A ground-breaking car in the company’s history, the Silver Dawn was the first Rolls-Royce to be sold with a factory-supplied body—the handsomely designed ‘Standard Steel Saloon’. It was produced in a new, modern factory at Crewe from 1946 until 1955, a successful nine-year run during which 785 were made. The most desirable of these cars were offered from 1951, featuring a larger, more powerful 4.6-litre engine as well as bodywork revised with a more capacious boot—known to enthusiasts as the ‘big-bore/big-boot’ model.

The Silver Dawn offered here, chassis number SVJ9, was equipped when new with trafficator-style turn indicators, an automatic gearbox, and was powered by engine number S70J, as remains under the bonnet today. It was originally delivered via Edinburgh agent John Croall Ltd in January 1955 to Miss Katherine M Low. Possibly in Miss Low’s hands, it later moved to the United States, where its owners included Dr H Jerome Stulberg, a radiologist at the famed Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, and fellow California resident Kenneth T Ashworth from 1972 until 1983.

In 1989 the Silver Dawn returned to the United Kingdom under the care of Bill Loughran. It later passed to Stephen Sugden Jones of Minehead, then around 2005 into the hands of Jim Boland, in whose collection it has remained since. Like many of the vehicles in the collection it exhibits a healthy and satisfying patina throughout, with its older black-and-silver finish still attractive for driving use. Original finishes run throughout the engine compartment and chassis. The interior is in good and usable condition, with upholstery that is either pristinely original or an older, high-quality replacement.

Every collection of Rolls-Royce and Bentley needs a Silver Dawn; this is a handsome one, from a good home within a collection that has known many quality examples of its marque.