1954 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn - Silver Dawn Empress Line by Hooper

Hooper exhibition car for the Earls Court Motor Show

Extensively documented early production history

Preserved largely in unrestored condition

After the war, even Rolls-Royce had to accept that the world had changed. The days when one merely built a chassis at Crewe and then sent it off to the coachbuilder of one’s choice were slowly drawing to a close. In 1949 came the Silver Dawn, the first Rolls-Royce to be offered from the factory with a standardised steel body.

The idea itself, however, was not entirely new. The Bentley Mark VI, introduced in 1946, already used the same basic construction, and mechanically the two were closely related. Beneath the bonnet, both initially employed a 4.3-litre straight-six, enlarged to 4.6 litres from 1951. Rolls-Royce traditionally remained silent on the matter of power output. It was sufficient.

The Silver Dawn was, in a sense, the rather grander answer to the Bentley. While the latter was at least allowed to maintain the appearance of sporting ambition, the Rolls-Royce concentrated, as befitted its station, on making an entrance. The famous radiator grille topped by the Spirit of Ecstasy was quite sufficient to leave no doubt as to one’s position in society.

Initially, the Silver Dawn was built exclusively for export and consequently was produced predominantly in left-hand-drive form. It was not until 1953 that it was officially offered on the British home market, alongside Bentley’s new R-Type, successor to the Mark VI. That same year, the body gained a larger boot, giving it a rather less compact appearance.

By 1955, just 761 Silver Dawns had been built, making the model considerably rarer than its Bentley counterparts. More importantly, it marked that turning point in Rolls-Royce history. Those who wished, however, could still have their Silver Dawn dressed to measure.

Despite the availability of the ‘Standard Saloons’, hand-built coachwork remained the preferred choice for many customers. Among them was J. H. Thursby of Grosvenor Square, London, who ordered this Silver Dawn for his wife. SRH44 received a body by Hooper & Co. in the firm’s characteristic ‘Empress Line’ style. One of only twelve Silver Dawns built to body design No. 8401, it was selected by Hooper’s chief designer, Osmond Rivers, for display on the company’s stand at the Earls Court International Motor Show in October 1954. Originally finished in grey and blue, Hooper changed the colour to Metallic Pearl Black, code 9955, before the car was delivered on 27 November 1954.

Following a minor mishap, Hooper recommended repainting the entire car in order to achieve a satisfactory result. And so, in 1957, the Silver Dawn acquired the Midnight Blue it wears today. The estimate for the work came to £45.

SRH44 passed from Mrs Thursby to R. S. Mead of Maidenhead in August 1960, and only a few months later to A. B. Stothard of Alderley Edge. By the end of the 1960s, the Silver Dawn had appeared on America’s West Coast and did not return to its English homeland until 2003, following an auction at New York’s Rockefeller Center.

Its new owner, Trevor Brown, took his Rolls-Royce on numerous trips to continental Europe until 2013. These included journeys to Lake Wörthersee and Slovenia in 2005, Norway in 2006, Berlin in 2007 and St Moritz in 2008. Thereafter, its travels remained closer to home, including Goodwood in 2012 and Yorkshire in 2013. A thick photo album shows the Silver Dawn with its proud owner on his travels. SRH44 covered thousands of miles without trouble, or, as Trevor Brown quoted Henry Royce in 2014: ‘She has always behaved impeccably.’

That same year, the Silver Dawn came to Austria and, following preparation by a specialist, promptly received its individual road approval. After several rather sedentary years, a visit to knowledgeable hands is warmly recommended before it returns to the road, so that SRH44 can once again demonstrate its unquestioned qualities.