1977 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II

This particular Shadow comes to us with very little in the way of history, but we do know that it has put in a decent stint as a wedding car, as evidenced by the WED 974S registration and the fact that the number plates also bear the wording, ‘Bouquets and Bubbles’.

The vendor works for an art gallery with branches in London, New York, Miami, Aspen, Dubai, Mykonos and Tel Aviv.

He tells us that the car was purchased in September of this year with a view to it playing a part in a planned event to be held by the London branch of the gallery. 

For whatever reason, the event didn’t go ahead and the Rolls-Royce found itself surplus to requirements.

For the purposes of the event the car’s windows were covered in heavily tinted film, which is still in situ.

This will need to be removed (which is very simple), prior to driving as it doesn’t currently comply with the rules of the road or the law of the land.

We drove it around the block on some private roads and practically had to use a head torch to see the end of the bonnet through the dark windscreen.

We can report that it starts, runs, drives and is in working order, although the battery is currently flat. 

The car was last serviced in 2019 and it has covered just 200 miles since then.  

Given the car’s lack of activity over recent years, it’s perhaps not entirely surprising that it feels as if it needs a basic service and some light recommissioning.

The mileage today is 76,246.

On the occasion of its 2019 MoT, it was recorded as being 76,018 miles.

In 2006, the figure was 72,017 so, as you can see, this grand old car has seen very little action in the last 17 years.

Aside from one or two cosmetic issues, the car seems to us to be a pretty decent, relatively low-mileage example of the model and the marque. 

The bodywork looks to be pretty much free of any meaningful dinks, dents, creases or folds.

The white paintwork, too, is broadly decent, as is the blue Everflex roof, save for one small stretch to the vinyl at the rear edge of the nearside ‘C’ pillar.

But the car does have the odd spot of corrosion to contend with here and there.

There’s some bubbling and flaking in evidence at the base of both rear wings and beneath the rear bumper, the rubber facets of which have lifted and are no longer flush with the underlying structure.

You’ll also find some bubbling at the base of the nearside ‘C’ pillar, around the n/s/r wheel arch, in the sill beneath the passenger door, and on top of the n/s/f wing.

The chrome is not too far from good, although there is some foxing, pitting and one or two spots of rust here and there.

The wheels seem fine, the tyres rather less so.

The front valance has a few stone chips and scuffs to show for its long life.

The rubber trim is cracked and perished around the rear screen and the rubber boot seal is unattached and hanging free.

The badging, lights, lenses and other exterior fixtures and fittings all seem to be in reasonable fettle.

The inside is a match for the exterior in the sense that it’s good in parts, less so in others and in need of some remedial work elsewhere. 

We noticed that the n/s/r door doesn’t seem to be following instructions issued by the central locking system, and the window above it is equally reluctant to do as it’s told.

The tan leather upholstery is actually in very good condition and has barely earned more than a few creases, let alone any ingrained patina. 

Aside from a little discolouration to the leather here and there (which might well yield if shown a chamois and some soapy water), the door cards have endured the passage of time well. 

The carpets and mats are broadly fine, except in the driver’s footwell, where the carpet is worn and threadbare.

The headlining is good, if a little grubby.

The wood veneers have not fared quite so well and the lacquer on the dashboard, door cappings and inserts is, variously, cracked, faded or missing depending on where you look.

The boot is scruffy but intact and contains a selection of old mats. 

The engine bay looks a little dusty and tired but everything appears to be in its right and proper place and would no doubt respond well to a thorough clean.  

The car’s undersides look to have plenty of structural integrity, but there is some rust to be seen here and there and you’ll no doubt want to gauge for yourself the extent to which it is just surface dust or something more progressive.

The car comes with a current V5, and the original owners’ manual and handbook pack. 

The service record has every stamp from new up until 1997. The next service stamp is dated 18.7.19.

Beyond that, the car has about as much history as Clint Eastwood in any of the countless films where he turns up wearing a poncho and chewing a cheroot at some fly-blown town inhabited by terrified Mexicans.

While we clearly don’t know much about this car, we’ve not seen anything to make us start tutting, shake our heads or run for the hills.

An odometer reading of 76,000 miles really isn’t much on a car that’s been around for 45 years and, although there are some minor corrosion issues to attend to, we think this stately Shadow II has sufficient underlying quality to amply justify the time and effort required to restore some, most or all of its former glory and grandeur.  

We are happy to offer this vehicle for auction with an estimate in the range of £7,000 - £9,000.

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