1975 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
From the estate of Rolls-Royce & Bentley historian the late Bernard L. King

Registration No: HDY 740N
Chassis No: SRH21051
MOT: Exempt

• Owned by Rolls-Royce historian the late Bernard L. King from 2019
• One of the last of the chrome bumper Shadows
• Only 42,000 warranted miles since new
• Previous owner from 1984 until acquired by Bernard L. King

Launched in 1965, the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow was a bold departure for the Crewe company. Their first monocoque design, it also benefited from olio-pneumatic rear suspension, power disc brakes and GM's silken 400 series automatic gearbox (though, the latter was not adopted until 1968). Such 'new technology' did not encroach on the luxurious interior with its sumptuous leather hides, rich wood veneers and deep lambswool carpets. Performance from the smooth 6,230cc V8 engine (upgraded to 6750cc in 1970) was assured, the car wafting forward on a seemingly unstoppable wave of torque. Still immensely cosseting to drive, Shadows offer a genuinely different ownership experience to their mass-produced peers.

‘SRH 21051’, a wonderfully original and late Series I Silver Shadow, was delivered to its first owner on the 12th of March 1975 by Rolls-Royce dealer Caffyns of Eastbourne. Finished in Pewter with Off-White fine lines, the interior was trimmed in thick and supple Light Blue Connolly Vaumol hides with Ambla headlining and Mountain Blue Wilton carpets and over mats. In 1983, the car was purchased with just 10,000 miles on the odometer by Mr Paul Veenhuijzen, a well-known BDC member with his own Bentley 4 ½ litre and S2 Continental H.J. Mulliner 2-door Coupe, on behalf of Mr. H. Flynn who was stationed in Nigeria at that time. Mr Flynn used the Shadow whenever he visited the UK and in 2015 took it with him to Italy. From 1983 until the car was exported it was kept meticulously maintained by Rolls-Royce & Bentley specialist Sargeants of Goudhurst. In 2019, the prominent Rolls-Royce historian Bernard L. King was looking to replace his Bentley R-type Hooper Empress Saloon with something a bit more modern. After a long search he decided that ‘SRH 21051’ was up to his high standards and agreed to swap his Bentley for this Royce. Bernard was famous for his extremely detailed knowledge on Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars and is considered the foremost ‘listologist’ for both marques, compiling chassis lists for each and every type ever built up to the end of the SZ production run. He was the author and publisher of, amongst many others, the Complete Classics series of books and contributed to countless other publications on both marques. Having both a Bentley Continental R and this Silver Shadow in his collection, he decided that the Bentley was great for everyday enjoyment and the Shadow should be kept in low-mileage condition and used for those occasions when he travelled with three or more passengers, usually to RREC events such as the North of England Rally. As could be expected of Bernard, his attention to detail also extended to the maintenance of his cars.

Having covered an incredible and documented 42,000 miles in the hands of just six keepers, this Rolls-Royce comes with its original and complete toolkit, and a thick history file containing invoices, old V5s and MOTs dating back to 1983. Excitingly, the original handbook folder is also still with the car, comprising the handbook, a service handbook and a second set of (valet) keys. Still presenting exceptionally well, with a virtually unmarked interior and an exterior which shows only a few tiny blemishes, this late Shadow I is one of the nicest examples we've seen in a very long time and comes with the distinction of having been owned by one of the foremost Rolls-Royce historians in the world. Bernard L. King knew his cars and handpicked this Shadow for his own collection. What better recommendation could a Shadow get?

For more information, please contact:
Julian Pinkster
julian.pinkster@handh.co.uk
07889 223 904