Rolls royce Silver Shadow

Although it sells a tiny number of cars in com­parison to the world motor marketplace, Rolls-Royce has come to represent something quintessentially Brit­ish. It trades off its reputation as the best car in the world, although in most respects it is nowadays outclassed by many cheaper cars. But there is one thing which no-one does better than Rolls-Royce: the sheer craftsmanship of a Roller remains unparalleled.

It is difficult to identify the best Rolls-Royce of them all. The Silver Ghost was certainly the best car of its day; the post-war Silver Cloud was a re­sounding statement of elegance and the confidence of the old British Empire days; and the coachbuilt Phan­tom was the most opulent and expensive car in produc­tion for decades.

If car experts judged a model's success by the numbers it sold, then the Silver Shadow was Rolls-Royce's greatest car, selling over 30, 000 in its 15-year lifespan. In many ways, it was revolutionary for Rolls-Royce: it was their first car to do away with a chassis, it did not have the snoopy, antique curves of all the previous models, and its specification looked very modern by comparison.

Rolls-Royce claimed the new car was " as revolu­tionary as the Silver Ghost was 59 years ago". Autocar magazine concurred:

" It possesses more individuality and advanced engineering than this company has ever displayed be­fore in a new model".

The Silver Shadow cost £ 6, 556 when it was launched in 1965 - three times as much as a Jaguar and just about the most expensive car on sale. There was also a companion Bentley model called the Т Series, identical except for the grille and badges, which cost slightly less at £ 6, 496.

For their money, Shadow drivers were rewarded by a Rolls-Royce which broke new ground. There was more interior space, even though the overall dimensions were reduced. The body construction was monocoque, so the weight was reduced and the 6230cc V8 engine was able to deliver better performance. The company never discloses such figures but independent testers meas­ured the new Roller at a 118 mph maximum with 0-60 mph coming up in just 10.9 seconds.

Just about everything on the Shadow was power-assisted, including the triple-circuit brakes, steer­ing, seats and windows. There were disc brakes all round, too (the first time ever in a R-R) and standard four-speed automatic transmission with finger-light electronic control.

The legendary Rolls-Royce ride reached new heights of excellence, thanks to a new all-independent suspension system mounted on subframes. The biggest development in this department was an ‘olio-pneumatic’ self-levelling system, produced under license from Citroen, whose DS was the best-riding car around a that time.

Naturally, passengers were cosseted with matched leather upholstery and woodwork, split-level ventila­tion (or optional air conditioning), cigar lighters (front and rear), folding picnic tables adjustable arm rests and even little foot rests in the rear.

The Silver Shadow may not have been the best-handling car around but it was certainly very respectable among large lux­ury cars of the time. It suited the owner-driver as much as the chauffeured tycoon. Perhaps its best quality was the effortless way it would travel long distances without tiring the driver. The silence in­side the cabin was uncanny and the ride quality gave the impression of

floating on air - which was virtually what occupants were doing thanks to the pneumatic suspension system!

The only problem concerned feeding it: 12-16 mpg was typical, so owners needed a fat wallet - though this was not a great concern for most Silver Shadow owners.

Rolls-Royce wanted to continue its tradition of offering coachbuilt bodies and asked Mulliner Park Ward (which it had taken over by that time) and James Young to design their own two-door bodywork. James Young's route was to follow the lines of the Silver Shadow very closely, while MPW created a new style with a ^‘kick’ in the rear wings. Alongside MPW s two-door saloon, there was also a two-door convertible from 1967; this pair would later make it on to offi­cial Rolls-Royce price lists as the Corniche model.

The limousine trade was not ignored, either. A long-wheelbase model was launched in 1969, which was distinguished by a full vinyl roof and optional glass division between front and rear passenger compart­ments.

More improvements followed: the engine grew to 6750cc in 1970 and there was a new Silver Shadow II (and Bentley T2) in 1977. The Shadow II included body changes such as rubber-faced bumpers and a chin spoiler, plus interior improvements (new seats, re-styled facia, and standard split-level air condition­ing), while on the mechanical side there were twin ex­hausts and rack-and-pinion steering. The limousine model was renamed Silver Wraith at the same time.

By the time the Silver Shadow left production in 1980, when it was replaced by the all-new Silver Spirit and Bentley Mulsanne, it had become easily Rolls-Royce's best-selling model. A total of 31, 189 Silver Shadows and 2, 436 Bentleys Т Series had been made. It also formed the basis of two other Rolls-Royce models, the Corniche and Camargue, which shared the Shadow's floorpan and mechanicals.

In classic car terms, the large numbers sold have been good news for enthusiasts. With so many ex­amples to choose from, prices have dropped dramati­cally - so much so that it became possible to buy one for less than an ‘ordinary’ new car. Private motorists began to cotton on to the fact that owning a Rolls-Royce was within their grasp.They were attracted by the best build quality and the finest materials in the world, unbeatable lev­els of comfort and refinement, enjoyable road manners, long-lasting mechanicals and, of course, the prestige of running a car with that famous flying lady mascot.

The negative side however, was the expense of servicing, the very high cost of replacement parts, the fuel bills, the complex mechanicals which are en­tirely unsuitable for DIY maintenance, and the ‘jealousy factor’ - Rollers are prime targets for vandals. In addition, contrary to popular belief, Rolls-Royces do rust. A lot of owners of second-hand Silver Shadows were tempted to run them on a budget. The cost of bringing them up to perfect condition could become prohibitive. The thought of owning a scruffy Rolls-Royce put off many.

One means of making a Silver Shadow pay for it­self has been to hire it out as a wedding car or even include it on one of the directories of film and pro­motional hire cars. Plenty of owners make a decent living or at least a second income from this sort of work.

The Silver Shadow occupies a unique position as a classic car. It is dynamically much better than ear­lier Rolls-Royces, yet has less romance than the old-style coachbuilt carriages, so it falls between two stools.

The result is that it has become that rare ideal for the motorist - a genuinely affordable, classic Rolls-Royce; an ideal that is finding increasing popu­larity with those who thought owning a Roller was nothing but a pipe dream.