LOT 128 *
1959 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Saloon Coachwork by James Young Chassis no. LHLW43 Engine no. L42H
1959 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Saloon Coachwork by James Young Chassis no. LHLW43 Engine no. L42H
1959 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Saloon
Coachwork by James Young
Chassis no. LHLW43
Engine no. L42H
Coachwork by James Young
Chassis no. LHLW43
Engine no. L42H
• Rare long-wheelbase model (639 produced)
• Automatic transmission and power assisted steering
• Present ownership since 2007
Please note that this motor car will be available for viewing by prior appointment in the Netherlands.
* Please note this motor car is subject to the reduced local import tax should it remains in the EU.
As Bonhams is the guarantor of the customs duties and taxes clearance, these motor cars cannot be released to the buyer or his transporter immediately after the sale.
Footnotes
Rolls-Royce's first post-war model, the Silver Wraith employed a chassis similar to that of the Mark VI Bentley, though with a 7" longer wheelbase. The Wraith however, was only offered with traditional coachbuilt bodies rather than the Mark VI's pioneering 'standard steel' bodywork. Powering Rolls-Royce's post-war range was a new 4,257cc six-cylinder engine of cast-iron, monobloc construction with an aluminium cylinder head and featuring overhead inlet and side exhaust valves. A four-speed manual gearbox with synchromesh was standard initially, an automatic option (for export models only at first) not becoming available until 1952, at which time the engine was enlarged to 4,566cc and a long-wheelbase version introduced. Production ceased in 1959, by which time 1,883 chassis had been completed, 639 of them to long-wheelbase specification.
The last word in motoring luxury in its day, this short-wheelbase Silver Wraith carries saloon coachwork by James Young, one of the few British coachbuilders still active after WW2. The Bromley-based carriage-maker had bodied its first automobile in 1908, affiliating itself with a succession of quality marques throughout the 1920s and 1930s, and had established itself among the foremost coachbuilders for upmarket chassis by the end of the latter decade. Its factory devastated by wartime bombing, the company did not resume exhibiting at the London Motor Shows until 1948, continuing to offer coachbuilt designs of distinction on (mainly) Rolls-Royce and Bentley chassis until the arrival of the unitary construction Silver Shadow/T-Series range in the 1960s.
One of the final batch of Silver Wraiths produced, chassis number 'LHLW43' was ordered new by Hollywood movie mogul William 'Bill' Goetz, the American film producer and studio executive, who was one of the founders of Twentieth Century Pictures, later renamed 20th Century Fox. He ordered the car in Special Blue paint assorted with Beige interior. Among the many special features Goetz specified were the following: automatic transmission; power assisted steering; Dunlop whitewall tubeless tyres; radio extension speaker; electric windows to rear doors; interior clock; power aerial; Sundym glass to windows and windscreen; combined flashing/parking lights; head cushion; lap robe; and 'anti-hobo' door locks. He also specified a cocktail cabinet containing one decanter, one Thermos flask and four small tumblers.
Goetz is the only owner listed on the chassis card, his address being given as 1438 North Gower Street, Hollywood, California. How long he kept the Rolls-Royce is not known, neither is its subsequent history, although there is a 2009 New York Vehicle Registration sticker on the windscreen and attached plaques from Vintage Car Store Inc, Nyack, NY and Rollston Motor Service Ltd, NY. The current vendor purchased the Rolls-Royce from John Cory of Fort Lee, New Jersey 10th December 2007 (invoice on file). No registration document is accompanying the car.
Please note this motor car is subject to import tax if remaining in the EU and, as it has been on static display for a number of years, will require recommissioning for road use.
Additional information
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| * | Import low rate |
| Subject to import tax at a preferential rate on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium. |
