Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith

The Silver Wraith was Rolls-Royce's first post-war model, sold from 1946 to 1958 as a rolling chassis for custom coachwork. This meant that no two cars were exactly alike, with renowned firms like H. J. Mulliner, Park Ward, and Hooper creating unique bodies for each client. The cars were powered by an inline-6 engine, initially 4.3 liters and later enlarged to 4.6 and 4.9 liters.

Collectors are drawn to the bespoke nature and pre-war elegance of the original Silver Wraith. Each car's value is tied directly to its coachbuilder, design, and provenance. It's important not to confuse these with the much later Silver Wraith II, which was a factory-built, long-wheelbase version of the Silver Shadow II produced from 1975 to 1980. These later cars are entirely different vehicles.

The market for the Silver Wraith is diverse. With an average price around $26,000, they represent an accessible entry point to the world of classic coachbuilt motoring. However, this figure is misleading; prices vary dramatically. Project cars can be found for under $10,000, while pristine examples with desirable coachwork from a top-tier builder can easily exceed $100,000.

Prices range from as low as $1,400 for projects to over $101,000 for pristine examples with desirable coachwork.