Vehicle Description
Chassis No. WLE27
Body No. 1745
One of the most popular coachbuilt automobiles of the post-war era
was the Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith. From 1948 until 1958, a total of
1,783 chassis were constructed and featured bodywork from a wide
variety of legendary, original coachbuilders. The vast majority of
these bodies were for distinguished buyers who wanted conservative
and regal sedans and limousines, but these rules were meant to be
broken... this particular all-weather tourer was created by
Freestone & Webb of London and is among the most grandiose of
examples.
American playwright and theatrical producer Charles Blevins Davis
was responsible for commissioning the fantastically-bodied Silver
Wraith. Hailing from Independence, Missouri, his neighbor, and
lifelong friend was the 33rd President of the United States, Harry
S. Truman. Davis was married in 1946 to one of the wealthiest women
in America, Marguerite Sawyer Hill, who was both the
daughter-in-law and heiress to railroad tycoon James Jerome Hill of
the Great Northern Railway. Suddenly passing just two years later,
Davis inherited her extensive fortune. He lived an appropriately
lavish lifestyle, splitting his time between estates in
Independence and Colorado Springs, Colorado.
While the custom coachwork of Davis's Silver Wraith sported the
same curvaceous styling that was typical of the era, the car
featured a modern, power-operated convertible top. This top was
hidden entirely under the rear tonneau cover when lowered, creating
a far sleekier design that was unhindered by the large top "stack"
typically seen with other convertibles of this size. The headlights
were sourced from a Silver Dawn and were incorporated into the
front fenders. Reminiscent of the Classic Era, this design benefits
the rear passengers with the inclusion of a second cowl to mount
another windshield, but with a modern flair. Traditionally this
second cowl was a slightly cumbersome addition, while the one in
this car could be folded away when not in use permitting the use of
the burled walnut writing tables. This thought process was even
incorporated into the side-mounted spare tire mounts, as they are
entirely hidden behind covers.
Following its completion at Freestone and Webb, the Silver Wraith
was delivered to Davis in the autumn of 1954 at his magnificent
Glendale Farm in Independence, finished in two-tone royal blue and
black. Documents obtained from previous ownership indicate that
within a year of being delivered to Davis, the "6-light saloon"
body with which WLE27 was delivered was removed and replaced with
the current Freestone & Webb Convertible Sedan coachwork from
LCLW9. With his passing in 1971, Davis took with him the reason why
the coachwork of WLE27 was exchanged. While this remains a
curiosity about the car's history, this was typical of the era and
of cars with coachbuilt construction exchanging bodies to continue
meeting the demands of their discerning owners.
The car was later sold to Patrick Murlowski of Minnesota, who in
turn passed the car to David Stockwell, a noted American antiques
specialist in Delaware. It was under Mr. Stockwell's stewardship
the car was illustrated in Lawrence Dalton's 1971 book The Elegance
Continues, documenting the post-war history of Rolls-Royce. By the
early 1990s, the car was restored and refinished in its current
livery. The body was refinished in a lustrous ruby red with
recessed areas featuring elaborate hand-painted canework. The color
of the exterior canework is reflected in the interior color
palette, with the seats and door panels covered in cream leather
with contrasting ruby piping. More recently, the car was a part of
legendary collector Don Williams' esteemed Blackhawk Museum. With
few other contemporary Rolls-Royces offering the same level of
opulent panache, it is truly a one-off and a delightful car to
behold.
