1977 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II - Silver Shadow II

Documented from day one

With the current owner for over 20 years

Far above-average state of preservation

Original 68,000 kilometres

The Silver Shadow marked the beginning of a new era for Rolls-Royce in 1965. The Silver Cloud had been a magnificent motor car, but technically it still belonged very much to the old school. Its successor was to be more modern, more compact and yet not one bit less stately.

For the first time, Rolls-Royce adopted unitary construction. Independent suspension and hydraulic self-levelling provided the proverbial ride comfort, while the sophisticated high-pressure braking system was inspired by Citroën technology. Under the bonnet was initially the familiar 6.2-litre V8, enlarged to 6.75 litres from 1970. Rolls-Royce traditionally had little to say about power output. There was enough.

Despite its more compact exterior dimensions, the Silver Shadow offered more room than its predecessor. Inside, meanwhile, all remained reassuringly familiar: leather, burr walnut, thick carpets and a standard of workmanship that suggested production costs had not been the overriding concern.

In 1977 it evolved into the Silver Shadow II. Rack-and-pinion steering, revised suspension and, most visibly, new bumpers brought the Rolls-Royce into its next chapter.

By 1980, more than 30,000 Silver Shadows and Shadow IIs had been built, making it the most successful Rolls-Royce of its era. That hardly made it any less exclusive. It merely proved that even motoring aristocracy occasionally had to move with the times.

The history of this Rolls-Royce begins with the paperwork for its detailed order, dated 18 August 1976. Numerous pages of inspection and test reports, testament to Rolls-Royce’s meticulous quality control, document the car’s progress. On 16 July 1977, the Shadow was delivered with 213 test miles recorded. Its first owner had bought the saloon so that he would have his own car available whenever he stayed in London. Countless invoices document its subsequent history and ultimately confirm an odometer reading of just 25,012 miles when it was sold in November 1996.

A lady from Oxford registered the car in her name on 18 December 1996. Driving little and caring for it greatly remained the order of the day. On 4 August 2002, at 26,719 miles, the Rolls-Royce required a new speedometer.

In June 2005, ownership changed again with around 1,200 miles showing on the replacement odometer. Once again, the car was driven sparingly and cared for generously. In February 2007, the consignor, a great enthusiast of the marque, acquired the Silver Shadow with barely 2,000 miles showing on the replacement odometer. Having meanwhile received a repaint, the Rolls-Royce also presented superbly from a cosmetic point of view. Over the following years, the Shadow was driven regularly and maintained with equal consistency, and the replacement odometer now shows around 15,000 miles.

All told, its next owner can expect a motor car in exceptional condition. In almost 50 years it has covered just around 68,000 kilometres, fully documented and accompanied by a comprehensive maintenance history. A Silver Shadow II of this quality and so carefully looked after is a rare opportunity, with every prospect of many more years of dependable motoring ahead.