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LOT 116

1957 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith LWB Touring Limousine Coachwork by James Young, Ltd. Chassis no. LELW76

Sold for US$24,640 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve
Lot 116

Featuring one-off coachwork and displayed at the 1956 New York Auto Show
1957 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith LWB Touring Limousine

1957 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith LWB Touring Limousine
Coachwork by James Young, Ltd.

Chassis no. LELW76


4,887cc F-Head Inline 6-Cylinder Engine
Single Downdraft Carburetor
Approximately 125bhp
4-Speed Automatic Transmission
Independent Front Suspension – Live Rear Axle
4-Wheel Drum Brakes

*Handsome one-off coachwork by James Young, Ltd
*Delivered new to the USA
*Displayed at the 1956 New York Auto Show
*Ordered for Mrs. William G. Mather of Cleveland, Ohio
*Requires recommissioning



THE CAR OFFERED

Chassis LELW76 is a long-wheelbase Silver Wraith, clothed in one-off coachwork by James Young, Ltd, noted as design number WRM54 on the accompanying build records. Coming Stateside via the US importer, J.S. Inskip, it was displayed at the 1956 New York Auto Show. It then continued to Indianapolis-based dealer, Schaler & Waters, for delivery to Mrs. Elizabeth Ring Mather of Cleveland, Ohio. Elizabeth Ring Mather was the wife of William G. Mather, a powerful industrialist with interests in iron ore, steel, and Great Lakes shipping who was instrumental in the industrial age growth of the Great Lakes region. His company's flagship, the 618-ft Steamship William G. Mather, survives today as a floating museum for the Great Lakes Science Center. It is easy to see how a one-off, coachbuilt Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith limousine was befitting a woman of Mrs. Mather's social stature. Mrs. Mather passed away not long after taking delivery of her new Rolls-Royce, her husband having preceded her in death a few years earlier. Ownership records held by the Rolls-Royce Foundation show it transferred to Eleanor Livingston, wife of New York Stock Exchange Governor, Gerald M. Livingston, a family of similarly aristocratic stature to the Mathers. Official ownership records trail off after 1958, though more recently, the car has been in the long-term care of an overseas collector.
Equipped for touring comfort, the build sheet specifies power steering, rear-compartment decanters and tumblers, partition, swiveling reading lamps, and more. It has since been refinished from its original black to ivory, and updated with air conditioning, a custom front console with HVAC outlets, and a modern audio system. In current ownership, it has been on long-term static display in a dry environment and will require recommissioning. This unique Silver Wraith represents an excellent opportunity to acquire a one-off, coachbuilt Rolls-Royce boasting fascinating provenance.

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