1951 Rolls Royce

Coachwork Design No. WRM30 | Chassis No. WLE1 | One of Just 28 Examples Built

An exceptional example of one of the most elegant and desirable coachbuilt Rolls-Royces of the post-war era, this magnificent 1951 Silver Wraith Sports Saloon wears the beautifully proportioned James Young coachwork to Design No. WRM30, one of just 28 examples ever produced.

Chassis WLE1 was originally commissioned by Mr C. Wade of Aldershot and delivered new on New Year’s Day 1951 through the prestigious Mayfair Rolls-Royce agents, Jack Barclay. Finished in the sophisticated and wonderfully period colour combination of Silver over Blue, with Blue Grey hide upholstery, the car was specified without a division, creating a particularly spacious and elegant passenger compartment. Further bespoke features included adjustable bench-type front seating and distinctive special-order James Young bumpers. The car’s early history is exceptionally well documented. By the middle of 1952, WLE1 had been acquired by The Daily Mirror Newspaper Ltd, before passing a few years later into the ownership of Mr R. P. Lovell of Enville, who retained the car until the 1960s. It was subsequently purchased by Mr Wainwright of Wainwright & Sons, the Stoke-on-Trent printing firm known as ‘Printers of Perfection’. Throughout these early decades, the Silver Wraith benefited from attentive maintenance by James Young and Jack Barclay. An extensive collection of period invoices, correspondence and supporting documentation accompanies the car, providing a wonderful insight into its ownership and meticulous upkeep.

By the 1990s, the car had crossed the Atlantic and found its way into a private collection in Washington, USA, where it remained before eventually returning to British shores in 2013. Today, WLE1 is presented in truly breathtaking condition, having been the subject of one of the most comprehensive and painstaking restorations we have encountered. This was no ordinary cosmetic refurbishment, but an exhaustive, body-off, nut-and-bolt restoration undertaken with an uncompromising commitment to authenticity, craftsmanship and attention to detail.

The elegant James Young coachwork was carefully lifted from the chassis, allowing the engine, mechanical components and running gear to be removed, thoroughly overhauled and meticulously refinished. Every aspect of the car received the same extraordinary level of care, from the smallest fittings and trims, to the beautifully restored interior, exquisite brightwork and flawless exterior finish. No detail was considered too insignificant, and no expense was spared in the pursuit of perfection. The finished result is nothing short of spectacular. To stand before this Silver Wraith today is to be transported back to the Jack Barclay showrooms of Mayfair on New Year’s Day 1951, experiencing the same sense of occasion as its fortunate first owner taking delivery of his magnificent new Rolls-Royce. The restoration represents an investment well into six figures, a testament to the extraordinary time, skill and resources required to achieve a finish of this calibre. Now freshly serviced, thoroughly fettled and prepared in our own workshops, the car is offered at a fraction of the cost of recreating it to this exceptional standard.

With its extraordinarily rare James Young coachwork, fascinating and well-documented provenance, exquisite specification and truly outstanding restoration, chassis WLE1 represents a remarkable opportunity to acquire a Silver Wraith of exceptional distinction.A motor car equally at home on the finest classic motor show lawns or taking pride of place in a significant collection, this is coachbuilt Rolls-Royce motoring at its most elegant and refined — a genuinely special example that would be exceptionally difficult, if not impossible, to replicate today.

£85,000