Seeing a six-decade-old white Rolls-Royce motoring along an Interstate highway on a drizzly December Saturday has one likely explanation: A wedding. A least that’s the most plausible explanation for this car’s appearance on I-66, as Rolls-Royces have long been coveted for wedding transportation. Regardless of its purpose, the magnificent sight of a Silver Wraith in motion adds graceful elegance to any occasion.
Rolls-Royce produced 1,883 Silver Wraiths between 1946 and 1958 (it was an evolution of the pre-war Wraith). Importantly, this was Rolls-Royce’s last major model to be offered without factory-built coachwork, as Silver Wraiths were produced as rolling chassis, with bodywork fitted by coachbuilders.
Silver Wraith bodies were fashioned by firms such as H.J. Mulliner, James Young, Freestone and Webb, and Hooper, the creator of our featured car’s design. While there was no such thing as a “standard Silver Wraith,” some designs were more common than others, and the Hooper-bodied Touring Limousine like our featured car was one of the more prevalent variants – the general design was shown in Rolls-Royce catalogs.
When referring to Silver Wraiths, however, prevalent hardly means ordinary. If there’s a more graceful automotive sight than one of these cars cruising down a highway, I haven’t seen it. In today’s world of angry-looking vehicle designs, this Rolls-Royce stands as an unmistakable counterpoint. The Silver Wraith’s dignified, flowing lines haven’t diminished one bit since the 1950s, and likely justified the $18-20,000 price tag (about $200,000 in modern dollars) all on its own. Of course, the styling was accompanied by an interior of exquisite leather, rich wood veneers, plush carpet, and luxuries such as a cocktail bar, which certainly added to its appeal.
There are probably few more exquisite ways to begin a marriage than a ride in a timelessly elegant car such as this Silver Wraith. Not that I’d know… after all, my wife and I made do with a rented Pontiac Grand Am on our wedding day. No chauffeur, either. But I sure would have loved a ride in one of these instead! If this particular car is indeed a wedding chariot, I wish the lucky couple a marriage as long and smooth as their hired Rolls-Royce!
Photographed in Falls Church, Virginia in December, 2021.
“My good its got an 82 Seville rear end”. Classic Hooper body work. Looks better in single tone too. What better way to start the best day of your life.
“My good its got an 82 Seville rear end”.
Ahem . . . As one who has owned multiple Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars, 1932 to 1985, along with a similar Hooper-bodied saloon [both the saloon and the touring limousine were basically the same, but the limo had a division window], I think I can say with some authority that Cadillac’s Seville copied Hooper & Co., not the other way ’round!
That said, the Seville took more design elements from the Vanden Plas Princess DM4 long wheelbase limousine, built from 1952 to 1967, virtually unchanged. The dropping belt line & roof side rails of the Hooper design are not part of the Seville, while the side beltline and roof side rails of the VDP limo are more aligned with the Seville. The rear portion of both British cars are almost the same, so the trunk area could be a toss-up as to which was used for the Seville.
30 years ago I owned both a Hooper Silver Wraith touring limo, and a Vanden Plas Princess limo, while a friend had a Seville. So after we discussed the merits of each car, we ended up lining up the 3 cars for comparison. The consensus of all my restoration staff, and both car owners, was that GM copied mostly from Vanden Plas.
A few years before he passed away, I had the opportunity to approach this question with Dave Holls, one of GM’s top designers back when the Seville came out. I suggested that GM copied the razor-edge lines mostly from VDP, but was curious what he had to say on the topic. His comment was short, but put the question to rest; Dave said I had already answered my own question. He also mentioned that the American car buying public would relate the Seville styling to Rolls-Royce anyway, because the VDP Princess was a relatively unknown vehicle in North America!
I sold the Silver Wraith many years ago, but I still have the Vanden Plas Princess, and I think my friend still has his Seville.
I believe this Silver Wraith shown in the photos belongs to my long-time friend Billy Guye, as it has a MD license plate ending in B, denoting it’s owned by a rental limousine service. As far as I know, Billy is the only limo service still offering vintage and modern Rolls-Royces in the greater DC and Balt. areas.
Bill, somehow I suspected you might know this car personally!
In the course of my research on this car, I did come across its rental listing, which is here:
http://www.vintagelimos.biz/Crown-Princess.html
…though it appears that there is another vintage limo. service in Maryland as well, which is this one:
https://www.concourslimo.com/
Eric,
Every few years some well-off car collector gets the idea of creating a limo service in the DC/Balt areas. Most don’t last longer than 5 years before they find out it’s the type of business that rarely turns a profit, and is labor and capital intensive. It’s also a business that is most busy on Saturdays. Billy Guye is the only exception to that rule. When he heard I was closing my company in 1990, he decided to offer his car collection for rental, and has been doing well ever since.
I think Concourse Limousine is owned by the same person who is the CEO [or similar title] for a well-known guitar manufacturing company located on Maryland’s eastern shore, and I’ve met the guy a few times. His Silver Cloud II is a nice looking and reliable car, not having had previous owners that abused the car. I wasn’t aware his car was available for chauffeured rental.
The Crown-Princess limo Co. in Gaithersburg is a new one to me. They even have a 1933 Packard sedan available for rental.
I think it’s clear to Mark that a car from ’82 is newer than one from ’55. He’s just noting the similarity.
“My good its got an 82 Seville rear end”
I suspect Cadillac copied Rolls Royce, although I thought that was Ford’s job…
I would have loved this even more if it had been wearing a UK license plate.
Excellent photos in motion.
Thanks Lee,
I can’t take credit for the opening shot though – my daughter took that one. A photo of mine would never come out that good!
If there’s a more graceful automotive sight than one of these cars cruising down a highway, I haven’t seen it.
I’m going to be the contrarian and say that I’ve seem millions of more graceful cars on the road. I think these are highly ungraceful, especially the view from the rear. It looks like an overweight overly-made up elderly bride waddling down the highway with her wedding dress that’s covering her big butt dragging on the pavement. It ‘s rather horrible, and all too much like those “angry-looking” contemporary cars with all their styling affectations. This is just about the most affected car ever, starting with those absurd oversized headlights; the original Superfly.
If this was from 1938, I could largely give it a pass, although there were cars from that era that were much more graceful. But 1955?? It’s retro, big time, and not in a good way..
Basically, it’s just an oversized Triumph Mayflower. I find them both rather hideous.
Here’s my graceful bride from 1955:
I think that with cars like this you have to forget about how they were a decade or two behind the times and just appreciate them for how well they were done in their own right without reference to other cars or what was current in design.
I watch a lot of Masterpiece Theater kinds of British period productions which often feature British cars from the cheapest People’s cars to custom built luxury like this one. The shapes may seem squashed and behind the times, but there is often a lot of artistry to appreciate in the lines and details. Or not.
In this case it’s easy to imagine the designers finding just the right balance and opposition of rounded and more squared off shapes, sweeping lines, sharp edges, etc. And then some guy pounding it out on a tree stump.
I’d concur that the Silver Wraith looking from the rear towards the front, the sculpted fenders look way too overwrought. The Silver Cloud would look more restrained (not too sculpted) by comparison.
I’m with Paul. I mean to me it’s not ugly, but it’s mind-boggling that it’s form ’55. It must have looked so dated then – especially compared to the gorgeous Lancia.
Yes, I’m in this group too.
+3
Rear ends were never the best angle of big coachbuilt Brits, especially given Hooper’s squat roofline. Impressive in its own way, yes. Unusual, for sure. But neithet pretty nor graceful.
The image of the old plonker with gravel rash itching her bum under the wedding finery is pretty funny, I must say.
And Paul ;
therein lies the rub .
There’s a bum for every seat, I am very glad this is so .
-Nate who wants neither a a Triumph Mayflower nor a Rolls / Bently
I am struck by the interesting combination of curves and flat surfaces. There are lots of both.
A niece had something similar for a wedding vehicle, but I did not know my RRs well enough to make the kind of identification you did with this one. A fun sight!
For a man newly-wed it is his last ride! He will never forget that Rolls, the champagne for two. It all seemed so terrific! Yours in mirth (any my girth) – Tom
Lovely. Those guys at Hooper sure had an eye for line and detail. Razor-edge style done so right. Perhaps the final flowering of a 1930s limousine aesthetic, so yes, behind the times, but looked at out of the 1950s context, as a piece of rolling sculpture, just conservatively beautiful. Yes I know Daimler tried (and failed), and Rolls had the later Phantoms, but they looked a bit gangly and awkward. Not like this.
At the hospital where I used to work, one of the surgeons had one of these. Always parked at the front door on the days when he was operating. That was two-toned like the one in the advertisement, but black and Old English White.
Personally, I think it looks a lot better in the 2 tone brochure artwork without the rear wheel spats, but even so the big headlamps do look a bit of caricature.
For my money, there are many more R-Rs and Bentleys that are more elegant. 1950s Bentley Continentals?
I think that this car has to be looked at in the context of the times and where it was built. Post war England was not the same as post war America. There was much rebuilding and shortages and sacrifice in England that lasted through the 50’s. This car was a caricature of 1930’s elegance, but it reminded people of the good times before the bombs started dropping on them.
I will stay out of the styling debate, but that first in motion shot with all lights aglow is a fantastic.
Great photos, and it’s true that it’s always startling (and pleasurable) to see pretty much much any auto relic of another time out on duty in modern traffic.
But I can’t applaud the looks, which fall into that really odd category of English coachbuilding, some of which are amongst the best-lookers ever made, and another category amongst the worst. (There is too a rather large middling category of ever-so-slightly boring ones, all a bit heavy and funereal). This old dame is, alas, in the second.
I’m fairly certain this was from a look called the Empress Line at Hooper, and I’m afraid not one of the Empresses they looked at must’ve been under 80 stone or years when referred to.
Talking of which, just WHAT could have possibly been the idea they were trying to convey in these? The over-all effect is what could only be called Crisp-Edged Frump, or more tactlessly, Low-Taste Tat With Sharp Edges (handle with care).
Oh well. The English aristocracy who bought them were ever a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in in-breeding wrapped in immense embedded wealth, so perhaps it’s an embodiment of that.
It’s enjoyable to read these comments from folks who both like and dislike the Silver Wraith’s ornate styling.
I suppose two reasons why I fall into the “Like” category here is because: A) I like prewar styling to begin with, and B) I’ve always had an affection for automotive anachronisms… which I distinguish from “retro,” which I rarely like.
To me, the Silver Wraith exemplifies both of these characteristics – giant headlights, fender skirts and all. But I completely understand those who feel the opposite.
I can’t stay out of the styling debate: in a word, dowdy. The Mayflower is too, but RR and Hooper should have known better. Of course RR has had quite a few other misses, the Silver Shadow being one. I’d give the Silver Cloud a pass. Not perfect, but to me it’s iconic RR.