1971 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow 1

Finished in Alpine Grey with a black leather interior, ‘AUF 272K’ is an award-winning 1971 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow that’s been in the seller’s hands for more than a decade.

As an active committee member of the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club, he’d been aware of the car when it was owned by Martin Sergeant of Sergeant’s of Goudhurst Ltd, the well-known independent specialists who’ve been looking after classic Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars for three generations.

Martin was, therefore, a man who knows a good ‘un when he sees one.

The seller is just as fastidious and, good though it was, he despatched it to his favourite bodyshop for a full respray – and when the work was complete he entered it into a RREC concours competition for touring class cars, a category reserved for members’ cars that are driven for more than 500 miles a year.

It took first place.

He also had the interior woodwork restored, and has kept on top of the car’s mechanical components too; in all, he estimates he’s invested more than £25,000 over the past few years, which is a real act of devotion given even our upper estimate is considerably lower than that.

But then we do what we do to make memories, not money, surely?
 

TLC resprayed the car four years ago, and it was a proper bare-metal job too rather than the sort of quick blowover some claim constitutes a restoration these days.

He paid a little under £10,000, and while this is a hefty sum in its own right the real figure should have been far more as the first respray the firm did had a few issues, so they took the car back and spent three months stripping it down to bare metal before repainting it as a gesture of goodwill; if he’d had to pay for the hundreds of hours labour involved he reckons the true figure would have been in excess of £30,000…

And doesn’t it look great? As we mentioned in the introduction, the car took first place at the 2023 RREC Rally, which doesn’t surprise us in the least.

More of a dusky pinky-grey than the sort of monochromatic hues the Germans would have used, we think it gives the Silver Shadow an Old Money elegance that a newer car might struggle with.

But then the Silver Shadow has never felt the need to shout and is one of only a very few expensive-when-new cars that continue to arouse nothing but admiration from passers-by, something that’ll make a huge difference to your ownership experience as other drivers fall over themselves to let you out of junctions.

Its condition is still very good. The panels align nicely with good shutlines, no damage, and a healthy gleam to the paintwork.

The long and elegant bumpers also run straight and true, as does the iconic radiator.

The badge bar holds three plaques – and if you were to draw up a shortlist of the sort of organisations you’d want to see represented then the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club, the British Automobile Racing Club, and the Vintage Sports Car Club would be at the very top, surely.

As would a matching set of Avon Turbosteel tyres, the crème de la crème of luxury car tyres. Three of these were replaced in 2018, and all still have plenty of tread left of them, even if the nearside front looks like it’s getting a bit long in the tooth.

Nonetheless, we will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

Other signs are all positive: the lamps are all free of cracks and sun-damage; the window glazing is free of chips and damage; and the badges are still very good.

And the smaller details stack up, too. The reversing lights take their role of providing sufficient illumination every bit as seriously as they do the need to look elegant. The strip that runs along the top of the doors lines up nicely too, and we spotted a sticker in the windscreen that is only given to people who have donated to the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation.

Work to do is, we think, relatively minor. The front and rear rubber glass seals have seen better days, and the Spirit of Ecstasy, while in good shape might perhaps benefit from being replated if the slight wear she shows offends you.
 

In contrast to the coachwork, the interior is still largely original and all the better for it. Simple, elegant, and timeless, the black leather cabin has a lovely patina to it – and before you think we’re using that word as euphemism for something that’s on its last legs, you couldn’t be further from the truth because the cosmetics have nothing more than a few light creases to the seats.

As for the cushions that lie beneath the hide, they have merely eased themselves into comfortable middle-age having been moulded by half a century of stately driving.

The interior wood was refinished by Silver Crest in 2021, so that’s still in an epic condition; we might say it a lot, but we really don’t think anyone did interiors as well as the Brits did back in the day.

Take a look at the way R-R arranged the centre console, for example. Sitting neatly on top of the transmission tunnel and within easy reach of the driver, every single control can be identified by feel alone – and every control is a tactile delight. There’s feedback too, with a crisp action to the switches and rotary knobs, even now, 54 years later.

(In contrast, try adjusting anything on the touchscreen in your modern luxury car by feel alone and see how long you last before you are upside down in a ditch…)

Rear footrests hint at the car’s role of providing luxurious transport for well-heeled folk, and they, like the rest of the carpets, are still in a very good condition.

Those in the back also get to enjoy the use of a pair of wood-framed and illuminated vanity mirrors in the C-pillars as well as leather-trimmed grab handles and ashtrays.

The headlining is clean, taut, and free of damage; the door cards are well-trimmed and topped with shiny wood veneer; the stainless-steel door plates are straight and only lightly marked; the glovebox still contains the plate from Jack Barclay, the supplying dealer; and the boot contains a set of fluffy lamb’s wool overmats.

The headunit is a modern Alpine unit that offers Bluetooth, so can be used to stream phone calls and music, and what looks like the original radio is in the boot.

The boot is nicely presented and still contains the original Dagenite ‘Easifil’ (sic, sorry) battery cover and the full tool kit.

In fact, the only thing we can see that the new owner might like to freshen up are the sunvisors, which have started to go a bit baggy.

That’s definitely a job for Future You though. 
 

The engine bay again has an appealing patina. Not overly dressed or detailed, it straddles the line between concours and usable very nicely.

As is always the case with cars that have been engineered and built as diligently as this, everything is neatly and logically laid out and there’s plenty of room to work, making this the ideal car for the keen home engineer or DIYer.  

The underbonnet sound insulation is in a decent condition too, and while there is scope for freshening up some of the brackets, components, and fasteners, this is a project for the future rather than something that’s going to bother you now.

(If you are looking for an early job then the vendor tells us that the choke can sometimes stick, although it can always be cancelled by lifting the bonnet and pushing it off manually.)

The video shows the V8 engine starts well, idles solidly, and revs with more enthusiasm than you probably thought it would. There’s a good charge to the battery too, which is always worth having!

The seller tells us that it “drives like a dream’ – he took it as far as Reims one year – and given his experience in the field, that’s worth something too.

Both sills were replaced in 2021, and they, like the rest of the underside, are in good shape. Nicely undersealed and featuring the sort of engineering Brunel would recognise, the only mention of structural corrosion in its MoT history was back in 2011, and even that was only “slight corrosion in n/s outer sill”.

However, the tyre mounted to the spare wheel is old, perished, and covered in underseal, so it might be prudent to make replacing that a priority.  
 

With a known and documented history that stretches back to day one, the ‘Documentation’ section runs to 227 pages, which tells you all you need to know about the car’s maintenance regimen and provenance.

Obviously, this means there’s too much to list here but the fact the last MoT, which expired in May 2024, was issued with no advisories can be used as a short-cut to understand how well it’s been fettled.

But, if you’re a trust-but-verify kinda person, then the file is with us and we’d be delighted to host you and let you leaf through it.

The history file also includes an old-style logbook, the purchase invoice from Jack Barclay dated the 24th of August 1971 for £8,703, the original specification sheet from Rolls-Royce as well as the factory safety, condition, and road test check sheets, a stamped service history booklet, a thick wad of expired MoT certificates, two handbooks, and a clear and recent Vehicle History Check. 
 

Not concours but not a million miles away, they’re only selling their beloved Silver Shadow because they’ve just bought a Silver Cloud from us, a car that is going to scratch a long-term itch even if they accept it isn’t going to drive as well as this does.

And being true enthusiasts who’re in it for the love of the marque rather than to make a quick buck, they’re going to lose money because our estimate, even for this concours-winning, fully fettled example, is only between £12,000 and £15,000.

Which reflects how the market values the model rather than because of any inherent problems with this particular example.

And there’s even better news for potential bidders as it’s being offered with no reserve, so it’s going to go to a new home after the very first bid, no matter how derisory that might be.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.