Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith
Encyclopedia
For information on the Silver Wraith II, see Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
.
The Silver Wraith was the first post-war Rolls-Royce
model and was made at the Crewe factory
from 1946 to 1959.
The first cars had a 127 inch (3226 mm) wheelbase chassis based on the one from the pre-war Wraith
with coil sprung independent front suspension and semi-elliptic rear with a live axle. The engine was also based on the Wraith, but had a new cylinder head with overhead inlet valves and side exhaust valves
and initially a capacity of 4257 cc. From 1951 this was increased to 4566 cc and in 1954 to 4887 cc on the long-wheelbase models. The braking system was a hybrid hydromechanical system with hydraulic front brakes and mechanical rears using the mechanical servo from the pre-war cars, patented by Hispano-Suiza
and built by Rolls-Royce
under licence.
The long, 133 inch (3378 mm), wheelbase chassis was announced in 1951, and 639 were made until 1959. The last short-wheelbase cars were made in 1953.
Initially only a four-speed manual gearbox was offered, but this was supplemented by a General Motors automatic option from 1952.
This was the last Rolls-Royce model to be delivered in "chassis only" form, in order to receive 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. For customers wishing to buy their car with a standard body already fitted, the manufacturer already offered the Bentley Mark VI
.
Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
The Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow is a luxury car that was produced in Great Britain in various forms from 1965 to 1980. It was the first Rolls-Royce to use a monocoque chassis, a response to concerns that the company was falling behind in automotive innovation....
.
The Silver Wraith was the first post-war Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
model and was made at the Crewe factory
Bentley Crewe
Bentley Crewe serves as the headquarters, design and manufacturing centre of Bentley Motors Limited, located on the outskirts of Crewe, Cheshire, England.-History:...
from 1946 to 1959.
The first cars had a 127 inch (3226 mm) wheelbase chassis based on the one from the pre-war Wraith
Rolls-Royce Wraith
The Rolls-Royce Wraith was built by Rolls-Royce at their Derby factory from 1938 to 1939 and supplied to independent coachbuilders as a running chassis....
with coil sprung independent front suspension and semi-elliptic rear with a live axle. The engine was also based on the Wraith, but had a new cylinder head with overhead inlet valves and side exhaust valves
IOE engine
The intake/inlet over exhaust engine, also known as F-head and pocket valve, is a valvetrain configuration used in early four-stroke internal combustion engines...
and initially a capacity of 4257 cc. From 1951 this was increased to 4566 cc and in 1954 to 4887 cc on the long-wheelbase models. The braking system was a hybrid hydromechanical system with hydraulic front brakes and mechanical rears using the mechanical servo from the pre-war cars, patented by Hispano-Suiza
Hispano-Suiza
Hispano-Suiza was a Spanish automotive and engineering firm, best known for its luxury cars and aviation engines in the pre-World War II period of the twentieth century. In 1923, its French subsidiary became a semi-autonomous partnership with the parent company and is now part of the French SAFRAN...
and built by Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
under licence.
The long, 133 inch (3378 mm), wheelbase chassis was announced in 1951, and 639 were made until 1959. The last short-wheelbase cars were made in 1953.
Initially only a four-speed manual gearbox was offered, but this was supplemented by a General Motors automatic option from 1952.
This was the last Rolls-Royce model to be delivered in "chassis only" form, in order to receive 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. For customers wishing to buy their car with a standard body already fitted, the manufacturer already offered the Bentley Mark VI
Bentley Mark VI
The Bentley Mark VI was the first post-war luxury car from Bentley.Announced in May 1946 and produced from 1946 to 1952 it was also both the first car from Rolls-Royce with all-steel coachwork and the first complete car assembled and finished at their factory...
.
Official uses
- Irish Presidential State Car - 1947
- Brazilian Presidential Ceremonial State CarBrazilian Presidential Ceremonial State Car-Presidential State Car:The state car of Brazil is a Rolls Royce Silver Wraith, which is used by the President of Brazil on ceremonial occasions, such as Independence Day commemorations, state visits and the inauguration of the President-elect...
- 1952 - Royal Dutch State LimousineRoyal Dutch State LimousineThe Rolls Royce Silver Wraith Limousine State Landaulette was the former official state car of the head of state Queen Juliana of the Netherlands until 1979.- Origins :...
- 1958 - Royal Danish Ceremonial Car "Store Krone"Royal Danish Ceremonial Car "Store Krone"The Royal Danish Ceremonial Car is the official state car of the head of state Queen Margaret II of Denmark.-Origins:King Frederik IX of Denmark commissioned the vehicle called "Store Krone" in 1958....
(Great Crown) - 1958
Movie appearances
- Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
- Indiscreet (1958)
- Victim (1961)
- The Love BugThe Love BugThe Love Bug is the first in a series of comedy films made by Walt Disney Productions that starred an anthropomorphic pearl-white, fabric-sunroofed 1963 Volkswagen racing Beetle named Herbie...
(1968) - The Return of the Pink PantherThe Return of the Pink PantherThe Return of the Pink Panther is the fourth film in the Pink Panther series, released in 1975. The film stars Peter Sellers in the role of Inspector Clouseau in his third Panther appearance, after the original The Pink Panther and A Shot in the Dark.Herbert Lom also reprises his role as Chief...
(1975) - Arthur (1981)
- Withnail and IWithnail and IWithnail and I is a British black comedy made in 1986 by HandMade Films. It was written and directed by Bruce Robinson and is based on his life in London in the late 1960s. The main plot follows two unemployed young actors, Withnail and “I” who live in a squalid flat in Camden in 1969 while...
(1987) - BatmanBatman (1989 film)Batman is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, directed by Tim Burton. The film stars Michael Keaton in the title role, as well as Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl and Jack Palance...
(1989) - James DeanJames Dean (film)James Dean is a 2001 biographical television film based on the life of the American actor of the same name. James Franco plays James Dean under the direction of Mark Rydell, who chronicles Dean's rise from a struggling actor to an A-list movie star in 1950s Hollywood...
(2001)