West Coast Classics are proud to present a supremely striking and obviously exceptionally well maintained and extraordinarily rare, reportedly only 1 of 10 factory Long Wheel Base models built for North America and even fewer with the electric glass divider with dual air conditioning, and a superbly collectible example with over $50K in recent receipts from the Ferrari dealership of Denver, CO, of this 1971 factory US LWB 'small chrome bumper' Rolls Royce Silver Shadow/Silver Wraith models. Sold new in Colorado and obviously always garaged and meticulously kept with believed to be only 24K original miles and finished in the simply stunning 'glass like' and flawless beautiful original 'Mason's Black' color paint with it's all original 'Beige' color 'Connolly' leather hides interior and with color matching Rolls Royce hubcaps!
The striking factory and virtually flawless original color paintwork is in absolutely stunning condition and all the chromework, including the Rolls Royce grille, is in absolutely outstanding condition throughout! The interior is also in quite stunning condition throughout with virtually no signs of any major wear. The leather dashboard is in exceptional condition (obviously always garaged from the sun) and the original mohair wool headliner is still in great shape. The original and magnificent burled walnut woodwork is also in virtually flawless condition throughout and all the power options and electric windows are working as they should as are both of the dual air conditioning systems and stereo systems.
In 1969 Rolls-Royce had considered offering a more exclusive, long-wheelbase Phantom VII model based on the Silver Shadow, but production was not pursued and no prototypes were built and instead a long-wheelbase variant, some 4 inches longer to provide additional rear seat legroom, was offered in the United States from May 1969 with a pilot series of ten long wheelbase cars being sold, some long-wheelbase models were also fitted with a privacy glass divider and some were also built with dual air conditioning and stereo systems, as is this particular model.
The Ferrari dealership of Denver, CO were given an open check by the car's previous owners to repair and attend to any possible issue/s, from minor jobs such as straightening the front license plate frame and repairing front door locks and glove box lock to repairing the rear A/C and all brake system components etc., with over $44,044 being spent within the last 2,000 miles and with comprehensive service records available. The car is therefore turn key ready and completely dialed in with no known issues of any kind. These cars are not slow and the engine purrs like a kitten, never stalls or idles rough and is extremely reliable - there is plenty of power to pull away at the lights and it cruises at high speeds with absolute ease. The transmission shift is almost imperceptibly smooth and the temperature always remains cool.
The Silver Shadow cost an almost impossibly expensive $19,700 when introduced in 1965, more than three times as much as its contemporary US luxury sedan, the Cadillac Sedan de Ville and yet it was an absolute sensation with everyone from heads of state to captains of industry and celebrities around the world wanting to be seen owning one! Despite the increased production from Rolls Royce's earlier models, demand could not be met and there was a two year waiting list meaning that some enterprising individuals ordered, purchased and immediately resold these cars at a profit to someone lacking the patience for Crewe's two year wait! Rolls Royce eventually increased production to meet demand and by the end of the Silver Shadow run in 1980 there was a plentiful supply of used models available which has until recently kept the market prices down on these luxurious cars. But with fewer and fewer unabused and well maintained models being left available, with many having fallen victim to negligent owners who deferred the necessary maintenance, a stunning and obviously well maintained example like this particular car is sure to prove a very astute investment for any classic Rolls Royce or Bentley enthusiast. Most enthusiasts will agree that a good rule of thumb with any Silver Shadow is to buy the best you can afford!
This particular model is obviously one of, if not 'the', finest examples of any Silver Shadow available anywhere and of course is not to be confused with a regular Shadow anyway, it is one of the 10 US models built with an extra 4 inches of leg room lengethened rear doors and with the highly desirable electronic glass privacy divider and with the dual air conditioning and stereo systems and other luxurious upgrades such as integrated fold away rear foor rests etc. It also has the factory Everflex roof, later used exclusively for the Silver Wraith model, and it has the rare cruise control (speed control) and this particular model also boasts an as new copy of the extremely rare factory handbook for the 'Long Wheelbase Formal Sedan'.
It is truly a sensual car that you can drive with your fingertips, smooth and relatively silent, it's thoroughly therapeutic for both drivers and passengers. The delightful precision action of the electrically powered steering column gear change and the ultra light weighted power steering allows one to park this 5000lbs of pure luxury with literally one finger and this long but actually quite slender car is anything but ponderous thanks to it's torque and brilliant turning radius!
This particular model drives like few we have owned to date and must be driven to be fully appreciated. Without a doubt you will look long and hard to find a finer example of this rare and very collectible and super striking US LHD small chrome bumper model 1971 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow with the privacy divider and lengthened rear door and wheel base, obviously an always garaged example with no signs of any accidents and absolutely no rust and reportedly with only 24K original miles, with the car always having been in Colorado ownership since new!
For those who are unfamiliar, Rolls Royce no longer exists as it had for over one hundred years. This is the last in the original line of cars hand built in the legendary Rolls Royce factory in Crewe, England with a quality and craftsmanship that far surpasses that of today's mass produced models with many BMW parts - this is indeed a rare opportunity to own a piece of automotive history, from a time when Rolls Royce was truly building the world's finest automobiles - a great investment for the Rolls Royce enthusiast or collector or simply an outstandingly striking example of a very rare and unusual looking Rolls Royce for the discerning luxury classic car owner!
