Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith
| Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith | |
|---|---|
1955 Silver Wraith, body by Hooper & Co | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Rolls-Royce Ltd |
| Production | 1946–1958 1.883 produced (incl. 639 LWB cars) |
| Assembly | United Kingdom: Crewe, Cheshire, England |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Full-size luxury car (F) |
| Body style | Mostly 4-door saloons, but other body styles were erected on this chassis. |
| Layout | Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
| Related | Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 4.3 L (260 cu in) I6 (1946–1951) 4.6 L (280 cu in) I6 (1951–1955) 4.9 L (300 cu in) I6 (1955–1958) |
| Transmission |
|
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 3225.8 mm (127 in) (1946–1953) 3378.2 mm (133 in) (1951–1958) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Rolls-Royce Wraith (1938) |
| Successor | Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II LWB |
The Silver Wraith was the first post-war Rolls-Royce. It was made from 1946 to 1958 as only a chassis at the company's Crewe factory, its former Merlin engine plant, alongside the shorter Bentley Mark VI. The Bentley was also available as a chassis for coachbuilders, but for the first time could be bought with a Rolls-Royce built Standard Steel body. The use of the name "wraith" coincided with the established tradition of naming models after "ghosts".
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, the Phantom IV, 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.