Highlights
- Desirable early ‘Chippendale’ dashboard
- Smart two-tone silver over burgundy paintwork
- Appears to be in very good order underneath
The Appeal
As arguably Rolls-Royce’s most successful motorcar, the Silver Shadow was produced in various guises between 1965 and 1980. As a fairly early example, this 1968 Shadow features the desirable early dashboard and retains self-levelling hydropneumatic suspension front and rear.
We understand that this left-hand drive Rolls-Royce was imported to the UK in 2019 from the United States of America. It would appear to be in very good condition overall and presents well in the two-tone colour scheme of silver over burgundy.
The History and Paperwork
- First UK registered on 22nd November, 2019
- Qualifies for road tax and MOT exemption
- It has not been MOT tested since arrival
- Supplied with owner’s manual and illustrated parts catalogue
- Rolls-Royce leather document wallet
- Formerly lived in the United States of America
- Chicago Motor Club emblem displayed on the badge rail
The Interior
- Chippendale dashboard
- Cream leather
- Good overall condition
This early Silver Shadow’s party piece is that stunning dashboard. Testament to Rolls-Royce’s supreme build quality and use of only the most impeccable materials, this dash has survived very well and still looks beautiful. We were unable to discern any delamination or significant blemishes and the same goes for the wooden door cappings and rear picnic tables, all of which present really well for their age.
The seats show their age a little more, especially the driver’s side as you would expect. While there is quite a lot of patination to the front seats, they both appear well supported and are free from any significant damage. With a good clean and some leather treatment, we believe that they would be quite presentable.
The rears have not fared quite so well and there is a little damage to the squabs, likely caused by the leather drying out. The next owner may wish to consider recovering the rear bench, although it is still usable in its current state.
The carpeting looks to be in good condition, and while we could see a few stains and blemishes here and there, they are quite serviceable. The switchgear all appears to be complete and in good order and we can see that a more modern radio has been fitted at some point. There is also what appears to be a Nardi steering wheel, a high quality item that complements the opulent feel of the remaining fixtures and fittings.
The Exterior
- Silver over burgundy
- Appears very straight and solid
On the outside, this Silver Shadow looks really smart, with an attractive two-tone finish and white band tyres.
The paintwork itself seems to be in really good shape and we were unable to see any significant blemishes. It looks really straight down both sides and the panel fitment appears very good.
This is apparently a really solid example and a glance underneath shows that there isn’t any corrosion evident on any of the steering or suspension components. The floors also look to be in good order and are painted in black underseal.
The brightwork appears to be in good condition and we understand the chromework is quite serviceable, with no pitting or damage. The Lucas spot lamps really suit the car and make the business of driving simpler at night. There is also a badge rail, fully adorned with badges from various organisations.
The wheels look to be in good order and are shod with white band tyres.
The Mechanics
- Starts runs and drives
- 6.2-litre V8
- Hydropneumatic self levelling front and rear
The vendor informs us that this Rolls-Royce starts, runs and drives as it should.
Under the bonnet, that big 6.2-litre V8 looks to be complete and in good order. As this is a pre-1969 example, it is fitted with Citroën’s hydropneumatic system to aid self levelling front and rear. This provides the Shadow with an excellent ride quality, over a variety of surfaces.
Summary
While Rolls-Royce made the Silver Shadow for a number of years, these early examples are becoming harder to find and features such as that fabulous dashboard are sadly lacking on later models.
Appearing to be in very good condition inside, outside and underneath, this 1968 Rolls-Royce would make a wonderful addition to any collection and we believe that it would be an excellent candidate to improve upon in certain areas in order to make it an exemplary specimen.
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