Styled with attractive sleek lines and a sporting appearance, the two-door version of Rolls-Royce’s Silver Shadow combined coupé looks with saloon-like proportions. Introduced in 1966 as a creation by the company’s in-house stylist, W.G. Allen, the model was built with hand-crafted coachwork by Mulliner Park Ward and was visually poles apart from the Silver Shadow in its more familiar four-door form. The two models shared an engine, however, with a 6.2-litre V-8 planted under the bonnet and paired with an automatic transmission.

The Two-Door Saloon was an exercise in opulence—with dealership prices beginning at £7,771, equivalent to around £120,000 today—no doubt the main cause of a low production run of just 571 cars made over a five-year period (somewhat dwarfed by overall Silver Shadow’s production of over 30,000 units over 15 years). As a result, the rarity of the luxurious saloon-cum-coupé is coveted by collectors today.

The example offered for sale here, chassis CRH3399, is an attractively appointed specimen that meets all expectations for a lavishly configured 1960s Rolls-Royce. First ordered via P.J. Evans—the Birmingham-based Rolls-Royce and Bentley dealer—in August 1967, the Silver Shadow was configured as a right-hand-drive car finished in Regal Red over a Grey Leather interior, the colour combination it retains to this day. The car was specified with electric windows, front and rear wool rugs, and Sundym glass on all windows.

The Rolls-Royce’s first owner was one Mr H. Lydiard of Stratford-upon-Avon, who retained the car until March 1986. At this point, the Silver Shadow was acquired by A T Wall & Co, based in Poole, Dorset, and was bought by Mr Selwyn George C Houry of Bristol in 1991. Staying in their care until February 1997, the car was then traded to Mr Stuart Aylott of Tormarton, Gloucestershire. The Rolls-Royce changed hands again in 2004, when it was acquired by Mr Stuart Jones of nearby Tetbury, followed by another owner in Bromley, Kent, in December 2006. The Rolls-Royce subsequently joined The Best of British Collection, while in August 2009 it appeared on the front cover of Thoroughbred & Classic Cars magazine.

Presented today in its factory-correct colour and with matching-numbers engine, this seldom-seen Two Door Saloon would be a welcome addition to any collection of Rolls-Royce, Bentley, or classic luxury cars. The car is offered with workshop invoices dating to the 1970s, correspondence relating to a known ownership history from new, and copies of its factory build records and order forms.