Description
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The car was commissioned by Rolls-Royce in the Spring of 1953 to have a James Young touring limousine body built on the long wheelbase chassis and to be completed for the October Paris Motor salon. It was flown to France in September 1953.
The beautiful limousine body was completely hand built in aluminium and is very rare being one of only seven in this style. The passenger compartment, divided from the chauffeur by an electric glass division, is upholstered in light fawn cloth and the exceptionally comfortable rear seat still has the original seat covers whilst the front is finished in champagne leather. The woodwork is heavily figured walnut.
On return it was sold to a Mr. Lilley of Lilley & Skinner, Shoe Manufacturers in London, but seems to have been for the use of his wife, Vera. She was a white Russian refugee who had fled the revolution with her family in 1917 with jewels sewn into her petticoat. She married four times, three to English Millionaires.
The car was wholly chauffeur driven and after five years another Silver Wraith by James Young was supplied as its replacement. In 1959 it was purchased from Jack Barclay by a lady from Surrey, and during this time it was lent to Elizabeth Taylor for her honeymoon to Eddie Fisher.
The new owner did not like the original Cadillac Green and had the whole car stripped and repainted Mulberry. After the stock market crash of 1964 the car was no longer used, but was taxed for three months in the summer of 1966 before being de-commissioned, the brightwork was greased, the interior mothballed, the vehicle stood up on axle stands and locked away.
Through other dealings with Christies, the Auctioneers, the lady eventually asked one of their motor division people to advise her about the car. It was brought to running order, MOT'd and put into Christies' specialist car sale in March 2001. It had not been used for 35 years, and had just 62, 000 miles recorded. The lady donated the sale receipt to charity.
We acquired the vehicle and completed a thorough re-commissioning and servicing of all mechanical components. Much of the paint on the top had lifted off the aluminium panels so we had the top half of the body resprayed. It is now coloured champagne over mulberry. The lower half was subsequently resprayed in 2009.
The interior is complete with all original and unused fittings, pewter flasks, cut crystal glasses, tonic and ginger ale, mirror, clothes brush and cigarette case. The seats and doors have their original covers.
In 2002 the Silver Wraith was taken to Windsor Castle to parade for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at the start of their Golden Jubilee celebrations.
We have the full records from James Young the coachbuilder detailing every hour and every item of material and its cost that was used in the construction of the body and the interior fittings.
There is an exterior sun visor / bug deflector which was made for the car but no longer fitted.
