1978 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow

This much-loved Shadow has apparently been a faithful and enjoyable motoring companion for its current keeper, who mentions the following about his time with his Shadow. “It’s been a well-used car for many European trips. Very nice car to drive.” The MoT history shows sporadic use, with the car off the road from 2006-2009, then again from 2009-2014, with more regular use under the vendor’s care from 2016 to its last recorded MoT in 2019.

This Rolls-Royce comes with a healthy amount of history from the late 1990s to around 2017, though documented evidence of care since – or before – is unfortunately missing. The car’s condition is good, but not perfect, with some minor cosmetic paint issues and the usual marks here and there that we’d come expect of a 100,000-plus-mile, 46-year-old saloon.

Upon close inspection, you can’t help but notice the badge bar on the front end, proudly proclaiming the owner’s RAC and Rolls-Royce Enthusiast Club memberships. Always nice to see. The union flag on the wings and GB badge on the boot are aftermarket additions, but the latter makes sense considering the car’s continental cruising. The brightwork looks to be in very good shape throughout, however, as mentioned already, the paintwork hasn’t quite survived as well. Though far from shabby, there are some areas that require attention, if your goal is to win trophies at car shows. 

There are some light marks to the front end, but relatively few considering the car’s blunt snout. A small dent can be seen in the front bumper rubber and the lower valance shows damage on its nearside (crack). The offside fog light looks a little wonky, but the grille and Spirt of Ecstasy look as imposing and gleaming as ever.

Moving around the car’s extensive bodywork, we noticed the offside rear wheelarch is showing some paint imperfections (cracking), with similar marks evident on the offside front wing top. The glass looks good, from what we could see, though there are signs of impact damage to the offside rear bumper corner, with a smashed taillight on that side the result.

Beyond a few more smalls bubbles under the paint on the wheelarches and a crack in paint on the nearside bottom corner of the windscreen, the remainder of the panel work seems to be holding up pretty well. Unlike the ancient Avon Turbosteel tyres that show extensive cracks to both their treads and side walls, and will need replacing forthwith.

The cabin of this Shadow presents relatively well, upon first inspection, with no obvious marks or damage to the supple-looking hide seats. The carpets and sheepskin over mats look good, with their deep pile offering highly presentable appeal. The wood veneer – everywhere except for the dashboard – seems to remain presentable too. The dash covering however, does appear to be suffering from lacquer peel, unfortunately.

There are a small number of trim pieces that appear to be missing, such as the seat belt release button on the passenger side. The driver’s door card looks a little dirty, but it doesn’t appear to be damaged, and the rest look to be in great shape. The same can be said of the headlining, that appears unmarked and holding up well. There’s also what looks to be an original 8-track stereo still fitted in the centre console.

Despite the lack of history in recent years, there’s evidence of new looking parts under this Shadow’s enormous bonne; the alternator, for example. The soundproofing, which is often tatty in these cars, appears to be holding up well. The engine bay in general looks a little grimy, but white lithium grease seems to have been applied to various linkages to keep them moving freely.

There’s some surface rust on clips and clamps, and some component covers, which again we’d expect to find on a car of this vintage, which doesn’t appear to have seen extensive restoration work in its recent history. Indeed, we’ve no evidence from the – admittedly far from comprehensive – history file to suggest it’s been restored at all. 

A look underneath revealed some replacement high-quality Bilstein dampers, although the suspension bushes look cracked and old. There’s surface rust showing on most exposed areas, though we couldn’t see any evidence of anything more severe. Occasionally there's a bit of rattle from the exhaust "when the engine is under very hard load" the vendor tells us.

The history to accompany this car isn’t bad, but it does have several gaps, most notably from new to the late 1990s. The invoices only begin with several bills from Bickington Garage, Branstable in 1999. There’s also a solitary French invoice, reinforcing the vendor’s claims that the car’s made trips across the channel.

The following highlights show the larger jobs that have been carried out from the early noughties to the most recent bill, the latter showing one of a number of receipts for air-conditioning work.

• 2017 – air-conditioning repaired and maintained by Chris Lee’s Specialist Cars Ltd. £1568.54.
• 2016 – Large invoice for replacement/repairs to headlights, brakes, alternator, vacuum lines and carburettors from Fenn Motor Works, £2449.90.
• 2014 – Reconditioned front callipers from Flying Spares, £1020.90.
• 2005 – Steering rack replaced and ‘all woodwork’ by Chris Lee’s, £1230.
• 2004 – Large brake and suspension overhaul and service at Chris Lee’s, £3904.19.
• 2004 – Rear brake discs, reservoir and dampers replaced by Montague & Company, £1115.07.
• 2004 – Exhaust replaced at Chris Lee’s, £1111.85.
• 2003 – Offside rear wing corrosion repaired and painted by specialist Hofmann’s of Henley, £1564.42.
• 2002 – Large service at Hofmann’s of Henley £2146.09.

This Shadow has had some important work done in the past with big bills to show for it. The mechanical side of the car’s maintenance seems to have been well attended to, with just the cosmetics left to sort. That’s if a little wear and tear even bothers you. 

It’s perfectly feasible to run this Rolls as is, gradually attending to the remaining jobs as and when funds/time allows. As a seemingly solid base for a rolling restoration, or simply a Shadow to use and enjoy, this one appears to be an ideal candidate.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £10,000 - £15,000.

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