as used by the factory. Cut to shape and glued in position as per original. All door hardware is checked and repaired as required including locks, handles and scuttle finishes. The door is reassembled with all items cleaned and polished. The wood refitted and the leather panels are re-Connollised before final fitment. Take this example and apply it to the many, many different aspects of Rolls-Royce restoration, service and maintenance and you have our dedication to correct and professional vehicle pre-delivery preparation and commissioning. ~~ Important note: the $2,000 deposit is due within 24 hours. If not paid, or if no contact is received within that period, we reserve the right to offer the car to any other party.~~ ~~oo00oo~~ This Rolls-Royce is part of a private collection. Although licensed and bonded, I am not a main-stream retail car dealer or broker; I am a professional car collector of some 30 years with considerable experience and knowledge of Rolls-Royce and Bentley Motor Cars. I have a long standing reputation being associated with the marque which I take seriously. I take pride in my cars and have fun in collecting and restoring them. However, auctions are not a game so when you place a bid or offer, and you are the winning bidder, please understand you have entered a binding contract. You cannot bid and win the auction and expect not to meet the terms and conditions. Bidding and/or winning does not mean you are expecting me to “hold” the car until you have the opportunity to inspect it. Any inspection contemplated should be undertaken BEFORE you bid or make an offer and I openly welcome any potential buyer to come and personally inspect the car. Once you bid or make an offer, you are doing so to buy WITHOUT conditions. Your bid can not be subject to anything. A $2000.00 deposit (non-refundable) is required within 24 hours of the close of the auction and payable by PayPal. The balance of funds are required within 7 days of the close of the auction and must be provided by cashier’s check or bank wire. I cannot accept PayPal for the balance unless you are willing to meet the cost of transfer fees. Full payment must be made (and payments cleared) before the title and/or the vehicle is released. All payments are non-refundable. Payments as described above form an important part of this purchase contract and so, if all the funds are not received as outlined above, I reserve the right to terminate the transaction without notice. If there has been any deposit or other part payments received and I elect to terminate the contract, I reserve the right to keep any such deposits or payments and resell the vehicle to another bidder or interested party or re-list the vehicle at any time. To be clear, if you change your mind for ANY reason and do not complete the transaction in the time-frame required, you will forfeit your deposit. I am happy to assist with shipping arrangements on a national and worldwide basis but the winning bidder takes full responsibility for pickup and/or shipping and at his cost. ~~oo00oo~~ VALUES: Rolls-Royce values vary wildly, entirely dependent on their condition. There are, of course, other aspects that add or subtract from their values – Long Wheel Base versus regular, the year which dictated certain technical changes, etc. The colour alone, for example can make a big difference. So for the benefit of new-comers to the marque please see the approximate guide to values based on a particular model below. Please remember, these are “plus-or-minus” figures: Year: 1969-1972 Model: Silver Shadow LWB Show car: $45,000+ Exceptional: $35-45,000 Excellent: $25-35,000 Good: $18-25,000 Average: $12-18,000 Fair: $6-12,000 Basket case: < $6,000 Hopefully this will provide a reference point for the Rolls-Royce being featured in this listing as it compares to the range of different condition examples.Please note, a very poor condition example that is tired and not maintained can easily demand some $30,000 in restoration to make it a "nice" example but remember, it will be no longer original. So don't be fooled by "cheap buys". For any specific questions about this unique example of a Rolls-Royce, please do not hesitate to contact me. According to the London based investment research firm; Historic Automobile Group International, classic cars have appreciated on average, 13% per year since 1980, whilst overall stock values averaged an 11% gain over the same period. The following graph charts the value of collectible cars vs. the S&P500. |