1950 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith

“I purchased the car in January 2024 and immediately send it to Rolls-Royce specialist Harvey Wash Ltd of Kelvedon, Essex to carry out extensive recommissioning work,” explains vendor, James. 

Those works cost in the region of £34,000 and included:

• A new radiator
• A new fuel tank
• Overhaul of the braking system
• Overhaul of the caburettor and fuel supply system
• Steering and suspension works
• An overhaul of the hydraulic hood and window system
• And a very extensive service

“Since then, I have driven the car for approximately 1000 miles including attending the 2024 Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club Annual Rally in it. The general condition is very good; having had so much recent attention with a well-regarded specialist it drives very well. Specification highlights include the rare hydraulically-operated ‘three-position’ hood and all four windows – a great luxury at the time and an expensive option”.

The Silver Wraith comes with its original handbook and original James Young Coachwork maintenance instructions. It is also supplied with copies of the very extensive Gurney Nutting/James Young build history file, comprising over 130 pages detailing the original order, build history and subsequent correspondence with owners up until the late Fifties. 

“It is one of only eleven built to this design, WR20M, by Gurney Nutting (one of which was a Fixed-Head Coupe). Drophead Coupe bodywork is very rare on the Silver Wraith, which mostly carried formal limousine coachwork. 

“It was commissioned by Jack Barclay in London in August 1949 and supplied new to W.R. Howard Esq of Ashford, Kent; originally painted Cadillac Green with a beige leather interior and matching beige hood. The second owner in 1958 was Major Rupert de Larrinaga of Lancashire, who was a British Olympic ski champion and member of a shipping dynasty. 

“After being sold by Halfway Garage to an American collector in the mid-Sixties (the original photograph of the car outside the garage is included in the file), it remained in North America, where it had a cosmetic restoration, until 2012. A Lebanese collector, who displayed it in his own private museum, subsequently bought it before the car returned to these shores in 2023”.

James has just begun the task of reducing his own car collection, so this majestic and finely fettled Rolls-Royce is now for sale. “It is a very striking and stylish car, one with huge road presence. It is, as its makers intended, an excellent touring car and one that is also easy and very pleasurable to drive”. 

Restored in 2002, and then used only sparingly since, the car still presents very smartly. At the time, it received a fully body restoration, with fresh paintwork (now in dark blue) and renewed brightwork. A new roof was also added at the same time.   

From that imposing front grille, to the sweeping front wings and that glorious hydraulically operated droptop, this example is a thoroughly majestic looking classic. 

The dark blue paintwork covers straight bodywork and retains an excellent lustre. It’s aided and abetted by chromework restored to a high standard and a hood that still presents pretty much as new. 

The whitewall Firestone tyres, chrome hubcaps and matching, razor-sharp pinstriping on both body and wheels top off a strong visual package. Be in no doubt, this is a classic car in which to make quite an entrance in.

 “Originally, it took over a year to build the body, which was started by Gurney Nutting (one of the last Rolls-Royce bodies it worked on) and finished off by its sister company James Young Ltd – also owned by Jack Barclay,” says James. 

“Other famous owners who had this design of Gurney Nutting body include the actor Sir John Mills, the playwrite Robert Sherrif and the Maharaja of Mysore who’s striking bright red drophead is currently the star of the world’s concours events”.

The Wraith’s cabin, finished in grey leather with matching carpets and door cards, is simply lovely. Factor in the extensive veneers, elegant Smiths dials and that sumptuous drophead hood and it’s a match made in Rolls-Royce heaven. 

Condition-wise, it’s very good. The headlining is first class, as are those veneers, and with rear seats it’s capable of carrying four adults in style to the event of their choosing. 

Drop the hydraulic soft-top though, and this stylish Coupe is transformed into a majestic open topped tourer and the mechanism itself is super smooth, if not exactly speedy by contemporary standards. 

Befitting a Rolls-Royce of this level, along with the roof, the windows are also hydraulic. 

It’s worth having the lights checked, as not all appear to be functioning, although that could be down to something as simple as a blown bulb or loose connection.   

There is ample boot space at the rear, as well as an innovative foldout luggage rack that allows for additional storage for longer distance touring. 

What a beautiful motorcar.

Looking underneath the Wraith you will see that the chassis is nice and solid. It looks to have been well protected, although with some minor very light corrosion forming on some surfaces it may be a good time to crack out a wire brush, apply some elbow grease and refresh the rustproofing treatment. 

There’s no doubt that having received significant attention from a marque specialist in recent years, allied to significant fiscal outlay, the Silver Wraith remains mechanically robust and in lovely overall condition condition, albeit the age of the tyres maybe something a new owner may wish to address.

As our Video Review above shows (at 4mins 23secs), the 4556cc in-line six-cylinder engine settles into smooth tickover. It’s a fruitier sounding unit than the later near-silent V8 that followed it and here, perhaps all the better for that. You get a thrummy intake noise allied to a rakish sounding exhaust note, something that this car’s drophead persona allows the driver to enjoy even more than in its tin-top siblings. 

Fitted with a manual four-speed gearbox, it also offers a more involved driving experience than other, later Silver Wraiths endowed with automatic units.

The included V5c document confirms its date of UK re-registration to be 01/10/2023 and that it has had a total of two owners since then.

Also present in the history file are all of the invoices for the recommissioning works carried out by specialist Harvey Wash Ltd. It’s worth taking your time to electronically leaf your way through these so you can see the range of works carried out during this process.

The history file includes the original Jack Barclay order sheets, detailing the car’s original colour of a Cadillac Green exterior with a Beige leather interior and Beige hood, as well as all of the original documentation that James mentioned in the Overview section, above. 

Finally, you will find a recent online vehicle history check and a selection of black and white photographs showing the vehicle as new.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos to support our claim that this Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith remains in very good condition.

With a drophead coupe body by Gurney Nutting, a hydraulically-operated hood and windows and a formidable history file, this Silver Wraith Drophead Coupe is, as consignment specialist Paul Hegarty states: “…exceptionally rare, supplied by Jack Barclay and coach-built by one of the premier coachbuilders”. 

As an older restoration that’s still holding up beautifully, it’s also had that recent circa £34k investment. It comes with the original build order sheets from the coachbuilder, as well as a plethora of invoices for those significant recommissioning works carried out during the enthusiast vendor’s own custodianship of the car. 

Presented in lovely condition and in very nice driving health, we think that this Silver Wraith is very special indeed. As such, it should realise somewhere in the region of £80,000 to £100,000. 

Once secured, it’s guaranteed to provide its new owner with a scintillatingly stylish post-war, Rolls-Royce ownership experience. 

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’.