1949 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Limousine

Description

The first post-war model to emerge from Crewe, the Silver Wraith was introduced by Rolls-Royce in April 1946 and proved a worthy successor to both the pre-war Wraith and larger Phantom III. In production for more than a decade, the Silver Wraith was also the final coachbuilt Rolls-Royce, with each chassis bodied to the individual requirements of the customer by the finest coachbuilders of the period. Mechanically conventional, the Silver Wraith was powered by a smooth six-cylinder unit initially displacing 4257cc, enlarged to 4566cc in 1951 with the capacity further expanded to 4887cc in 1954. An automatic transmission, sourced from General Motors, was offered as an option from 1952 and proved particularly popular in the all-important American market. The Silver Wraith's suspension consisted of coil springs up front and a live axle at the rear with semi-elliptic springs, while hydraulic brakes at the front (mechanical at the rear) proved adequate at slowing up these stately motorcars. An extended wheelbase was offered from 1951 and while a number of Silver Wraiths were sold to owner-drivers, the majority were delivered to customers who expected to be chauffeured and many came a division. One of the most expensive cars on the market in the immediate post-war period, some 1,883 Silver Wraiths were built in total, of which 1,244 were on the shorter wheelbase.