Classic Cars / Riley / Car for sale

1953 Rolls-Royce Post War Silver Wraith Touring Saloon

Sale price: $100,000.00 make an offer

Sale type: Fixed price listing

Technical specifications, photos and description:

Year:
1953
Mileage:
12,000
Engine:
4.6 litre straight six
Transmission:
4 speed manual
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1953 Rolls-Royce Post War Silver Wraith Touring Saloon for sale

Current customer rating: current rating for this car(2.05) based on 391 votes


















Rolls-Royce

Silver Wraith


Touring Saloon - non division


1953


 

3 owner from new - excellent "preservation class" example!


 


Words cannot describe this stunning 1953 Silver Wraith Touring Saloon by HJ Mulliner. Finished in black with light tan (beige) Connolly leather upholstery fashioning everything in a very original and restored manner.  

Recently acquired from an estate of a wealthy industrialist. where the owner was an avid (and life-time) collector of Rolls-Royces. this Wraith is one in very original condition and perhaps amongst the best out of the collection. Its most recent owner purchased the car in 1985 and had been part of his private collection since.  

It was delivered new in February 1953 by a J. H. Riley from Stroud Riley Ltd in London who also owned WDC10 (HJM 7062 4dr/4lt touring limousine). WFC41 (same) and WSG27 (Park Ward 144 4dr/6lt saloon). The car today still displays its original UK number plates; NLC835.  

It is very rare for the 7249 to have no full or half-division. From my understanding. only 77 x 7249s were made of which only 4 were saloons as opposed to limousines. making this car quite rare indeed. The seating style. with plain cushions and pleated and bolstered squabs. is known as 'Renillum' which is the Mulliner name spelt backwards.

Body and paint is excellent with no known repaint during the industrialist's ownership. She presents very smooth and lustrous with only the typical blemishes and imperfections you can normally expect of such an older car. albeit well maintained. She is finished off with off-white fine lines the side coach-work in the correct hand painted tradition. Chrome. glass and fitting all present well.

The interior is simply stunning with all its original fitments. The Renillum style Connolly leather is supple soft with only modest signs of aged hides. She does show all the lovely signs of gentle use and the warm "patina" that makes these Rolls-Royce interiors what they are (The word "patina" is used literally here. and not as a means to explain old dry and cracked leather!).   The African burl walnut wood throughout is in nice condition but not perfect with hairlines in the lacquer showing. We were in 2-minds about refinishing because of its originality so if you are keen on perfection. please enquire as we are in-house experts in Rolls-Royce wood refinishing and we can redo for you. Carpets are good and the headliner without wear albeit some very light soiling in some areas.  

Mechanically. the car is sharp. She sings like the best should sing and always come to life when called upon.  The car was excellent to commence with. As testimony. we received the car after more than 5 years of her not being started. After doing all the necessary commissioning procedures. she fired up instantaneously and held a steady idle like she was warmed up only moments previously. So very impressive! She idles very smooth. powers well and handles the road comfortably and straight. She comes to a stand still true and strong. The tyres on the car are period correct whitewalls but they are old (+/- 25 years old). Long distance driving on these would not be recommended but are perfectly fine for pottering around and show work. We left them. as they are all so "original" in presentation and the perfect fitment for museum display.  

Under the bonnet. the presentation is lovely. It has not been precision detailed but simply kept altogether tidy throughout its life. Simply stunning! The mileage on the car shows 12. 00 but who can be sure if its accuracy. In my opinion; yes it is indeed possible for the overall condition but the number is remarkably low for the car's age - so I will err on caution and call it "unknown" to avoid any misrepresentation.

As you would expect. this Silver Wraith comes with its original accoutrements and operating manual.

The car is of very high standard and is an undisputable 10 out of 10 driver rating and a true Preservation class show car.

~~ This stately Silver Wraith is an outstanding example of the marque that is ready to be driven and enjoyed. She is of RROC preservation standard that can also be used for special occasion or sunny weekend enjoyment. Take her to your next Rolls-Royce meet and you will attract considerable attention. maybe pick up a prize as well! ~~


International buyers welcome!


Interesting Information on the Silver Wraith.

Few do not realise that only some 1. 00 Silver Wraiths were ever made. The Silver Wraith was the first post-war Rolls-Royce. It was made from 1946 to 1958 as only a chassis at Rolls-Royce's former Merlin engine plant. their Crewe factory. alongside the shorter Bentley Mark VI. Mulliner did not make many Saloons. (around 26 total) and of the 7249 design they only manufactured 77. of which only 4 were saloons instead of limousines.

It was announced by Rolls-Royce in April 1946 as the 25/30 hp replacement for the 1939 Wraith in what had been their 20 hp and 20/25 hp market sector. that is to say Rolls-Royce's smaller car. The size was chosen to be in keeping with the mood of post-war austerity. Even very limited production of the chassis of the larger car. their Phantom. was not resumed until 1950 and then. officially. only for Heads of State.

Improvements announced were: chromium plated cylinder bores for the engine; a new more rigid chassis frame to go with new independent front suspension and a new synchromesh gearbox. Chassis lubrication was now centralised.

Engine

The straight six-cylinder postwar engine. which had been briefly made for the aborted by war Bentley Mark V. replaced conventional overhead valve gear with an F-head configuration of overhead inlet valves and side exhaust valves and reshaped combustion chambers. There were new main and big-end bearings and a more efficient drive to the timing gear. To this prewar mix Rolls-Royce added chromed bores. Initially. this engine retained the Mark V's capacity of 4257 cc. increased from 1951 to 4566 cc and in 1955. after the introduction of the (standard wheelbase) Silver Cloud. to 4887 cc for the remaining Silver Wraiths.

Chassis

The first cars had an entirely new 127 inch (3226 mm) wheelbase chassis which differed considerably from that of the pre-war Wraith and was much nearer rigid. It matched the new Bentley chassis but with an extra 7 inch section added to the centre. The new chassis had coil sprung independent front suspension. which required a very rigid chassis to function properly. and at the rear conventional semi-elliptic springs and live axle. The braking system was a hybrid hydro-mechanical system with hydraulic front brakes and mechanical rears using the mechanical servo similar to that of the pre-war cars.

The last short-wheelbase cars were delivered in November 1953. The long. 133 inch (3378 mm). wheelbase chassis was announced in 1951 and the first delivered in January 1952. 639 were made by the time of the last deliveries in October 1958.

This was not quite the last Rolls-Royce model to be supplied as a "chassis only" ready for a wide variety of bespoke coachwork designed and made by a rapidly declining number of specialist coachbuilders. Most of the bodies selected used "formal" limousine designs.

Overview:

The Silver Wraith chassis were offered until 1958 and were always fitted with handmade individually crafted coachwork. The war years had certainly taken their toll on the coach building industry in England. with many famous names ceasing to exist by the mid 1940s. However some of the most established companies did survive. such as H. J. Mulliner. Park Ward and Hooper who between them were responsible for designing and creating some of the most elegant and stylish coachwork fitted to the Silver Wraith chassis. A total of 1. 86 Silver Wraiths were produced between 1946 and 1959 and were ordered by a diverse cross section of customers. including governments who purchased them for Presidential use. A number of cars were purchased by nobility and Royal families all over the world. The Silver Wraith also found favour amongst captains of industry as well as recognised stars in the entertainment world. making it a very successful return to motor car production for Rolls-Royce.




For extra photos on this fine example go to the link below. The photos are of super high resolution so if you right click on any. you can zoom in and see every little detail and defect in considerable detail.

            Click HERE to see some 150 high resolution photos                   


A note from RRMOTORSINC:

For those Rolls-Royce enthusiasts who have followed my auctions in the past I welcome you all. For those who are new to my adverts and/or the marque. please note that as a serious collector of some 30 years. all my cars are truly described examples. I have my own private Rolls-Royce workshop (not open to the public but dedicated to my own cars and fellow RR enthusiasts) with trained Rolls-Royce craftsmen who are proficient in all aspects. As a team. we are dedicated to the preservation of the marque and as such. any car that leaves the stable is completely inspected and work-shopped to ensure mechanical and operational items are maintained appropriately. We adopt a “keep it original” mentality with pride and confidence. offering after sales technical support and assistance well beyond the sale. Because most of my cars are offered for the pleasures of driving enjoyment it is not always possible or practical to seek perfection (in the true sense of the word) but we do always uphold excellence in whatever we do. Our cars are by no means cheap priced cars but we like to think they are amongst the best. To this end. I firmly believe in the famous adage; “Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten. ”

We hope you do too. ”

RRMOTORSINC is a division of Park-Ward Motors and The Park-Ward Motors Museum. We can always be reached at +1-312-320-6996.

We at Park-Ward Motors – the things we do.

 

When our Rolls-Royces are commissioned for resale. they are indeed professionally and correctly “fully work-shopped”. No corners are cut. And it is all addressed in true Crewe tradition. There is way too much to list here but to give you an example of our commitment to excellence of  the various processes. this is one such example of what we do:

 

Doors and windows:-

 

Every car has its interior door panels removed. If the wood is in need of repair (as most are) it is refinished in-house by trained and talented craftsmen at Park-Ward Motors. This is a detailed process of stripping the wood of its old lacquer. repairing the veneer if there is damage. staining the top surface as per Rolls-Royce methodology and refinishing with no less than 25 coats of clear lacquer. Hand wet-sanded and polished between all of its last 15 coats. New window felt guides and wood-to-glass foam seals are fitted. All window mechanisms are checked and serviced for smooth and efficient up and down movement. This includes an electrical modification to rectify the typical “slow window syndrome”. All tracks. chains and gears are lubricated. Where central locking is fitted. these are all serviced to ensure no “solenoid sticking”. another common problem. Units are repaired and or changed as required for refurbished units. Door wiring and door-to-body wiring is checked. repaired and/or replaced as required. The splash plastic on the inside of the doors to protect the leather panels from rain splash from inside the door is replaced with correct specification black plastic as used by the factory. Cut to shape and glued in position as per original. All door hardware is checked and repaired as required including locks. handles and scuttle finishes. The door is reassembled with all items cleaned and polished. The wood refitted and the leather panels are re-Connollised before final fitment.

 

Take this example and apply it to the many. many different aspects of Rolls-Royce restoration. service and maintenance and you have our dedication to correct and professional vehicle pre-delivery preparation and commissioning.



~~ Important note: the $2. 00 deposit is due within 24 hours. If not paid. or if no contact is received within that period. we reserve the right to offer the car to any other party. ~~

~~oo00oo~~


This Rolls-Royce is part of a private collection. Although licensed and bonded. I am not a main-stream retail car dealer or broker; I am a professional car collector of some 30 years with considerable experience and knowledge of Rolls-Royce and Bentley Motor Cars. I have a long standing reputation being associated with the marque which I take seriously. I take pride in my cars and have fun in collecting and restoring them. However. auctions are not a game so when you place a bid or offer. and you are the winning bidder. please understand you have entered a binding contract. You cannot bid and win the auction and expect not to meet the terms and conditions. Bidding and/or winning does not mean you are expecting me to “hold” the car until you have the opportunity to inspect it. Any inspection contemplated should be undertaken BEFORE you bid or make an offer and I openly welcome any potential buyer to come and personally inspect the car. Once you bid or make an offer. you are doing so to buy WITHOUT conditions. Your bid can not be subject to anything. A $2000. 00 deposit (non-refundable) is required within 24 hours of the close of the auction and payable by PayPal. The balance of funds are required within 7 days of the close of the auction and must be provided by cashier's check or bank wire. I cannot accept PayPal for the balance unless you are willing to meet the cost of transfer fees. Full payment must be made (and payments cleared) before the title and/or the vehicle is released. All payments are non-refundable. Payments as described above form an important part of this purchase contract and so. if all the funds are not received as outlined above. I reserve the right to terminate the transaction without notice. If there has been any deposit or other part payments received and I elect to terminate the contract. I reserve the right to keep any such deposits or payments and resell the vehicle to another bidder or interested party or re-list the vehicle at any time. To be clear. if you change your mind for ANY reason and do not complete the transaction in the time-frame required. you will forfeit your deposit. I am happy to assist with shipping arrangements on a national and worldwide basis but the winning bidder takes full responsibility for pickup and/or shipping and at his cost.

As a collector and experienced restorer of the marque. I make every effort to bring my cars to a high standard. By comparison. my cars are generally superior to others available but they are by no means perfect. You must expect some issues. Unless specifically stated. the car is not of show standard but of nice "driver" condition. Please understand. show cars of this model cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to achieve and sell for prices commensurate. so the sale price of this car reflects its relative condition. You are buying "condition" accordingly. Buyers should not expect to receive concours quality or "perfect" cars at these prices. Please also understand. the very nature of these classic Rolls-Royces is such that it is not always possible to attend to every item. or perhaps I may have inadvertently overlooked items. Further. and very importantly. these cars are classic cars also because they are old. So this means a 45 year old car is predominantly comprised of 45 year old parts. And old parts will fail. All buyers must understand and expect that things can or will wear out. break and/or stop functioning without notice. This is even more likely with hand-built English cars of early technology when compared to the typical American car of the same vintage. Please note. fitted radio/stereo systems are usually subject to upgrade by purchasers so I do not ensure operation of these. Similarly. cruise control systems fitted to these classics were of an inferior design and I do not check or warrant the operation of these. Suspension and brakes on these cars are complex. We thoroughly check them and replace things that are identified faulty. But please understand. by example; if we change a brake line because it appears aged or faulty. we do NOT at the same time replace all other hoses because they are of similar age. This is considered "preventative maintenance". We do not do this unless specifically requested and is not included in the purchase price. Feel free to ask for this additional service. Further. a feature or function that is working perfectly one moment. may decide to play-up the next. After all. it is some 45 years old. This is the nature of any classic car and especially a Rolls-Royce which was very "complicated" for its era. For this reason it is necessary for the following condition:

The vehicle is being sold "as-is/where-is" with no warranty expressed. written or implied. Any descriptions or representations are made with reasonable judgment and all efforts are made to ensure fair assessment and accuracy but they are for descriptive and identification purposes only and are not to be construed as a warranty of any type. The seller shall not be responsible for errors in description. authenticity. genuineness. or defects herein and makes no warranty in connection therewith. If any aspect of the description contradicts what can be seen in the photos. then the photos shall prevail as the reference point. No allowance or set aside will be made on account of any incorrectness. unforeseen imperfection. defect or damage. It is the responsibility of the buyer to have satisfied himself as to the condition and value and to bid based upon that judgment solely. The seller shall and will make every reasonable effort to disclose any known defects at the buyer's request prior to the close of the auction. Seller assumes no responsibility for any repairs regardless of any written or oral statements about the vehicle. Being a classic car in excess of 10 years of age. in most US states. the mileage may be recorded as “exempt”. In this regard the seller makes no warranties as to the accuracy of the mileage indicated or shown and accepts no responsibility for any discrepancy with independent reports such as Carfax. AutoCheck. etc. In this regard the seller makes no warranties as to the accuracy of the mileage indicated or shown. Should there be any legal dispute after the sale. (and I certainly hope there would never need to be!). all such disputes shall be determined in the jurisdiction of McHenry County. Illinois - the domicile of Park-Ward Motors.  I can hold the vehicle up to 30 days while you arrange shipping but you must immediately insure it.  I will not bear any responsibility for any additional costs including storage. transportation. or repair after the close of the auction. Whereas I am happy to store the car in excess of 30 days from auction end. a cost of $35 per day shall apply beyond 30 days of auction end. Also. you must remember that this is a classic +/-45 year old vehicle. and while it is up to you. I do not recommend that you just “hop in and drive it across the country” until you have familiarised yourself with the car. At least. I have never done that. I have always professionally transported the cars in enclosed carriers from where I bought them to my home or office.

PLEASE; IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO ABIDE BY THESE TERMS. CONTACT ME BEFORE YOU CONTEMPLATE DOING SO AS. RESPECTFULLY. THERE CAN BE NO EXCEPTIONS.

I am sorry if these terms seem harsh but there seem to be some very unrealistic buyers out there - fortunately. only few of these people exist but those that do can make life difficult. so it appears EVERYTHING needs to spelled out. Very simply put. this is an old car being offered for sale. It is not new and is subject to the perils of age. Further. Rolls-Royces are not without nuances. idiosyncrasies and they are renown for a host of design issues which can make them not inexpensive to maintain. This is well documented in many circles. You need to be a special and considerate type of purchaser to own a Rolls-Royce. Their down-side is part of the fun in owning them! As the old saying goes; "we love to hate them and hate to love them!" So. please respect the terms and conditions when you bid.


~~ **IMPORTANT NOTE: As a professional collector and experienced restorer. I have my own Rolls-Royce dedicated workshop with qualified craftsmen on hand; The Park-Ward Motor Museum. As a passionate collector of the marque I take great pride and pleasure in passing on any of these great cars to its next owner (“caretaker”). In so doing. once this Rolls-Royce is sold. I will put the car thru my workshop to ensure that it is mechanically sound and all major features and functions are operating as described even though the car is contractually being sold "as-is". Certain items such as final electrical tests and hydraulic pressure checks are usually left for this stage as these are considered "commissioning procedures". In this case. this will include the air conditioning system of this car. This and considerable other work will be performed after the sale and before delivery. This is all done at NO CHARGE. We call this; "Predelivery Commissioning". Who else selling a Rolls-Royce on eBay does this?! Depending on our work load. please allow approximately 14-21 business days for this procedure. We will keep you posted every step of the way. For more information on the Park-Ward Motor Museum and our skills. please eBay message me and I would be happy to show you some 100 Rolls-Royces restored to varying levels over the last few years ~~

~~oo00oo~~





VALUES: Rolls-Royce values vary wildly. entirely dependent on their condition. There are. of course. other aspects that add or subtract from their values – Long Wheel Base versus regular. the year which dictated certain technical changes. etc. The colour alone. for example can make a big difference. So for the benefit of new-comers to the marque please see the approximate guide to values based on a particular model below. Please remember. these are “plus-or-minus” figures:


Year:                     1969-1972
Make:                    Rolls-Royce

Model:                   Silver Shadow LWB


Show car:             $45. 00+

Exceptional:        $35-45. 00

Excellent:             $25-35. 00

Good:                    $18-25. 00

Average:               $12-18. 00

Fair:                      $6-12. 00

Basket case:         < $6. 00

 


Hopefully this will provide a reference point for the Rolls-Royce being featured in this listing as it compares to the range of different condition examples.  Please note. a very poor condition example that is tired and not maintained can easily demand some $30. 00 in restoration to make it a "nice" example but remember. it will be no longer original. So don't be fooled by "cheap buys". For any specific questions about this unique example of a Rolls-Royce. please do not hesitate to contact me.


According to the London based investment research firm; Historic Automobile Group International. classic cars have appreciated on average. 13% per year since 1980. whilst overall stock values averaged an 11% gain over the same period. The following graph charts the value of collectible cars vs. the S&P500.




 

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