1972 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow

Built before Rolls-Royce disappeared up their own backsides and renamed themselves The House of Rolls-Royce (and no, I’m not joking), this Silver Shadow is a charming reminder of why everyone who was anyone bought one; legends like Sir Tom Jones, George Best, and Barry Sheene all had one, as did Muhammad Ali, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Dean martin, Aristotle Onassis, and Frank Sinatra.

This example features the later 189bhp V8 engine, which is enough to endow the old girl with sprightly performance without being vulgar enough to trouble the rear tyres with anything so boorish as a chirrup upon setting off. 

Originally registered to a Mr. E. Windsor of 15 Grosvenor Square, London, W1. (Apropos of nothing, aficionados may recall that four of the Bentley Boys - Barnato, Birkin, Kidston, and Rubin - made the square their home in the 1920s.) We make no claim to a Royal history, but the family is known for ordering its cars in this very shade…

In the late 1970s it passed to a gentleman who kept it within his business (though several owner chnages) until 2016 when it was purchased by its current owner.

The coachwork is finished in a delightful shade of maroon, a colour that hints at a slightly rakish attitude to life without stepping over the line into full-on bounder. We like it, as we do the tight, even panel gaps and the absence of major rust, filler, or car-park ripples down the flanks. 

There is the odd blemish of course, and some evidence of localized repairs (the pinstripes down the sides are stick-on, rather than painted, for example) and some small oxidation at the top of the doors but there’s nothing there to give your bank manager nightmares or to encourage your local bodyshop guy to start dreaming of that trip-of-a-lifetime Caribbean cruise he’s been promising himself...

The Spirit of Ecstasy, famously modelled on Lord Montagu’s lover Eleanor Velasco Thornton, is present and correct and looking as lovely as ever. The (extensive) exterior chromework is in very good condition too, being deep and lustrous.

The steel wheels are in very good condition and still sport their original chrome hubcaps. They are also shod with matching Avon tyres, obviously…

The headlining is as taut and firm as a footballer’s buttocks, and the tan leather seats are as comforting as a Dawn French cuddle. None has any damage whatsoever, and certainly nothing as vulgar or commonplace as a rip or tear. The seats have only a gentle creasing to their surfaces, which could be removed entirely with only a little effort or preserved as they are with the application of a good leather cream every now and then.

The carpets are wonderfully deep and in excellent condition, even if the carpet in the driver’s footwell has become slightly frayed. (The original sheepskin overmats were beyond saving and have been binned.) The Bakelite steering wheel is mildly patinated but is all the more wonderful for being so.

The wooden veneer is largely in very good condition but some of it has started to delaminate (door caps and centre console as shown in the pictures below). This is something the new owner could either leave ‘as is’ or rectify depending on their personal tolerance and attitude towards a car’s patina.

A modern head unit has been fitted but a suitable period replacement - or even a more sympathetic retro-modern, twin-spindle item if you really must have Bluetooth et al - would be relatively simple and cheap to fit. (Although you will want to ensure that your man takes the time to wire the speakers through the genuine Rolls-Royce balance switch on the dashboard. It’s the little things, after all…)

The only fault we are aware of is a non-functioning aftermarket cruise control system.

All-in-all, the interior stands as much a testament to the quality of the initial design, materials and fitting as it does to the handful of sympathetic owners who have nurtured and cherished it over the years. It is a delightful place to be and we strongly encourage you to ask for a private virtual viewing.

The owner is a cautious man, who takes his responsibilities as a classic car owner seriously so he booked the Silver Shadow in with a Rolls Royce specialist for him to give the car the once over. Stewart Walker Ltd identified a number of issues that needed resolving, and the vendor gave them the green light to sort every single problem out.

The final bill came to more than £6,000.

Yes, that’s right; the work took 48 hours in total, and comprised a major service including all filters and fluids, plus having the carburettors tuned. An exhaust leak was resolved, and three broken engine mounts were replaced. 

However, the main expense arose from sorting out the complex hydraulic braking and suspension system. Both rear springs were replaced, along with both brake accumulators, the height control valves, the feed hoses, and various braided hoses. Both warning switches were also overhauled, a good secondhand No.1 valve body was sourced and fitted, and the entire system was flushed and cleaned. This work alone took 32 hours.

It was worth the expense though because this is one of only a few Silver Shadows on which the self-levelling rear suspension functions, and the braking system is as powerful now as the original engineers intended.

But he wasn’t finished there, because he then detected a knocking noise from the rear of his Silver Shadow, which was traced to a failed exhaust hanger. New front tyres were fitted while it was in the workshop, and another service was carried out. A brake fluid leak was traced and sorted out too. The final bill this time came to just shy of £2,000.

The owner tells us that there is still a tiny knock from the rear (which could be the battery not being secured tightly), but we think he’s just become obsessed with it, although we’d suggest interested parties check it for themselves…

The online MOT history shows nothing of any concern, the only items having troubled the MOT tester being a spot of stray stitching on a seat-belt and a tyre that is due for replacement. Of more interest is that the MOT history supports the car’s low mileage; having had just 67,488 miles recorded in June 2005, the mileage creeps up only gently over the next 13 years until it reached just over 69,000.

The car comes with its original tool kit, and the original road test report, in which the Rolls Royce QC chappie lists everything he thinks needs resolving. Having read it, either the company’s build quality wasn’t all it could have been, or seventies’ cars were rubbish and only RR saw fit to remedy its shortcomings.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to the very highest standard.

If you’ve ever wanted to own a Silver Shadow (and if you haven’t then you need to have a strong word with yourself…) then now is the time to step up to the plate and put your money where your dream is. This example is fully sorted, with only a few minor cosmetic issues to sort if he/she feels they need doing.

With this in mind we expect the Silver Shadow to achieve between £8,000 and £12,000, at which price point it offers more car per pound note invested than almost anything else you can buy for the same money without having to take a disproportionately risky punt on something with a questionable history. But at No Reserve, it sells from the first bid.

This particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.