With the introduction of the Silver Shadow in late 1965, Rolls-Royce embraced monocoque chassis design for the first time along with much more modern styling than the Silver Cloud III that it replaced. Powered by the 6,230-cc V-8 introduced in 1959 in the Silver Cloud II and soon enlarged to 6,750-cc, the Silver Shadow was shorter, lower and narrower with four-wheel independent self-leveling hydraulic suspension and four-wheel disc brakes. It was also the first Rolls-Royce to use a “straight through” body design. Some Rolls-Royce owners were initially reticent about the changes but the car itself was faster and had a more comfortable ride, better brakes and superior handling. The Silver Shadow was still built and trimmed to the high standards expected of Rolls-Royce, and it soon won over even the most skeptical.

This beautiful 1972 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow Saloon, chassis SRA14310, is an honest and original example with the desirable chrome bumpers instead of the later plastic ones. Finished in Silver Metallic with a red coachline, it has a black leather interior piped in red, maroon carpets, an upgraded Sanyo AM/FM/cassette stereo, walnut dash and door trim, full instrumentation and the original jack in its original pouch. Being a 1972 car, it features the larger and more powerful 6.75-liter V-8 driving through the reliable, smooth-shifting GM-sourced Turbo-Hydramatic automatic transmission. Some Silver Shadows have suffered as a result of deferred maintenance and owners who could not afford to service them properly, but this highly original car is a tidy example that has been thoughtfully maintained. It is desirably trimmed and equipped and well-preserved by its most recent owner, who has been its caretaker for the last 25 years. It is an ideal specimen of one of Rolls-Royce’s most popular and important models.