Last updated on September 5, 2021
Today’s car is a 1953 Rolls Royce, Silver Wraith and is owned by Dave Beugen. It is done in a stunning Black and Tudor Gray with an English Burrell leather interior. Powered by a Rolls Royce 6 cylinder in line F head engine that is a 4.257 L and 125 HP, Transferring that power through a 4 speed synchromesh manual transmission with the shiftier mounted on the column. The F head is an intake/inlet over exhaust engine (IOE). The Intake valves are in the head and Exhausted valves are in the block. It has a servo off of the transmission than drives the power brakes. Hydraulic in front and mechanical in rear. It was built on a short wheelbase chassis, 127″. The car has many special features and here are a few. The ride control stiffness can be adjusted from the steering column, an electrically operated division window between the driver and passengers, there is an interior fuel door release. and a built in tool kit for the driver to maintain the vehicle.
The 1953 Rolls Royce, Silver Wraith (Chassis) James Young ( Coach Builder ) with a Sedanca de Ville body Style. The Sedanca de Ville body Style is an open-topped driver’s position and an enclosed compartment for passengers. The top over the driver position is in the hidden position in the photos of Dave’s car. This car is the only one built on a Silver Wraith chassis by James Young in 1953, also one in 1954 and one more in 1955 for the same owner. It is shown in the design books as a sedan and says it was not built. It was ordered, along with a Bentley Sedanca Coupe by a very wealthy American oil executive Charles Wrightsman in New York, and both cars were delivered to Mr. Wrightsman in Paris where the cars toured Europe for the summer. Then returned to New York.
This is a beautiful car with an amazing history. Thanks Dave for sharing your car and its history.
Thanks for riding along. Frank
Charles and Jayne Wrightsman had a major impact on the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Click the link below to see their contributions.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
