Lot 005: 1977 ROLLS-ROYCE SILVER SHADOW II

Successor to the long-running Silver Cloud, the Silver Shadow was launched in October 1965 although development prototypes had been testing since the summer of 1957. The first integral construction Rolls-Royce, the Silver Shadow had a much less distinctive shape than its imposing predecessors, a reaction Rolls-Royce said to customers who did not want a car which stood out as much in a car park as the traditional Rolls! Powered by the 6230cc V8 engine used in the Silver Cloud II & III, the Silver Shadow featured a self-levelling independent rear suspension system and triple circuit all round disc brakes. Also available as a Bentley, the more anonymously badged T-Series, the Silver Shadow exhibited all the traditional Rolls-Royce virtues of silence, craftsmanship and comfort. However, early models were quite rightly criticised for having somewhat woolly handling with appreciable amounts of body roll and despite minor improvements over the years the first major attempt to make the Silver Shadow more of a driver's car came with the launch of the Silver Shadow II in March 1977. Described on the front of the sales brochure as going 'deeper into the Shadow', the Shadow II featured rack and pinion steering together with a new front air dam which may have appalled the traditionalists but did significantly improve high speed stability. Also boasting a revised dashboard with split-level air-conditioning and the enlarged 6750cc V8 engine (launched in 1970), the Silver-Shadow II lasted only until October 1980 when it was replaced by the all-new Silver Spirit model. Finished in metallic brown with cream leather upholstery, this particular example is variously described by the vendor as being in "good" (automatic transmission, electrical equipment, bodywork, paintwork, wheels / tyres) or "very good" (engine, interior trim, chassis) condition. Purchased from a deceased estate, 'UOD 446R' is thought to have been in its previous owner's possession for a number of years. A potentially inexpensive entry to the exclusive world of Rolls-Royce motoring, this Silver Shadow II is offered for sale with MOT certificate valid until May 12th 2007 and road tax valid until October 2007.