Queen’s love letter to the automobile, “I’m In Love With My Car”, appeared on the band’s 1975 album A Night at the Opera. It was written and sung by drummer, Roger Taylor—a rare departure from the recognisable vocals of front man, Freddie Mercury—but it reflected a passion for flash cars that steeped the band. Not least sound man, Jonathan Harris, whose obsession for his Triumph TR4 was said to have inspired the record. The 1974 Rolls-Royce silver Shadow offered for sale here is testament to Mercury’s enthusiasm for all things on four wheels, as it was kept in his ownership for more than a decade.

Leaving the factory finished in Silver Chalice over a Blue interior, this Silver Shadow was first registered on UK roads in June 1974. The earliest years of this car’s life are not documented, but it is recorded that the Rolls-Royce was acquired by Mercury’s company, Goose Productions Ltd., in 1979. While it is unlikely that the singer drove the car, on account of apparently never gaining a full driving licence, it is thought that the Silver Shadow was Mercury’s personal chauffeur-driven transport for the duration of Queen’s smash hit heyday, at a time when the band would record much of its best-known music.

Accompanying the car is a history file that features Mercury’s name on assorted workshop invoices. Curiously, much of the paperwork on file is recorded in the name of Mary Austin, Mercury’s former partner, who assisted the singer with the upkeep of the Rolls-Royce. A letter on file from Jim Beach, long-time band manager of Queen, verifies the car’s celebrity ownership. Beach comments that upon Mercury’s passing in November 1991, the Silver Shadow continued to be driven by the rockstar’s sister, Kashmira Cooke, who subsequently bought the car from the Freddie Mercury Estate in 2003. The Rolls-Royce was enjoyed for many years by Ms Cooke and her partner until it was bought at auction by its consigning owner in 2013.

Buyers should note that this car has been kept in storage for an extended period of time, and would benefit from mechanical inspection prior to being driven. Presented today in its factory-correct colour pairing of Silver Chalice over Blue, the Silver Shadow’s thundering V-8 could easily reward its next owner with the rockstar feeling enjoyed on the road by Mercury. All proceeds from the sale of this lot will go to Superhumans Center, a charity established to provide aid in Ukraine.