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We are pleased to present this beautiful original 1951 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith James Young Four Light Limousine (chassis No. WLE6) that is a rust-free and beautiful original example. This is a driver-quality Silver Wraith that we believe is worthy of an interior restoration, or kept as a preserved survivor. The history of this car is fantastic and this is, in our opinion, one of the best styles penned by James Young for the Silver Wraith. The styling is sleek and classic, and features ample amounts of the phenomenal James Young woodwork inside and a generous sunroof.
WLE6 was first delivered from the factory in January 1951. The first registered owner of WLE6 was the famous Lord Beaverbrook , who was one of the leading figures in the British empire through both world wars and the publisher of the largest circulation newspaper in the world. The second owner of this Silver Wraith is documented to be Kenneth D. Watson of Denver, CO. He was a longtime RROC member and had WLE6 listed in the directory from 1966 until 1981. By August 11, 1988, it was acquired by the father of its present owner, David Capra, also from Denver, CO. Mr. Capra enjoyed and cherished her for the past 33 years.
WLE6 is a James Young Limousine with Body Design WR18A and Body Number 1755. This is one of only a handful of examples of this body design built during 1951.
The deep and rich Masons Black livery is complimented with tan coachstripes and is in tour quality condition still retaining its beautiful luster and shine. We are not sure if much of the paint is original or if it is an older repaint from the 1970s or early 1980s. But it is in overall nice condition. There are many small paint chips that have been touched up over the decades. There are a few dings and near the drivers rear door there is some very fine cracking, most of which is not noticeable without close inspection. The chrome and stainless trim are all very good to excellent. The rear bumper has more fine scratches from accessing the trunk over the years. The radiator shell has the expected light scratches in the stainless.
We love the style of the James Young close-coupled passenger compartment that is devoid of the rear quarter light glass. And the Lucas R100 headlights are beautiful and give the car an imposing and formal pre-War appearance. It also features the center driving light and two auxiliary Lucas fog lights.
The interior is also in beautiful mostly original condition with the expected patina from 70 years of use. The tan-colored leather is soft and supple but has many areas where the leather has cracked from age. The leather has had a couple sections replaced many years ago and the rear seat bottom has been replaced using matching tan vinyl. The arm rests in the rear passenger compartment have some cracking. The wood veneer is gorgeous. Few Rolls-Royces have such stunning use of interior wood and spectacular patterns than James Young limousines. This Rolls is worthy of the investment to replace the leather and refinish the wood.
The wood grain is beautifully and heavily contrasted and is in very nice condition to be refinished. There are very few areas where the veneer would need to be replaced. The rear compartment has a beautiful cocktail cabinet, twin picnic tables which have the compartments for the glasses and flasks (the Rolls does not have the fittings for the requisites). The rear passenger center armrest has a compartment for personal items.
The matching tan wool carpeting was replaced many years ago and is in good condition. This James Young limousine also features a multi-band radio and the tool kit is nearly complete and is under the trunk compartment for large and small tools. The steering wheel has some normal small cracking as shown in the photo gallery.
The engine compartment is fairly well detailed and presents itself very well as a well maintained example. All the evidence suggests that this is a relatively low mileage example: the wear is minimal on the pedals, no wear near the keyhole for the ignition lock and the overall wear of the car. The car drives tight and is responsive. The 4.6 liter engine combined with its four-speed manual transmission results in a very smooth and reliable drivetrain. The undercarriage was undercoated when new and is all original, never having been detailed. The leather gators wrapping the rear leave springs are all intact and in good condition, confirming that this Rolls had not been exposed to inclimate weather for years while in England.
All documents and notes are included in the sale of this Silver Wraith.Our 158-point inspection report is published on our site for this Rolls. Weve driven her for about 25 miles, including on the highway, and she drives and operates well. More recently it has benefitted from a new clutch and fuel pump.
For more information and details on this Rolls-Royce, call, text or email Harry Clark at 1.602.245.7200 or [email protected]. This Rolls is available for inspection at our Phoenix showroom.