1973 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow

A wonderful ‘high days and holy days’ car, our vendor purchased this Silver Shadow I from the only registered Irish owner, who had custodianship of the car since 2013. Dry stored throughout his tenure, the car was only used sparingly for special occasions on good weather days, and was maintained irrespective of cost with numerous four-figure invoices to speak of.

Lovingly restored at significant cost by the owner prior to the aforementioned Irish gentleman, this Silver Shadow has been not only restored aesthetically in an attractive silver-and-red split-level paint scheme, but also mechanically, boasting numerous upgrades including electronic Lumenition ignition, a renewed air-conditioning compressor and more.

During our vendor’s brief time with the car, new brake discs and pads have been fitted all round, the rubber half-shaft and lower steering column boots replaced, new rocker cover gaskets and a rear ride height control valve have been fitted, and the radiator, header tank and pressure relief system have all been replaced.

The paintwork on this example really does have to be seen to be believed. The level of sparkle in the upper red section, in particular, is absolutely astounding.

There are a few minor chips and marks here-and-there as you’d expect, some of which have been touched in with correctly matching paint. The bodywork is lovely and straight throughout with no obvious dents, dings or impact damage, and there doesn’t appear to be any signs of mistreatment to the bodywork as far as we could tell.

All four wheels are in good shape with excellent chrome ‘beauty dishes’ and matching tyres, whilst the chrome detailing and bumpers are all in good order with only light commensurate wear to the surfaces.

Up front, the trademark grille and ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ hood ornament are in excellent condition, as are the headlights, save for some minor moisture ingress which can be seen detailed in the gallery below.

As with the exterior, the cabin of this luxurious Silver Shadow is in wonderful condition throughout, with the supple leather seats in fantastic condition and showing only the lightest wear. The central armrests are also in excellent order, as are the door cards, rear seats and carpets.

Speaking of carpets, a set of placeholder rubber mats are present with the car, along with the correct deep-pile sheepskin mats for all four seats.

Up above, the headliner is in great shape with no sagging or damage noted, whilst even high-traffic areas such as the inner door sills, column-mounted shifter and steering wheel are in very good condition.

Naturally, for a high-class car such as this, there are plenty of wooden inlays and inserts to speak of, and on the whole this luxurious trim is in great shape, particularly across the dashboard. The doors are also in good order, though look closely and you’ll find plenty of light wear-and-tear, such as scratches and damage to the lacquer.

The vendor notes that the retractable electric aerial is inoperable, as is the dash-mounted timepiece, whilst the original eight-track stereo is in an unknown condition on account of the more modern stereo having been installed between the seats.

Looking underneath the car, it is clear to see that this Silver Shadow has been used and enjoyed extensively throughout its lifetime, with plenty of wear visible to exposed areas such as the suspension components and anti-roll bars, though without a recent UK MOT and due to its age exemption, we’d recommend visiting our HQ for yourself to inspect the car with our own eyes.

What we can report with confidence, however, is that the engine and transmission on this example are in sterling condition. Starting with ease and settling into a silky-smooth idle with no fuss, the 6.75-litre V8 engine is almost imperceptible once running.

Out on the road, the car behaves fantastically and drives as you’d expect a Rolls-Royce of the era to do so, with finger-light steering, wonderful shock absorption and a general air of luxury which encourages you to savour the experience rather than rushing from point-to-point.

In fact, our only complaint that arose from driving the car is that the coolant level sensor appears to be malfunctioning, as it would regularly illuminate then dip off again just as quickly, despite having manually inspected the coolant level to find the tank topped-off.

Included with the car is an impressive history record, comprised of a stamped service book, numerous Rolls-Royce handbooks and manuals, and Irish registration documents.

There are also a plethora of invoices covering work including the aforementioned new air conditioning compressor, work to the braking system, new brake control hoses, interior overhaul in 2002, and work to the cooling system and general service in 2021 at the cost of £1,717 before the car came to our Abingdon HQ.

Finished in a frankly gorgeous colour scheme and presented in wonderful condition, this Silver Shadow is a fine example of the first-generation luxurious sedan, which drives fantastically and is a sure-fire head-turner wherever it goes.

How much is it worth? Well, we estimate a final value of £15,000 to £22,000, so if you’re looking for a luxurious alternative to a modern sedan with far more kerb appeal, we’d suggest this is an excellent prospect indeed.

Viewing is always encouraged, within government guidelines of course. The car is located at our THE MARKET HQ near Abingdon; we are open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.