See inspection report, full photos, videos and more at
classicpromenade.com. We are pleased to present this beautiful
original 1951 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith James Young Four Light
Limousine (chassis No. WLE6) that is a beautiful original example.
This is a driver-quality Silver Wraith that we believe is worthy of
an interior restoration, or kept as a preserved survivor. The
history of this car is fantastic and this is, in our opinion, one
of the best styles penned by James Young for the Silver Wraith. The
styling is sleek and classic, and features ample amounts of the
phenomenal James Young woodwork inside and a generous sunroof. WLE6
was first delivered from the factory in January 1951. The first
registered owner of WLE6 was the famous Lord Beaverbrook , who was
one of the leading figures in the British empire through both world
wars and the publisher of the largest circulation newspaper in the
world. The second owner of this Silver Wraith is documented to be
Kenneth D. Watson of Denver, CO. He was a longtime RROC member and
had WLE6 listed in the directory from 1966 until 1981. By August
11, 1988, it was acquired by the father of its present owner, David
Capra, also from Denver, CO. Mr. Capra enjoyed and cherished her
for the past 33 years. WLE6 is a James Young Limousine with Body
Design WR18A and Body Number 1755. This is one of only a handful of
examples of this body design built during 1951. The deep and rich
Masons Black livery is complimented with tan coachstripes and is in
tour quality condition still retaining its beautiful luster and
shine. We are not sure if much of the paint is original or if it is
an older repaint from the 1970s or early 1980s. But it is in
overall nice condition. There are many small paint chips that have
been touched up over the decades. There are a few dings and near
the drivers rear door there is some very fine cracking, most of
which is not noticeable without close inspection. The chrome and
stainless trim are all very good to excellent. The rear bumper has
more fine scratches from accessing the trunk over the years. The
radiator shell has the expected light scratches in the stainless.
We love the style of the James Young close-coupled passenger
compartment that is devoid of the rear quarter light glass. And the
Lucas R100 headlights are beautiful and give the car an imposing
and formal pre-War appearance. It also features the center driving
light and two auxiliary Lucas fog lights. The interior is also in
beautiful mostly original condition with the expected patina from
70 years of use. The tan-colored leather is soft and supple but has
many areas where the leather has cracked from age. The leather has
had a couple sections replaced many years ago and the rear seat
bottom has been replaced using matching tan vinyl. The arm rests in
the rear passenger compartment have some cracking. The wood veneer
is gorgeous. Few Rolls-Royces have such stunning use of interior
wood and spectacular patterns than James Young limousines. This
Rolls is worthy of the investment to replace the leather and
refinish the wood. The wood grain is beautifully and heavily
contrasted and is in very nice condition to be refinished. There
are very few areas where the veneer would need to be replaced. The
rear compartment has a beautiful cocktail cabinet, twin picnic
tables which have the compartments for the glasses and flasks (the
Rolls does not have the fittings for the requisites). The rear
passenger center armrest has a compartment for personal items. The
matching tan wool carpeting was replaced many years ago and is in
good condition. This James Young limousine also features a
multi-band radio and the tool kit is nearly complete and is under
the trunk compartment for large and small tools. The steering wheel
has some normal small cracking as shown in the photo gallery. The
engine compartment is fairly well detailed and presents itself very
well as a well maintained example. All the evidence suggests that
this is a relatively low mileage example: the wear is minimal on
the pedals, no wear near the keyhole for the ignition lock and the
overall wear of the car. The car drives tight and is responsive.
The 4.6 liter engine combined with its four-speed manual
transmission results in a very smooth and reliable drivetrain. The
undercarriage was undercoated when new and is all original, never
having been detailed. The leather gators wrapping the rear leave
springs are all intact and in good condition, confirming that this
Rolls had not been exposed to inclement weather for years while in
England. There is a small sheet metal section under the trunk that
has some corrosion and would be easily replaced, if desired. All
documents and notes are included in the sale of this Silver
Wraith.Our 158-point inspection report is published on our site for
this Rolls. Weve driven her for about 50 miles, including on the
highway, and she drives and operates well. More recently it has
benefitted from a new clutch, carburetor rebuild and fuel pump. For
more information and details on this Rolls-Royce, call, text or
email Harry Clark at 1.602.245.7200 or
[email protected]
This Rolls is available for inspection at our Phoenix showroom.
