Gorgeous, meticulously maintained Dawn. Stunningly original in presentation.

1954

Same owner for the last 35 years - excellent "preservation class" example!

Words cannot describe this stunning 1954 Silver Dawn. Finished in black with aquamarine (light sage-teal green) Connolly leather upholstery fashioning everything in a very original and unrestored manner. She comes with a factory fitted sun-roof.

Recently from the collection of a wealthy industrialist, where the owner was an avid (and life-time) collector of collectible classic cars, this Silver Dawn is one in very original condition and perhaps amongst the best out of the collection. Its most recent owner purchased the car in 1982 and had been part of his private collection since.

The Silver Dawn was Rolls-Royce's first step back into the “luxury” market after World War II in 1949. The Silver Wraith had been the first vehicle released post-war in 1946. With only 760 Silver Dawns produced from 1949-1955, this truly is a rare vehicle.

Body and paint is excellent with no known repaint during the industrialist's ownership. She presents very smooth and lustrous with only the typical blemishes and imperfections you can normally expect of such an older car, albeit well maintained. She is finished off with aquamarine/teal fine lines to the side coach-work in the correct hand painted tradition. Chrome, glass and fittings all present well.

The interior is simply stunning with all its original fitments. The Connolly leather is supple soft with only very modest signs of aged hides. She does show all the lovely signs of gentle use and the warm "patina" that makes these Rolls-Royce interiors what they are (The word "patina" is used literally here, and not as a means to explain old dry and cracked leather!). The African burl walnut wood throughout is in nice condition and appears to be the only aspect of the interior that has been refinished. Carpets are excellent and the headliner without wear.

Mechanically, the car is superb. She sings like the best should sing and always come to life when called upon. Recently put through Park-Ward's fully appointed facility with anything needing doing attended to. This aside, the car was excellent to commence with. She idles very smooth, powers well and handles the road comfortably and straight. She comes to a stand still true and strong. The tyres on the car are period correct whitewalls and are only a few years old.

Under the bonnet, the presentation is amazing. It has not been precision detailed but simply kept clean and tidy throughout its life. Simply stunning!

As you would expect, this Silver Dawn comes with its original accoutrements, all various tools, jack, torch, a brand new spare and operating manual.

The car is of very high standard and is an undisputable 10 out of 10 driver rating and a true Preservation Class show car.

~~ This stately Silver Dawn is an outstanding example of the marque that is ready to be driven and enjoyed. She is of RROC preservation standard that can also be used for special occasion or sunny weekend enjoyment. Take her to your next Rolls-Royce meet and you will attract considerable attention, maybe pick up a prize as well! ~~

International buyers welcome ~ We regularly ship world-wide!

Interesting Information on the Silver Wraith.

The Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn is a full-size luxury car that was produced by Rolls-Royce at their Crewe works between 1949 and 1955. It was the first Rolls-Royce car to be offered with a factory built body which it shared, along with its chassis, with the Bentley Mark VI until 1952 and then the Bentley R Type until production finished in 1955. The car was first introduced as an export only model. The left hand drive manual transmission models had a column gear change, while right hand drives had a floor change by the door. Only with the R Type based model was it officially available on the home market, from October 1953.
A mere 760 were produced between 1949 and 1955. Earlier models up to circa May 1954 had a different fascia (dashboard) from the Bentley Mk.VI and 'R' Type, and were fitted with a single exhaust system. Later models from the SRH chassis series had the Bentley style fascia and the twin exhaust system, as fitted to the Bentley 'R' Type. On the Standard Steel cars throughout the production history, all the body panels forward of the bulkhead/firewall were slightly different from those fitted to the Bentley.
The in-line six cylinder engine had overhead inlet and side exhaust valves and had a capacity of 4,257 cc until 1951 when it was enlarged to 4,566 cc. The carburettor was a single downdraught Stromberg until 1952 when it was replaced by a Zenith.
A four speed manual gearbox was fitted to all cars at first, with a 4-speed automatic becoming an option in late 1952 on the 'E' Series chassis, and on the corresponding Bentley 'R' Type chassis.
The suspension was independent at the front using coil springs while at the rear the live axle used half elliptic leaf springs. The car had a separate chassis made with traditional riveted construction until 1953 after which it was welded. Servo assisted 12.25 in (311 mm) drum brakes were used, hydraulically operated at the front but retaining mechanical operation at the rear. Although many cars were fitted with factory built bodies, others were supplied to external coachbuilders.
A factory bodied Silver Dawn with automatic transmission tested by The Motor magazine in 1954 had a top speed of 94.0 mph (151.3 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 15.2 seconds. A fuel consumption of 15.4 miles per imperial gallon (18.3 L/100 km; 12.8 mpg‑US) was recorded. The test car cost £4704 including taxes.

We hope you do too.”
RRMOTORSINC is a division of Park-Ward Motors and The Park-Ward Motors Museum. We can always be reached at +1-312-320-6996.

We at Park-Ward Motors – the things we do.

When our Rolls-Royces are commissioned for resale, they are indeed professionally and correctly “fully work-shopped”. No corners are cut. And it is all addressed in true Crewe tradition. There is way too much to list here but to give you an example of our commitment to excellence of the various processes, this is one such example of what we do:

Doors and windows:-

Every car has its interior door panels removed. If the wood is in need of repair (as most are) it is refinished in-house by trained and talented craftsmen at Park-Ward Motors. This is a detailed process of stripping the wood of its old lacquer, repairing the veneer if there is damage, staining the top surface as per Rolls-Royce methodology and refinishing with no less than 25 coats of clear lacquer. Hand wet-sanded and polished between all of its last 15 coats. New window felt guides and wood-to-glass foam seals are fitted. All window mechanisms are checked and serviced for smooth and efficient up and down movement. This includes an electrical modification to rectify the typical “slow window syndrome”. All tracks, chains and gears are lubricated. Where central locking is fitted, these are all serviced to ensure no “solenoid sticking”, another common problem. Units are repaired and or changed as required for refurbished units. Door wiring and door-to-body wiring is checked, repaired and/or replaced as required. The splash plastic on the inside of the doors to protect the leather panels from rain splash from inside the door is replaced with correct specification black plastic as used by the factory. Cut to shape and glued in position as per original. All door hardware is checked and repaired as required including locks, handles and scuttle finishes. The door is reassembled with all items cleaned and polished. The wood refitted and the leather panels are re-Connollised before final fitment.

Take this example and apply it to the many, many different aspects of Rolls-Royce restoration, service and maintenance and you have our dedication to correct and professional vehicle pre-delivery preparation and commissioning.

~~ **IMPORTANT NOTE: As a professional collector and experienced restorer, I have my own Rolls-Royce dedicated workshop with qualified craftsmen on hand; The Park-Ward Motor Museum. As a passionate collector of the marque I take great pride and pleasure in passing on any of these great cars to its next owner (“caretaker”). In so doing, once this Rolls-Royce is sold, I will put the car thru my workshop to ensure that it is mechanically sound and all major features and functions are operating as described even though the car is contractually being sold "as-is". Certain items such as final electrical tests and hydraulic pressure checks are usually left for this stage as these are considered "commissioning procedures". In this case, this will include the air conditioning system of this car. This and considerable other work will be performed after the sale and before delivery. This is all done at NO CHARGE. We call this; "Predelivery Commissioning". Who else selling a Rolls-Royce on eBay does this?! Depending on our work load, please allow approximately 14-21 business days for this procedure. We will keep you posted every step of the way. For more information on the Park-Ward Motor Museum and our skills, please eBay message me and I would be happy to show you some 100 Rolls-Royces restored to varying levels over the last few years ~~

~~oo00oo~~

VALUES: Rolls-Royce values vary wildly, entirely dependent on their condition. There are, of course, other aspects that add or subtract from their values – Long Wheel Base versus regular, the year which dictated certain technical changes, etc. The colour alone, for example can make a big difference. So for the benefit of new-comers to the marque please see the approximate guide to values based on a particular model below. Please remember, these are “plus-or-minus” figures:

Year: 1949-1955
Make: Rolls-Royce

Model: Silver Dawn

Show car: $100,000+

Exceptional: $80-100,000

Excellent: $60-80,000

Good: $45-60,000

Average: $40-50,000

Fair: $25,000-40,000

Basket case: < $20,000

Hopefully this will provide a reference point for the Rolls-Royce being featured in this listing as it compares to the range of different condition examples.Please note, a very poor condition example that is tired and not maintained can easily demand some $30,000 in restoration to make it a "nice" example but remember, it will be no longer original. So don't be fooled by "cheap buys". For any specific questions about this unique example of a Rolls-Royce, please do not hesitate to contact me.

According to the London based investment research firm; Historic Automobile Group International, classic cars have appreciated on average, 13% per year since 1980, whilst overall stock values averaged an 11% gain over the same period. The following graph charts the value of collectible cars vs. the S&P500.