1939 Rolls Royce Wraith (Experimental car.)

1939 Rolls Royce Wraith (Experimental car. )

Chassis number: WMB11
Registration number: FLW7

A rare car with extensive history. having been the personal Car of Rolls Royce M. D. Sir Arthur Sidgreaves.

History from the current owner is as follows:

Sg had worked previously as export manager with Napier prior to joining Rolls Royce and eventually became Managing Director of Rolls Royce for a 17 year period managing the company prior. throughout and post WW2. and used the Wraith as his own car up until 1945. He was one not to be crossed and was a formidable businessman who purchased the assets of W. O. Bentley for Rolls Royce from under the noses of Napier. He had the foresight to join forces with Sir Robert Mclean of Vickers to manufacture the Spitfire and the world would be a different place today had he not been in the position he was in at the time and of course not have had Baron Ernest Hives by his side.

The car then passed to Sir Brian Warren of Chester Square London W1 till 1961 . Another fascinating man who looked after Sir Winston's health whilst in Downing Street and then became the personal physician to Ted Heath.

Then Dame Josephine Barnes. Chester Square London W 1 till 1963 was the next owner . She became the first woman to become President of the British Medical Association.

A Mr L Scull of Nottingham was the next owner till 1974 of whom I have yet to find out anything.

Prior to me owning the car was the late Professor Ken Britten up until 2013 . Amongst his many important personal engineering achievements was inventing the heated windscreen glass in the fifties that is still used relatively unchanged in todays aircraft . he produced gyroscopes for the first ballistic missiles for the U. S. A in his garden shed as the Yanks couldn't make them properly and Ken did it the old fashioned way by eye with no computers and the likes to help his calculations. I feel so privileged to have known him albeit for a short period of time when he manufactured the four slightly different copies from the original Bentley Corniche MK V mascot designed by Georges Paulin. At the time he was manufacturing a Rolls Royce mascot for the R. R. E. C to present to the Duke of Edinburgh for his ninetieth birthday and he was preparing for the wonderful Charles Sykes exhibition's he presented. Ken used to talk to me about his historic Wraith but never showed me the car.

I purchased WMB11 after talking to Ken Lea prior to the H & H auctions at Duxford and decided the car had to be saved. Ken Britten had gone through the running gear and chassis so it was a relatively simple task to drop the sump and lift the head and to see that the engine was beautifully done. The radiator was renewed . the chrome redone and the body stripped and repainted in a solid maroon colour as the Corniche will be painted as I am not rightly or wrongly a colour black person. I considered altering the indicators that had been added but couldn't tell when this happened during the cars history so decided to leave them on. The interior was too far gone so everything was virtually remade but fortunately the wood was in remarkably good condition so was repolished. The Perspex sunroof which I have never seen before on a pre-war car was also renewed and after 18 months the Wraith runs beautifully.

Many important posterior's have sat in the rear of WMB11 over the the last seventy five years and normally due to the effort it takes me I refrain from climbing into the rear of any of the cars I have restored but I intend if only once to make the effort this time so I can experience what so many before have and just for a moment to consider what decisions may have been made.





This car is available separately or as one of a pair; the other being a Bentley Mark V in the same colours & with similar bodywork that have been keeping company in the same garage in recent years.

http://www. vintagerollsroycecars. com/car-details/1940-bentley-mark-v-sports-saloon-by-park-ward_1101. html

It is in fine running condition with much money having been spent & represents an important piece of Rolls Royce history.

A gallery of large high resolution pictures may be viewed at http://www. vandp. net by clicking the "More Pictures" button.

Be sure to view image in "Original" format if you wish for a close up view. Menu is to right of picture.

Office 01375 379719

Richard Biddulph 07967 260673
Adi 07960 781930


We accept Credit/Debit Cards.
Part Exchange welcome.
Weekend & evening viewings OK.
Viewings by appointment :

Prestige House.
9 Globe Industrial Estate. br/>Grays. Essex. RM17 6ST

Also published at eBay.co.uk

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