The Rolls Royce Silver Wraith

Table of Contents:

Rolls Royce Silver Wraith – Key Details

The Ultimate Guide to the Rolls Royce Silver Wraith

ROLLS-ROYCE SILVER WRAITH – ROLLS-ROYCE’S POST-WAR ERA BEGINS

The 1946 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith fit in with the rather restrained post-war era. Producing one of their huge, extravagant Phantom models too soon after the war would have been in bad taste. So, we have a rather small and restrained successor to the 1938 Wraith. The same philosophy was in place over at Bentley, whose Mark VI was built on the same chassis, although with an even shorter overall length. Even so, there is no getting around that this was one of the most luxurious and expensive cars on Earth.

A BENTLEY ENGINE, REWORKED

At first glance, the engine appeared to be a carry-over from the pre-war Bentley Mark V. At least, that’s what you would assume upon seeing the specs. Just like in the old Bentley, the new Rolls featured a 4.3-litre inline-6. Dig a little deeper, however, and you will see it actually incorporated a host of improvements. New timing gear, bearings, and chrome bores were added to modernize the engine. Later on in the Silver Wraith’s production, the engine would be enlarged not once but twice. In 1951, the displacement was bumped up to 4.6 litres, and in 1955 it would grow to 4.9 litres.

CHASSIS AND BODY

That “short” 127-inch wheelbase would also receive some mid-cycle attention. Starting in 1952, a longer version of the Silver Wraith was introduced, sporting a 133-inch wheelbase. As for the chassis, Rolls introduced a new, more rigid frame supported by a coil-spring independent front suspension. The body that went on top of that chassis, however, was not part of Rolls’ purview. At this point, that job was still being handed over to one of several custom coachbuilders, such as H J Mulliner.

PRODUCTION AND USES

During its 12-year production run, nearly 1900 Silver Wraiths were produced. And, even though it was meant as a less ostentatious model, it still attracted plenty of high-level interest. From appearing in several motion pictures, including From Russia with Love and 1989’s Batman, the Silver Wraith is no stranger to Hollywood’s bright lights. Other notable uses for the model include serving as Ireland’s Presidential State Car, Brazil’s Ceremonial Presidential State Car, and the Royal Dutch State Limousine.

Rolls Royce Silver Wraith – Photo Gallery

Rolls Royce Silver Wraith – Technical Specifications

Rolls Royce Silver Wraith – Registry & Videos

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