1979 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith II

The Rolls-Royce Company, from the beginning, set about to '…be established to provide motor vehicles for use on land, water or in the air.' They quickly established a reputation for engineering excellence with a tradition of careful evolution rather than a massive revolution. October of 1965 marked the company's landmark adoption of monocoque or unit-body construction with its new Silver Shadow on Bentley T-Series equivalent.

In 1970, the aluminum-alloy V-8 engine in the Silver Shadow received a displacement increase to 6.75 liters and output was now estimated at 220 horsepower, backed by a robust GM Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 three-speed automatic transmission. The Silver Shadow also received an innovative high-pressure hydraulic system licensed from France's Citroën, with hydraulic self-leveling suspension and dual-circuit braking.

The Silver Wraith II was introduced in 1977 and was essentially a longer version of the Silver Shadow, resulting in additional passenger room for its occupants. It was four inches longer and offered in the United States from May of 1969, with domestic customers receiving the cars beginning in early 1970. The cars delivered outside of North America received an electrically retractable glass divider with a separate air conditioning unit mounted in the trunk. The glass divider essential neglected any gains in wheelbase. Due to North American safety laws, this configuration was not allowed in the U.S., as the fuel tank resided in the trunk.

These longer-wheelbase models did not have a separate name until 1976 when the Silver Shadow II was introduced, only then did the longer cars received the Silver Wraith II designation.

The Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II continued to utilize the same body shell, 6750cc V8 engines, and GM400 series automatic gearbox as the outgoing Shadow, it gained larger one-piece bumpers, revised front suspension geometry, a prominent front air dam, and power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering. It adopted more ergonomic facia and split level air-conditioning.

The Silver Shadow II continued to carry its occupants in a uniquely cosseting experience, complete with the finest hides, chrome fixtures, carpets, and wood veneers. The Silver Wraith II, nearly identical to the Shadow II except for the longer wheelbase, offered rear seat occupants slightly more legroom, albeit at a rather greater expense. It would remain in production until 1980 by which time approximately 2,145 are believed to have been built.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2020