Description

Chassis No. WLE27
Body No. 1745

One of the most popular coachbuilt automobiles of the post-war era was the Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith. From 1948 until 1958, a total of 1,783 chassis were constructed and featured bodywork from a wide variety of legendary, original coachbuilders. The vast majority of these bodies were for distinguished buyers who wanted conservative and regal sedans and limousines, but these rules were meant to be broken… this particular all-weather tourer was created by Freestone & Webb of London and is among the most grandiose of examples.

American playwright and theatrical producer Charles Blevins Davis was responsible for commissioning the fantastically-bodied Silver Wraith. Hailing from Independence, Missouri, his neighbor, and lifelong friend was the 33rd President of the United States, Harry S. Truman. Davis was married in 1946 to one of the wealthiest women in America, Marguerite Sawyer Hill, who was both the daughter-in-law and heiress to railroad tycoon James Jerome Hill of the Great Northern Railway. Suddenly passing just two years later, Davis inherited her extensive fortune. He lived an appropriately lavish lifestyle, splitting his time between estates in Independence and Colorado Springs, Colorado.

While the custom coachwork of Davis's Silver Wraith sported the same curvaceous styling that was typical of the era, the car featured a modern, power-operated convertible top. This top was hidden entirely under the rear tonneau cover when lowered, creating a far sleekier design that was unhindered by the large top “stack” typically seen with other convertibles of this size. The headlights were sourced from a Silver Dawn and were incorporated into the front fenders. Reminiscent of the Classic Era, this design benefits the rear passengers with the inclusion of a second cowl to mount another windshield, but with a modern flair. Traditionally this second cowl was a slightly cumbersome addition, while the one in this car could be folded away when not in use permitting the use of the burled walnut writing tables. This thought process was even incorporated into the side-mounted spare tire mounts, as they are entirely hidden behind covers.

Following its completion at Freestone and Webb, the Silver Wraith was delivered to Davis in the autumn of 1954 at his magnificent Glendale Farm in Independence, finished in two-tone royal blue and black. Documents obtained from previous ownership indicate that within a year of being delivered to Davis, the “6-light saloon” body with which WLE27 was delivered was removed and replaced with the current Freestone & Webb Convertible Sedan coachwork from LCLW9. With his passing in 1971, Davis took with him the reason why the coachwork of WLE27 was exchanged. While this remains a curiosity about the car's history, this was typical of the era and of cars with coachbuilt construction exchanging bodies to continue meeting the demands of their discerning owners.

The car was later sold to Patrick Murlowski of Minnesota, who in turn passed the car to David Stockwell, a noted American antiques specialist in Delaware. It was under Mr. Stockwell's stewardship the car was illustrated in Lawrence Dalton's 1971 book The Elegance Continues, documenting the post-war history of Rolls-Royce. By the early 1990s, the car was restored and refinished in its current livery. The body was refinished in a lustrous ruby red with recessed areas featuring elaborate hand-painted canework. The color of the exterior canework is reflected in the interior color palette, with the seats and door panels covered in cream leather with contrasting ruby piping. More recently, the car was a part of legendary collector Don Williams' esteemed Blackhawk Museum. With few other contemporary Rolls-Royces offering the same level of opulent panache, it is truly a one-off and a delightful car to behold.