I realise that in comparison to a modern car, she is dynamically flawed, but she oozes so much more class than a much more expensive modern Rolls, a little like comparing Audrey Hepburn against a Kardashian.
@@flat6croc intriguing….i know what you mean. A friend of mine bought a K reg one in 1988 for about £10k. He looked like an utter spiv in it…🤣….".The truth was, although cheap to buy (relatively) he couldn’t afford to run it.
The Shadow was my favorite car when I was a kid! My first car was a 69‘ Shad which I bought in the UK and shipped back to CA. I still own 2 of them, decades later. Absolutely love them. The quality was superb, and you knew right a way that it was a Rolls when one drove down the road. This is unlike nowadays, when you can’t even tell it‘s a Rolls. The quality has gone down hill, and I don’t like at all what BMW has done to this brand! So sad!
You can’t recognize a modern Rolls Royce because the company committed suicide. I’m serious. Rolls Royce sabotaged it’s new cars deliberately; just like Jaguar. You have to understand that almost the whole world is now under a single communist government. And the communists base their power on a claim to artistic authority. A Rolls Royce used to have a distinctive and recognizable design, just like Jaguar. But a distinctive design is a symbol. Rolls and Jag are symbols of success directly related to the physical world. But communists don’t allow people to succeed according to their own efforts in the physical world. All success must be mystically “granted” as a political reward. For that reason, physical symbols of success which would compete with political rewards can’t be tolerated. Political rewards aren’t “owned” because under communism, nothing is owned. And granting symbols of success doesn’t cost the government anything. Success can be manufactured without factories. So if wealthy customers bought a Rolls Royce, then political rewards wouldn’t be seen as “valuable”. After all, a green ribbon on a soldier’s uniform doesn’t cost anything; but it serves as a form of money in a world where people are forced to compare themselves within strict boundaries. Not physical beauty, or intelligence, or work ethic, or patriotism. Only loyalty to a mystical global cause. Starship Troopers. And it goes even deeper than that. A Rolls is valuable not only because of its beauty, but also because of its comfort. Communism is the claim that political rewards are the result of sacrifice; not fulfillment. So experiencing misery in pursuit of other people’s happiness is actually a legitimate life-goal. Look at Mother Theresa. She was “serving the people.” I bet she wouldn’t drive a Rolls Royce. Disarming the communists means first eliminating all military insignia. No awards, or ribbons, or hats. Just a uniform. Then we have to end the Olympics. Adolf Hitler was right: The government can’t choose winners. Then we need to get rid of children’s paramilitary groups: ROTC, the Boy Scouts, and the Girl Scouts. And then Rolls Royce and Jaguar should declare bankruptcy. The companies can be refloated by new, non-communist owners. The world has fallen under a dark military cloud of communist tyranny. Getting things straightened- out will require a tough man, who has plenty of experience.
if there was ever a car in the 1970s & 80s which said 'I've arrived', the Silver Shadow was it. this was the car of aspirations, the marque of success. I had the incredible privilege to work as an apprentice mechanic in a small specialist sports car garage in the early 80s and consequently got to work on and 'road test' two of them from the age of 17. thats where the dream ended for me. I remember describing the experience as 'driving your living room down the road.' that said, I still think they are iconic and were possibly the best real Rolls Royce ever built. lets not forget Keith Moon and the swimming pool lol
it seems he had arrived later to one of his party´s, the main ingedient arrived later to his hands so he did what he did ,other feature to mention waterproof ,the car still rides
Grandfather had a couple of Clouds in the 60's, including a 63 Cloud III. When the Shadow was released, he said he was shocked and stunned by the radical design. But, as soon as he drove one he said it was instantly clear how superior it was to the Cloud to live with, and he bought one not long after.
Great video of a glorious car, Jack. Just one small thing, as much as we’d like to think 1980 was only 33 years ago, it was actually 43 years. So the cost per year is a bit less than you calculated.
This was my grandads car. He spent rather a large fortune on its upkeep over the years. It was literally his pride and joy, and mine during my childhood. Still my favourite car to this day. It still goes to shows now with family on the odd occasion.
Came home. Had tea. Sitting down with a cold beer... And there is the lastest video from Number 27! You sure do know how to deliver in the most excellent of ways. And I thank you for it! Greetings from the Netherlands
I've only had one Shadow, and I wound up spending a fortune on refurbishing it...which I had not expected. Cosmetically it was superb, but the suspension, transmission and brakes ALL needed overhauling. Still, when done it drove beautifully and I managed to get the vast majority of my money back. The bloke who bought it from me still has it, and still speaks to me in civil tones. Now, for something completely different, I have a Cloud 2 that has the frame and drivetrain of an Australian Ford truck, complete with the factory propane burning Barra engine. Looks pristine, performs far better than expected (OK, it's had a few mod cons worked out), and the servicing costs are mere pennies. You should have seen the faces on the RR boys in Auckland when I raised the bonnet! As always, I enjoyed the video.
I drove a couple of clouds some time ago and they drove a bit like trucks anyway ,compared to the wonderful shadow II I had the pleasure of driving . But I love the Cloud series anyhow I would like to drive one today with a few suspension modifications Springs and anti-roll bar.
Before I even started watching the video, the FIRST thing that crossed my mind was the braking system and its unnecessary complication compared to "normal" cars. I realize they want to be able to say "the best," but that also means "Whoa! You want how much to repair the brakes?" to most secondary (and beyond) owners who may not know how to do the job themselves. The brakes and suspension are a huge reason for the huge depreciation of these cars back in the day and why so many just perished. This is a beautiful example and I hope as many of the remaining cars are lovingly upkept, maintained, preserved, or restored as possible.
Truly special, Yes! This one has been very well cared for over the years. As a classic car lover I would just feed the seats. As a former upholsterer I would say that unless there are some really bare patches in the leather then don't re-colour them they look alright on camera so just a good feed of the leather will be fine. Thanks Jack for the 'wafting' review, you couldn't have done it any other way! 👍👍
There were at least 4 versions of the Shadow. The first version with the Chippendale dash and full hydraulic suspension. The next 1970 1972 models which had the new dash different suspension and then 1975 that deleted the front vents had flared guards and a longer body. The 1975 is easily the best in my opinion for classic Rolls. And it is definitely the nicest. And then there is the series 2 which actually had important and significant variations. My 1975 Shadow was great to drive. The entire suspension braking hydraulics bushes literally everything was brand new after comprehensive restoration. It was silent and handled mountain roads easily despite its considerable weight. A really nice car for a long journey.
My boss had one back in the day when I had my first Saturday job. Occasionally he’d drop me home after work and I felt like royalty getting out of that car in front of all my mates. It was so big on the road too - really imposing. I saw one very recently and I was struck by how tiny it looked in normal traffic up against modern cars.
These are beautiful cars, as you have pointed out , the attention to detail in the shut lines , quality of paint and simply exquisite touches in the interior fittings. Yes, it wasn’t the most efficient in terms of performance against mpg , nor will it go round corners like a Lotus , but that wasn’t what the car was about. Although this example could possibly do with some interior attention and the suspension is probably even softer that it should be ( hence the bottoming) , but worth every penny in doing. Do you know something? In the 1970s I thought the Silver Shadow was the best car in the world. In the 2020s , I still think the Silver Shadow to be the best car in the world ! Nothing made today comes near. They are just “tacky” by comparison. End of . Absolutely beautiful. Loved the vid . ❤
I used to look at this Rolls Royce in the 60's and 70's and i've always thought this was the best one,the twin headlights and the way the lines ran into the rear thin vertical tail lights just made it look so elegant and distinctive. My uncle used to have a 60's Bentley Continental Convertible and as a kid that was a Rolls Royce to me,so quiet and smooth👍.
Always loved the shadow. Had a 75 flared wheel arch model. The models were officially the Silver Shadow from 65 to 77 and Silver Shadow II from 77 to 80.
American luxury cars of the 50s and 60s such as Packard, Continental, Imperial, Lincoln and Cadillac would compare interestingly in terms of luxury, trick features, and such. Power was nearly double on some of them, at least through 1970 until American emissions regulations cut their power.
True; I once read that a chauffeur who drove a variety of luxury cars said he could put the seat down in the Cadillac Fleetwood limousine to have a nap and sleep as well as he did at home, whereas he couldn't do that in the Rolls he drove. Rolls-Royce would win on build quality though.
Dad had one if these growing up in a metallic baby blue with matching interior. Always drew a crowd when we took it away in holiday. As you say quality unlike anything else even since. Something you didn't really touch on is the effortlessness in closing the doors or boot which you could also do with a finger. Lovely car.
I've a friend who has one and he's spent 20+ years gradually restoring it (including a complete engine rebuild) and it's a beautiful drive - like floating along on a quiet, smooth feather bed.
Incredibly underrated car. I've always had a soft spot for the old Shad. I now drive a Spirit, which is really a rebodied Shadow. Again, another much underrated car, but to me it is the pinnacle of how I like to travel.
I remember my uncle having one of these. He had to get the brakes repaired. They cost a fortune, but he loved it. These are a real RR, which we will never get again, because the Germans have ruined the brand just like they did with Mini
Great vid jack as ever! At the risk of being pedantic the factory describe the capacity as six and a quarter or six and three quarter litre (6 1/4 or 6 3/4). this engine does from 1959 and was inly just discontinued
Hey Jack, as "rocking Rod Stewart" says, "you wear it well". RR of that era are absolutely the epitome of a luxury vehicle, and were really something special. Great wedding car indeed, a business opportunity you shouldn't miss 😊.
As a 14 year old I worked as a gardener for a 60’s pop star. He drove a silver cloud with mulsanne two door body, it looked even better than this and the way he wheel spun it I don’t think it hanged about!
@@PhilbyFavourites no it wasn’t Saville, it was the bassist for the band Yes, his name was Chris Squires, the number plate on the roller was CS 1. He was a really nice bloke to work for, the house and gardens he and the family lived in were out of this world, his wife Nicki has a beautiful two door Bentley and yes the plate was NS 1 if my memory is correct.
Went to pick up a used Allegro, my first car, aged 17 in 1980. My parents' friend let me drive there in his mid 70s Shadow, 3 speed auto. All downhill really after that !
this is my favourite car of all time, back in the 1970's i had the chance to be a passenger in one and i have never forgotten it, they are such a beautiful looking car, if i came into money this is the first thing i would buy, this looks a great example and slightly showing its age doesnt matter
Hi Jack. Back in the early 1970s, my dad who was a police sergeant in the West Yorkshire Road Traffic Division, went in investigate an accident when a Silver Shadow had ploughed into the back of a parked Escort st night on a badly lit road. I went with him to look at the recovered vehicles and while the Escort was well and truly concertinad, the Roller had minimal damage. Such well made cars.
@@heiner71 Possibly but I'm not completely sure that ordinary cars had crumple zones back in the early 70s. I know Volvos did back then but they were leading the technology and others were yet to catch up.
@@Rjhs001 Mercedes pioneered the passenger safety cell and crumple zones with the Ponton series of the 1950s , before any other car had them . Mercedes were also crash testing cars and building in safety in the early 1930s , long before anyone else saw it as a priority .
One extra thing about the electric gear selector is, if you forgot to put the lever back into park, once you removed the key from the ignition barrel, the car will automatically go back into park, even though the selector has been accidentally left in drive or whatever the last gear was you selected. They were also, less labour intensive than the Silver Cloud. A Shadow could have a major service done in a day as, a Silver Cloud was usually in the workshop for a week.
Always wanted a Shadow. I will buy the best I can find at some point. Thanks for reviewing one. Running costs sound similar for my F355, but I've not had that resprayed. Wonderful
Funny that I also currently have a 1999 355F1 Spyder and a 1977 RR/SS/II. I have owned both since new and have 11000 miles on the Ferrari and 55000 miles on the Rolls. Cannot sell them and will pass it to my son. I have no problem on both and it runs like new.
In the first job I had after leaving art college the boss of the company had a Siver Shadow. He used to sit so low in the seat, that when he drove past all you could see was the top of his head and a hand holding a cigar.
When I was a child we lived in Henley on Thames. The actress Gladys Cooper lived near town and drove a Silver Cloud. She was so tiny that the police would get reports of a child driving.
Another brilliant vid Jack ! I agree with everything you said here. A few footnotes to mention. First, these cars were touted as 'the best car money could buy' and they really were. Built to a specification and not a budget, they oozed quality and were the most advanced of their time. Second, this car needs to be reviewed from the back seat and not the front seat. It's not a drivers car but a car to be chauffeured in which explains a lot of the [justifiable] criticisms you had of it. Third, the doors, boot etc... were aluminium to make them light to open/close and the handles were designed to allow hotel/restaurant porters to open/close them. Finally I heard somewhere that the steering was deliberately designed woolley to enable a chauffeur to sneeze while holding the wheel and for his/her passengers not to be affected by the jolt ! Not sure how true that is though.
Great review as usual #27 . I've had 13 Proper Motor Cars since 1976. Had a Shadow that I sold after 6 months back in the 90's due to excessive maintenance costs. I prefer the Silver Cloud 1 & the Bentley Turbo R 20000 Series . I have one of each & enjoy both & find these are the least expensive to maintain for mere mortals. I also don't daily drive either.They are for special occasions which every drive is : ).
"Proper Motor Car".....interesting verbiage. The styling is perfection from every angle on the pre-'74-sh cars for sure. But handling sounds like a drag. Appears to be way softer than my giant late '60s US land barges. I'm surprised at that. Might be fun to take one and add sway bars/urethane bushings, etc.
Fantastic video, I can feel the excitement in your voice! I do share you enthusiasm, as I have just bought a gorgeous 76 Shadow Saloon, my very first. I have a small car collection, but I've waited till my 60th Birthday to acquire the Rolls-Royce, a car that I've admired since I was a child growing up in the 60s-70s. Well done video, I'm even more excited for her to arrive in Australia now 👍 Thank you!
I always thought the Silver Shadow sat in an odd place. Previous offerings like the Cloud were patently imperious beasts designed to emphasise the difference between their owners and the masses, whereas the Shadow seemed like Rolls Royce's attempt to make a "normal" car, albeit one of the highest quality. Like it or not, the current Rolls Royce range has reverted to the former philosophy.
being a rolls only in the badge everything else have nothing in common with the Rolls Royce brand, it´s last model a few years ago(80´s) could be bought by a very acessible amout but today they are being sold for a value that it´s not real this talking about Portugal
@byteme9718 I've owned since 1982, as the second owner, a 1965 Silver Cloud III. I'm mostly an owner driver and love driving it. Yes, it's a big beast but I love it. Certainly wouldn't want anything that Rolls-Royce currently offer. They are no longer interested in their traditional clients. The real company would refuse to build a car that had what they considered vulgar options. Now they encourage any excesses.
@michaelmontagu3979 : So true! I do think the new Roll's are vulgar. Come on: twinkling star lights in the interior headliner? And wheels that appear more 'ghetto' rather than tasteful. I no longer respect the marque as much. -Greg T, California (past owner of 3 RRs in the past 30 years)
@gregt8638 Hi Greg. The starlight roof is ridiculous. Apparently some even have shooting stars. I did have a test drive in a Phantom some years ago. The door handles wobbled, the panel gaps seemed wide and putting on the turn indicators shorted out the radio. Awful vulgar displays of how it's easy to have money and no taste.
I had one once, loved it. Things I love that go unnoticed..the boot closes so beautifully on the catch, for it's time you don't see any spot welds inside the door jambs, holes in the carpets are lined in best leather. As for cornering you flip the steering wheel hard just before a bend to move the weight to the inside and then steer normally... it stops the car leaning out. If I could afford to run on at it should I'd love on again. Thanks for the video and absolutely love the colour of that one, it's just perfect.
Lovely video, as ever. Slightly contentious comment about greatest leap forward - I'd put a vote in for the Citroen DS... A friend did a consulting project at RR back in the 80s. They may have been well engineered but the construction process was victorian at best. All the Japanese innovation here had totally passed them by. They would employ people down the line just to fix the mistakes people made up the line. Never occurred to anyone to sort it out first time... Very British.
I couldn't agree more, with regard to the Citroen DS - it HAS to be the most advanced luxury (where it matters) car of its own and any other time. For heaven's sake, the Rolls used Citroen's self-leveling suspension (albeit adulterated with mechanical springs)! Let's not even mention the Mercedes 600...
Yes , the DS is certainly a contender , and I'd put it ahead of the Shadow , but I still stand by the Mercedes 600 , which was far more advanced than most people realise ; besides its suspension , braking , central hydraulic system , multiple body configurations and literally endless options list , it was also the only luxury car of its time with fuel injection , hence it made 300 bhp .
My friend exported one from UK to Ireland and eventually to Finland. Yes, he it drive it to Finland, about 2000-2500km. I actually had at that time a Lexus LS400, also exported from Ireland to Finland. Both were RHD. The Rolls is actually bigger (longer) than LS400 and the car was quite beatiful, it was from year 1972, my LS400 was 1998. LS400 was much better to drive tough, the Rolls was not that great, specially the steering was quite awful. But it was in the class of it's own that Ls400 did not have. Thank's for the video, this gives me nice memories.
A gentle car for a gentler age…..It was said, simply, that if you bought one aged 20 and looked after it correctly you’d still have it at 90; such was the build quality.
A lovely video, but I respectfully suggest you get your facts straight: 1. Just over 30,000 Silver Shadows and their derivatives were made between 1965 and 1980. Not 37,000. 2. The door armrests also adjust forward and backward. 3. The braking system is brilliant. 4. The car weighs 2.5 tonnes, not two. 5. The Silver Shadow II was introduced in 1977, not 1974. 6. The Silver Shadow has recirculating ball steering, not worm and roller, and the Silver Shadow II has rack and pinion. 7. The interior of the Silver Shadow II, compared to the 1971 car in your video, was the same, with the exception of a redesigned facia with more instrumentation, and beautiful twin thumb wheels for the much better fully automatic split level air conditioning system - they were in no way “not as nice” as the car in your video. 8. You’re right in dissuading your friend from recolouring the leather, not only because it would lose its patina, but the very thing that makes Vaumol hide unique - the dark “wash” to accentuate the natural grain - would also be lost. 9. The car bottoming out will be due to worn bushings and mounts, and possibly to the exhaust system, as the tailpipe appears to be sagging. 10. It’s a shame that the veneered label to the radio area on the centre console is missing. 11. When saying that the car is “not fun” to drive, you’ve sort of missed the point, although not entirely. A really beautifully maintained, correct and original Shadow is not just all about comfort - it’s about pleasure. I do hope that one day you will be able to experience such an example. Kind regards.
I have a 1970 Bentley T1. Masons black body, Magnolia pipped black upholstery, Magnolia twin coach stripes, black top roll, black Willton carpet, electronic ignition, L.P.G, uprated lights.
She’s such a beautiful car! Thanks for taking us along on the drive. It was fun to see the shots you could get with all your cool camera gear. Tempting to try to put together that sort of set up on ours and make videos each time we go for a drive somewhere beautiful.
I'd have thought the Spirit was the last of the Crewe built cars , before the Germans took over ; I've only been a passenger in a Spirit , although have driven a couple of Shadows , but the Spirit was comfortable and refined enough and felt well put together too .
Don't know how true this is but someone once told me that Rolls Royce would say their cars never broke down!! Instead they would say fail to proceed 😂 if that's true it's so funny and so British! Cracking stuff as always Jack buddy 👏
Yes, apparently whenever a Rolls did break down the company would insist on a tarpaulin being used to cover it so that no one would see it on the transporter.
Seeing as people are mentioning famous owners, here's one for you with a bit of a tangential story. Paul Raymond, the veritable King of Soho and purveyor of one-handed reading material, liked his Rollers and had a Shadow. His girlfriend Fiona Richmond had a Series 3 E-Type with the registration FU2. One time she was driving it in Hyde Park and Her Majesty going the opposite direction passed by. Fiona later said she felt rather embarrassed. Moving on, and that registration now adorns another Rolls, this time a Silver Cloud III (Jodie Kidd featured it on her channel incidentally) which is electric-powered. Very fitting!
Paul Raymond was a heck of a businessman (he was worth over £500 million), but was a classic example of money not buying happiness. He never recovered from his daughter's death from a drugs overdose in the 1990s. According to his obituary in the Guardian, he sent 30,000 copies of "Men Only" magazine to British troops in the Falklands in 1982, free of charge.
A work of art. There's one that still lurks around West London - on the A406. I see her frequently. My uncle's lawyer/friend had one in Sydney (he'd had an early S1 XJ12, which caught fire, that distributor bug).
However Jack proposes this as the most revolutionary luxury car and the title includes the qualification / implication British. The DS was indeed a revolution and a revelation but in another market niche. Other icons are the Mercedes-Benz 600 and the Ro80 and let us not forget various types of Lancia.
@@htimsid Yes, the Ro80 was definitely years if not decades ahead of its time. It was a shame that the rotary engine proved to be so unreliable and effectively bankrupted the company (though I believe its deficiencies have now been sorted out). The Mercedes 600 was also an amazing car for its time.
@@htimsid The B-word is in the written title , but NOT in the video : jack in his opening lines compares the car to a japanese one , so the video is not limited to British cars .
@@chiefrocka8604 Seems as though you don't know what you're talking about. Bentley T series was no faster than the Silver Shadow and handling was no better.
@@pashakdescilly7517 I think you're right. Must have seemed amazing in the showroom and the first year of ownership. Rusted and fell to bits after that.
@@pashakdescilly7517 The Mercedes 600 had performance well ahead of the Shadow , despite its higher weight , the M100 did put out 300hp ( although an XJ12 was faster still in a straight line ) and the 600 handled much better , especially since its suspension could be stiffened up at will from the driving seat when enthusiastic driving was desired . A 600 was also better made than a Shadow , and so much better built than the Jaag .... but it was also the most expensive of all these cars .
In 1983, I was stationed in Germany as a US Army Captain. One of the first things I did was fly to England to buy a 1969 Silver Shadow. It was white with green leather. It was a dream to drive even with 80K miles on it. I kept it for a couple years and my family and I toured Europe with it. I only had one problem with it. The electric fuel pumps both required adjustment to their points. A friend of mine helped me make the adjustment. I sold it for a thousand dollars more than I paid for it after putting 12,000 miles on it in the two years I had it. When I sold it, I bought a 1977 Stutz Blackhawk. It was nice, but it wasn't a RR Silver Shadow, but it did have the same quality Connelly Leather.
I think the back-up brake system was a little sneaky. If you have the option on the Rolls and not on rivals it would be almost insulting to a VIP to buy one of the rivals. "What I'm not important enough to get a back-up brake system" lol
I think for a lot of people, this is what they think of when thinking 'Rolls Royce'...I know I do. I'm sure I had a Matchbox version back in the 60's when this came out.
I love the way the dashboard looks, it seems Rolls Royce had figured out how to integrate the center console correctly before some other manufacturers, which had a big bulky thing.
Thanks Jack, great video. Sorry to be a boring pedant, but its 43 years since 1980, so the annual running costs are even lower than you thought. Love the channel. Tim.
A land yacht indeed! Even though it's not my kind of car, after your wonderfully effusive review it was all I could do to restrain myself from running out to buy one. Without a doubt a sales career will make your fortune should you be so inclined.
Jack - love the way you wne full tilt! The lovely Lady pulled up her peticoat and tails and rushed forward! Imagine you could affor one to ride in the back - it would still have been fast but uncouf to accelerate so hard!
It's gorgeous! It's amazing how that ride comes across on film. So smooth. It's as though you've got a professional cameraman with a superb steadycam and has actually changed the quality of the filming. I'm even a tiny bit jealous that you got to drive it. If only companies still made products in which that amount of care was spent on the design and build quality. There is no way an LS400 will get this amount of awe 48 years on from its launch. This is a thing of beauty - as was the Phantom VI.
The main difference between the Silver Shadow and the Lexus is soul. The Lexus may have been massively competent, but it was sterile. Nothing about it grabbed your heart and mind. The Rolls engages you on so many levels….
Great content and reviews keep it going. No need to give your videos the Harry’s Garage vibe by driving the same roads and camera angles your stuff can stand on its own keep up the great work.
I wish I could have a '67-72 Shadow (whatever the skinny bumpers are) in medium gunmetal paint (tad darker than this), gray leather, wool carpets, dark ash wood veneers. Double moonroofs. Custom job, I know, but if I can go that far, it would get a (quieted, but powerful) LS2 and a new suspension (& 4 wheel discs), too. Everything in the car has to be retro. Hit the lottery, find a builder like ICON to build it for me, find a clapped out donor car. Easily a $300K car if not $400K. Just a delicious vision I have.
I had a ride in a Silver Shadow, in the back seat, in USA. Looking out the window, the reactions of other motorists told me I was in a Rolls-Royce. Inside the car, it felt like I was riding in a big ol' Buick. The magic evaporated.
What Jack has too a tee is reading how well a car drives because hes driven so many . The Rolls is wayward because it is designed to not jolt but it can hustle if need arises .
Love your videos and i think ive just watched them all and just subscribed . Only one thing though , can you please show the engines and engine bays of these amazing cars ? Love the body , interior , driving clips but would love to see the engines .Cheers
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I realise that in comparison to a modern car, she is dynamically flawed, but she oozes so much more class than a much more expensive modern Rolls, a little like comparing Audrey Hepburn against a Kardashian.
Interesting comparison. 😅
as in no comparison
Correct.. …..Kardashian types are ugly, inner city and monied vulgarity.
It's interesting. For me these were always utterly Arthur Daley and never classy.
@@flat6croc intriguing….i know what you mean. A friend of mine bought a K reg one in 1988 for about £10k. He looked like an utter spiv in it…🤣….".The truth was, although cheap to buy (relatively) he couldn’t afford to run it.
The Shadow was my favorite car when I was a kid! My first car was a 69‘ Shad which I bought in the UK and shipped back to CA. I still own 2 of them, decades later. Absolutely love them. The quality was superb, and you knew right a way that it was a Rolls when one drove down the road. This is unlike nowadays, when you can’t even tell it‘s a Rolls. The quality has gone down hill, and I don’t like at all what BMW has done to this brand! So sad!
You can’t recognize a modern Rolls Royce because the company committed suicide. I’m serious. Rolls Royce sabotaged it’s new cars deliberately; just like Jaguar.
You have to understand that almost the whole world is now under a single communist government. And the communists base their power on a claim to artistic authority.
A Rolls Royce used to have a distinctive and recognizable design, just like Jaguar. But a distinctive design is a symbol. Rolls and Jag are symbols of success directly related to the physical world.
But communists don’t allow people to succeed according to their own efforts in the physical world. All success must be mystically “granted” as a political reward. For that reason, physical symbols of success which would compete with political rewards can’t be tolerated. Political rewards aren’t “owned” because under communism, nothing is owned. And granting symbols of success doesn’t cost the government anything. Success can be manufactured without factories.
So if wealthy customers bought a Rolls Royce, then political rewards wouldn’t be seen as “valuable”. After all, a green ribbon on a soldier’s uniform doesn’t cost anything; but it serves as a form of money in a world where people are forced to compare themselves within strict boundaries. Not physical beauty, or intelligence, or work ethic, or patriotism. Only loyalty to a mystical global cause. Starship Troopers.
And it goes even deeper than that. A Rolls is valuable not only because of its beauty, but also because of its comfort. Communism is the claim that political rewards are the result of sacrifice; not fulfillment. So experiencing misery in pursuit of other people’s happiness is actually a legitimate life-goal. Look at Mother Theresa. She was “serving the people.” I bet she wouldn’t drive a Rolls Royce.
Disarming the communists means first eliminating all military insignia. No awards, or ribbons, or hats. Just a uniform.
Then we have to end the Olympics. Adolf Hitler was right: The government can’t choose winners. Then we need to get rid of children’s paramilitary groups: ROTC, the Boy Scouts, and the Girl Scouts. And then Rolls Royce and Jaguar should declare bankruptcy. The companies can be refloated by new, non-communist owners. The world has fallen under a dark military cloud of communist tyranny. Getting things straightened-
out will require a tough man, who has plenty of experience.
@@ronliebermannwhat twaddle
@@iansnow7211: he was probably wearing his tinfoil hat when he typed all that
@@ronliebermann
Very profound, erudite and articulate, whoever you are! I wish all commenters' replies were as astute as yours! Bravo, Ron!
if there was ever a car in the 1970s & 80s which said 'I've arrived', the Silver Shadow was it. this was the car of aspirations, the marque of success.
I had the incredible privilege to work as an apprentice mechanic in a small specialist sports car garage in the early 80s and consequently got to work on and 'road test' two of them from the age of 17. thats where the dream ended for me. I remember describing the experience as 'driving your living room down the road.' that said, I still think they are iconic and were possibly the best real Rolls Royce ever built.
lets not forget Keith Moon and the swimming pool lol
it seems he had arrived later to one of his party´s, the main ingedient arrived later to his hands so he did what he did ,other feature to mention waterproof ,the car still rides
You mentioned Moon which always deserves a like. I aspired to that lifestyle when young. Probably why I had heart attack when young.
Probably the most Relaxing way to get from A to B😊
Grandfather had a couple of Clouds in the 60's, including a 63 Cloud III. When the Shadow was released, he said he was shocked and stunned by the radical design. But, as soon as he drove one he said it was instantly clear how superior it was to the Cloud to live with, and he bought one not long after.
Great video of a glorious car, Jack.
Just one small thing, as much as we’d like to think 1980 was only 33 years ago, it was actually 43 years. So the cost per year is a bit less than you calculated.
🤣🤣🤣🤣 I am truly terrible with numbers. Actually number dyslexic so do make mistakes like this frequently!!
@@Number27No worry, it was a great video Number 37 :)
A particularly nice Silver Shadow, obviously lovingly cared for over the years.
This was my grandads car. He spent rather a large fortune on its upkeep over the years. It was literally his pride and joy, and mine during my childhood. Still my favourite car to this day. It still goes to shows now with family on the odd occasion.
yes , it is a nice one , and actually looks very nice in grey .
Came home. Had tea. Sitting down with a cold beer...
And there is the lastest video from Number 27!
You sure do know how to deliver in the most excellent of ways.
And I thank you for it!
Greetings from the Netherlands
Thank you buddy, enjoy your Beer 🍺!!
Not only the Rolls. Britain itself was the most happening place in the mid-late 60's! ...music, film, fashion, aerospace....
America existed
Bristol Brabazon. Nuff said.
Except that it was a 1950s failure, @@tvaatakt1. 🙄
It's all been downhill since....
I've only had one Shadow, and I wound up spending a fortune on refurbishing it...which I had not expected. Cosmetically it was superb, but the suspension, transmission and brakes ALL needed overhauling. Still, when done it drove beautifully and I managed to get the vast majority of my money back. The bloke who bought it from me still has it, and still speaks to me in civil tones.
Now, for something completely different, I have a Cloud 2 that has the frame and drivetrain of an Australian Ford truck, complete with the factory propane burning Barra engine. Looks pristine, performs far better than expected (OK, it's had a few mod cons worked out), and the servicing costs are mere pennies. You should have seen the faces on the RR boys in Auckland when I raised the bonnet! As always, I enjoyed the video.
Wow!! Your Cloud 2 sounds quite like a thing!! Enjoy it and thanks for watching
that´s what could be called a saving and cool!
I drove a couple of clouds some time ago and they drove a bit like trucks anyway ,compared to the wonderful shadow II I had the pleasure of driving . But I love the Cloud series anyhow I would like to drive one today with a few suspension modifications Springs and anti-roll bar.
I ache to own a Silver Shadow. I love their faults as much as I love their beauty, opulence, grace and quality. Gorgeous! 🥰
Before I even started watching the video, the FIRST thing that crossed my mind was the braking system and its unnecessary complication compared to "normal" cars. I realize they want to be able to say "the best," but that also means "Whoa! You want how much to repair the brakes?" to most secondary (and beyond) owners who may not know how to do the job themselves. The brakes and suspension are a huge reason for the huge depreciation of these cars back in the day and why so many just perished. This is a beautiful example and I hope as many of the remaining cars are lovingly upkept, maintained, preserved, or restored as possible.
Not so complicated or even expensive to maintain if you understand the system.
Truly special, Yes! This one has been very well cared for over the years. As a classic car lover I would just feed the seats. As a former upholsterer I would say that unless there are some really bare patches in the leather then don't re-colour them they look alright on camera so just a good feed of the leather will be fine. Thanks Jack for the 'wafting' review, you couldn't have done it any other way! 👍👍
There were at least 4 versions of the Shadow. The first version with the Chippendale dash and full hydraulic suspension. The next 1970 1972 models which had the new dash different suspension and then 1975 that deleted the front vents had flared guards and a longer body. The 1975 is easily the best in my opinion for classic Rolls. And it is definitely the nicest. And then there is the series 2 which actually had important and significant variations.
My 1975 Shadow was great to drive. The entire suspension braking hydraulics bushes literally everything was brand new after comprehensive restoration. It was silent and handled mountain roads easily despite its considerable weight. A really nice car for a long journey.
I like the RR Silver Shadow. Very stylish. RR haven't built another car as nice in design since.
My boss had one back in the day when I had my first Saturday job. Occasionally he’d drop me home after work and I felt like royalty getting out of that car in front of all my mates. It was so big on the road too - really imposing. I saw one very recently and I was struck by how tiny it looked in normal traffic up against modern cars.
Tiny really? 17 foot long is still way bigger than a mk 4 or mk5 Mondeo 15 ft 9
These are beautiful cars, as you have pointed out , the attention to detail in the shut lines , quality of paint and simply exquisite touches in the interior fittings. Yes, it wasn’t the most efficient in terms of performance against mpg , nor will it go round corners like a Lotus , but that wasn’t what the car was about. Although this example could possibly do with some interior attention and the suspension is probably even softer that it should be ( hence the bottoming) , but worth every penny in doing.
Do you know something? In the 1970s I thought the Silver Shadow was the best car in the world. In the 2020s , I still think the Silver Shadow to be the best car in the world ! Nothing made today comes near. They are just “tacky” by comparison. End of . Absolutely beautiful. Loved the vid . ❤
A piece of british motoring history, the best car in the world, in its day, and still oozes class.
I used to look at this Rolls Royce in the 60's and 70's and i've always thought this was the best one,the twin headlights and the way the lines ran into the rear thin vertical tail lights just made it look so elegant and distinctive.
My uncle used to have a 60's Bentley Continental Convertible and as a kid that was a Rolls Royce to me,so quiet and smooth👍.
Always loved the shadow. Had a 75 flared wheel arch model. The models were officially the Silver Shadow from 65 to 77 and Silver Shadow II from 77 to 80.
I have a 1975 T1 and it's lovely.
@@jjefferyworboys8138wonderful. Hope you enjoy it
The Rolls Royce does not accelerate. It gets under way.
Thanks Jack! Great look at a fine automobile.
Your description makes it sound like Titanic !
American luxury cars of the 50s and 60s such as Packard, Continental, Imperial, Lincoln and Cadillac would compare interestingly in terms of luxury, trick features, and such. Power was nearly double on some of them, at least through 1970 until American emissions regulations cut their power.
True; I once read that a chauffeur who drove a variety of luxury cars said he could put the seat down in the Cadillac Fleetwood limousine to have a nap and sleep as well as he did at home, whereas he couldn't do that in the Rolls he drove. Rolls-Royce would win on build quality though.
@@Treviscoenot really. Cadillacs until the late 60s had superb built quality
My grandfather had a two Silver Shadows, a 72 model and a ‘77 mark two. I have a 1990 Silver Spur II. There’s nothing like them.
A particularly well cared for Shadow in a classic colour combination.
My dream cushy car is a Silver Shadow era Corniche coupe. Gorgeous lines, understated but unmissable.
Dad had one if these growing up in a metallic baby blue with matching interior. Always drew a crowd when we took it away in holiday. As you say quality unlike anything else even since. Something you didn't really touch on is the effortlessness in closing the doors or boot which you could also do with a finger. Lovely car.
I've a friend who has one and he's spent 20+ years gradually restoring it (including a complete engine rebuild) and it's a beautiful drive - like floating along on a quiet, smooth feather bed.
Incredibly underrated car. I've always had a soft spot for the old Shad. I now drive a Spirit, which is really a rebodied Shadow. Again, another much underrated car, but to me it is the pinnacle of how I like to travel.
I remember my uncle having one of these. He had to get the brakes repaired. They cost a fortune, but he loved it. These are a real RR, which we will never get again, because the Germans have ruined the brand just like they did with Mini
Fabulous car. I have photos of my Great Uncle working on the production line for these at the Crewe factory.
I love my British TH-camrs. Can't think of a language or heritage I'd rather share. From America with admiration.
Thank you buddy, big wave back to the USA 🇺🇸!!
Likewise from Canada 👍
We thank you Scott for sharing this beautiful and well cared for Rolls Royce with us. 😎
Thank you, as you do so well, for giving us a taste/feel of what these classic cars are like to drive & ride 🙏
Yes an excellent video , with a very nice style of presentation .
My favourite 1954 S2 Bentley continental coupe, when they were real & so well engineered! Marvellous machines!
Great vid jack as ever! At the risk of being pedantic the factory describe the capacity as six and a quarter or six and three quarter litre (6 1/4 or 6 3/4). this engine does from 1959 and was inly just discontinued
Shadows are such an elegant car……. Great vid 👍
Hey Jack, as "rocking Rod Stewart" says, "you wear it well". RR of that era are absolutely the epitome of a luxury vehicle, and were really something special. Great wedding car indeed, a business opportunity you shouldn't miss 😊.
What a gorgeous car.
Yes. Did Pininfarina design it?
It's beautiful, understated and discreet, unlike modern Rolls-Royces which are just bloated BMWs. Shadow II and 90s Corniches are best of breed.
As a 14 year old I worked as a gardener for a 60’s pop star. He drove a silver cloud with mulsanne two door body, it looked even better than this and the way he wheel spun it I don’t think it hanged about!
Not Jimmy Saville…….. some stories to tell I’m sure….
@@PhilbyFavourites no it wasn’t Saville, it was the bassist for the band Yes, his name was Chris Squires, the number plate on the roller was CS 1. He was a really nice bloke to work for, the house and gardens he and the family lived in were out of this world, his wife Nicki has a beautiful two door Bentley and yes the plate was NS 1 if my memory is correct.
Went to pick up a used Allegro, my first car, aged 17 in 1980. My parents' friend let me drive there in his mid 70s Shadow, 3 speed auto. All downhill really after that !
I would have told the Allegro seller that I was a young entrepreneur having a bit of trouble with the tax man and I have to appear broke for a while.
this is my favourite car of all time, back in the 1970's i had the chance to be a passenger in one and i have never forgotten it, they are such a beautiful looking car, if i came into money this is the first thing i would buy, this looks a great example and slightly showing its age doesnt matter
Hi Jack.
Back in the early 1970s, my dad who was a police sergeant in the West Yorkshire Road Traffic Division, went in investigate an accident when a Silver Shadow had ploughed into the back of a parked Escort st night on a badly lit road. I went with him to look at the recovered vehicles and while the Escort was well and truly concertinad, the Roller had minimal damage.
Such well made cars.
I suspect the Escort had crumbling zones engineered into the car, whereas in the Rolls, the passengers where taking the beating directly.
@@heiner71 Possibly but I'm not completely sure that ordinary cars had crumple zones back in the early 70s. I know Volvos did back then but they were leading the technology and others were yet to catch up.
@@Rjhs001 Mercedes pioneered the passenger safety cell and crumple zones with the Ponton series of the 1950s , before any other car had them . Mercedes were also crash testing cars and building in safety in the early 1930s , long before anyone else saw it as a priority .
I did the same between a Fiat Uno and a early Hjondajj Accent. The Fiat, had to replace a fender and the hoot. The Accent, pretty much totalled.
@@derekheeps1244 Wow, I did not know that. Thanks for the info 👍
One extra thing about the electric gear selector is, if you forgot to put the lever back into park, once you removed the key from the ignition barrel, the car will automatically go back into park, even though the selector has been accidentally left in drive or whatever the last gear was you selected. They were also, less labour intensive than the Silver Cloud. A Shadow could have a major service done in a day as, a Silver Cloud was usually in the workshop for a week.
Always wanted a Shadow. I will buy the best I can find at some point. Thanks for reviewing one. Running costs sound similar for my F355, but I've not had that resprayed. Wonderful
Funny that I also currently have a 1999 355F1 Spyder and a 1977 RR/SS/II. I have owned both since new and have 11000 miles on the Ferrari and 55000 miles on the Rolls. Cannot sell them and will pass it to my son. I have no problem on both and it runs like new.
In the first job I had after leaving art college the boss of the company had a Siver Shadow. He used to sit so low in the seat, that when he drove past all you could see was the top of his head and a hand holding a cigar.
When I was a child we lived in Henley on Thames. The actress Gladys Cooper lived near town and drove a Silver Cloud. She was so tiny that the police would get reports of a child driving.
Shadow 2 came out in 1977 and had a steering rack I've had 3 Shadows loved them all
Another brilliant vid Jack ! I agree with everything you said here. A few footnotes to mention. First, these cars were touted as 'the best car money could buy' and they really were. Built to a specification and not a budget, they oozed quality and were the most advanced of their time. Second, this car needs to be reviewed from the back seat and not the front seat. It's not a drivers car but a car to be chauffeured in which explains a lot of the [justifiable] criticisms you had of it. Third, the doors, boot etc... were aluminium to make them light to open/close and the handles were designed to allow hotel/restaurant porters to open/close them. Finally I heard somewhere that the steering was deliberately designed woolley to enable a chauffeur to sneeze while holding the wheel and for his/her passengers not to be affected by the jolt ! Not sure how true that is though.
These were owner driver cars, the steering thing is a myth.
You’ve put a jacket on for the Roller - I’m impressed 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Great review as usual #27 . I've had 13 Proper Motor Cars since 1976. Had a Shadow that I sold after 6 months back in the 90's due to excessive maintenance costs. I prefer the Silver Cloud 1 & the Bentley Turbo R 20000 Series . I have one of each & enjoy both & find these are the least expensive to maintain for mere mortals. I also don't daily drive either.They are for special occasions which every drive is : ).
"Proper Motor Car".....interesting verbiage. The styling is perfection from every angle on the pre-'74-sh cars for sure.
But handling sounds like a drag. Appears to be way softer than my giant late '60s US land barges. I'm surprised at that.
Might be fun to take one and add sway bars/urethane bushings, etc.
Thanks for sharing Terry and for watching the video!!
@@UberLummox Harvey Bailey suspension kit.
@@stevesestrich5143 That sounds very cool. Thanks!
Fantastic video, I can feel the excitement in your voice! I do share you enthusiasm, as I have just bought a gorgeous 76 Shadow Saloon, my very first. I have a small car collection, but I've waited till my 60th Birthday to acquire the Rolls-Royce, a car that I've admired since I was a child growing up in the 60s-70s. Well done video, I'm even more excited for her to arrive in Australia now 👍 Thank you!
I always thought the Silver Shadow sat in an odd place. Previous offerings like the Cloud were patently imperious beasts designed to emphasise the difference between their owners and the masses, whereas the Shadow seemed like Rolls Royce's attempt to make a "normal" car, albeit one of the highest quality. Like it or not, the current Rolls Royce range has reverted to the former philosophy.
being a rolls only in the badge everything else have nothing in common with the Rolls Royce brand, it´s last model a few years ago(80´s) could be bought by a very acessible amout but today they are being sold for a value that it´s not real this talking about Portugal
It was designed as an owner driver car, something the Cloud was poor at.
@byteme9718 I've owned since 1982, as the second owner, a 1965 Silver Cloud III. I'm mostly an owner driver and love driving it. Yes, it's a big beast but I love it. Certainly wouldn't want anything that Rolls-Royce currently offer. They are no longer interested in their traditional clients. The real company would refuse to build a car that had what they considered vulgar options. Now they encourage any excesses.
@michaelmontagu3979 : So true! I do think the new Roll's are vulgar. Come on: twinkling star lights in the interior headliner? And wheels that appear more 'ghetto' rather than tasteful. I no longer respect the marque as much.
-Greg T, California (past owner of 3 RRs in the past 30 years)
@gregt8638 Hi Greg. The starlight roof is ridiculous. Apparently some even have shooting stars. I did have a test drive in a Phantom some years ago. The door handles wobbled, the panel gaps seemed wide and putting on the turn indicators shorted out the radio. Awful vulgar displays of how it's easy to have money and no taste.
I had one once, loved it. Things I love that go unnoticed..the boot closes so beautifully on the catch, for it's time you don't see any spot welds inside the door jambs, holes in the carpets are lined in best leather. As for cornering you flip the steering wheel hard just before a bend to move the weight to the inside and then steer normally... it stops the car leaning out. If I could afford to run on at it should I'd love on again. Thanks for the video and absolutely love the colour of that one, it's just perfect.
Lovely video, as ever. Slightly contentious comment about greatest leap forward - I'd put a vote in for the Citroen DS...
A friend did a consulting project at RR back in the 80s. They may have been well engineered but the construction process was victorian at best. All the Japanese innovation here had totally passed them by. They would employ people down the line just to fix the mistakes people made up the line. Never occurred to anyone to sort it out first time... Very British.
Sounds like a nightmare!
I couldn't agree more, with regard to the Citroen DS - it HAS to be the most advanced luxury (where it matters) car of its own and any other time. For heaven's sake, the Rolls used Citroen's self-leveling suspension (albeit adulterated with mechanical springs)!
Let's not even mention the Mercedes 600...
Yes , the DS is certainly a contender , and I'd put it ahead of the Shadow , but I still stand by the Mercedes 600 , which was far more advanced than most people realise ; besides its suspension , braking , central hydraulic system , multiple body configurations and literally endless options list , it was also the only luxury car of its time with fuel injection , hence it made 300 bhp .
What a beautiful looking car ? Never looks dated ? Quality engineering at it's best, love ❤️ it .
My friend exported one from UK to Ireland and eventually to Finland. Yes, he it drive it to Finland, about 2000-2500km. I actually had at that time a Lexus LS400, also exported from Ireland to Finland. Both were RHD. The Rolls is actually bigger (longer) than LS400 and the car was quite beatiful, it was from year 1972, my LS400 was 1998. LS400 was much better to drive tough, the Rolls was not that great, specially the steering was quite awful. But it was in the class of it's own that Ls400 did not have. Thank's for the video, this gives me nice memories.
A gentle car for a gentler age…..It was said, simply, that if you bought one aged 20 and looked after it correctly you’d still have it at 90; such was the build quality.
Absolutely agree with you. I've owned since 1982, as the second owner, a 1965 Silver Cloud III. Now aged almost 68 I'm still driving it.
A lovely video, but I respectfully suggest you get your facts straight:
1. Just over 30,000 Silver Shadows and their derivatives were made between 1965 and 1980. Not 37,000.
2. The door armrests also adjust forward and backward.
3. The braking system is brilliant.
4. The car weighs 2.5 tonnes, not two.
5. The Silver Shadow II was introduced in 1977, not 1974.
6. The Silver Shadow has recirculating ball steering, not worm and roller, and the Silver Shadow II has rack and pinion.
7. The interior of the Silver Shadow II, compared to the 1971 car in your video, was the same, with the exception of a redesigned facia with more instrumentation, and beautiful twin thumb wheels for the much better fully automatic split level air conditioning system - they were in no way “not as nice” as the car in your video.
8. You’re right in dissuading your friend from recolouring the leather, not only because it would lose its patina, but the very thing that makes Vaumol hide unique - the dark “wash” to accentuate the natural grain - would also be lost.
9. The car bottoming out will be due to worn bushings and mounts, and possibly to the exhaust system, as the tailpipe appears to be sagging.
10. It’s a shame that the veneered label to the radio area on the centre console is missing.
11. When saying that the car is “not fun” to drive, you’ve sort of missed the point, although not entirely. A really beautifully maintained, correct and original Shadow is not just all about comfort - it’s about pleasure. I do hope that one day you will be able to experience such an example.
Kind regards.
Agreed. Enjoy your vids Jack but a quick review beforehand will iron out those pesky details!
Thanks. Helpful.
I have a 1970 Bentley T1. Masons black body, Magnolia pipped black upholstery, Magnolia twin coach stripes, black top roll, black Willton carpet, electronic ignition, L.P.G, uprated lights.
When a Rolls was still a Rolls. Now they're just just a collection of parts sourced from different suppliers like any other car.
13:47 Jack, is that the wall of Harry Metcalfe’s farm and country pile I can see in the background?
😂😂😂😂
My dream car as a child, yet still look at it with desire….Sooo British! Really enjoy your videos by the way!
Thank you!!
She’s such a beautiful car! Thanks for taking us along on the drive. It was fun to see the shots you could get with all your cool camera gear. Tempting to try to put together that sort of set up on ours and make videos each time we go for a drive somewhere beautiful.
The leather used in those days was so tanned so much better than the modern stuff - which is too glossy and sags after very little use.
I’ve just realized… You’re the “sane” Doug Demuro :D
Really enjoy your videos. Thank you.
I'd have thought the Spirit was the last of the Crewe built cars , before the Germans took over ; I've only been a passenger in a Spirit , although have driven a couple of Shadows , but the Spirit was comfortable and refined enough and felt well put together too .
Don't know how true this is but someone once told me that Rolls Royce would say their cars never broke down!!
Instead they would say fail to proceed 😂 if that's true it's so funny and so British! Cracking stuff as always Jack buddy 👏
Yes, apparently whenever a Rolls did break down the company would insist on a tarpaulin being used to cover it so that no one would see it on the transporter.
@@Treviscoe that is correct , it was meant to be put in a covered transporter .
Seeing as people are mentioning famous owners, here's one for you with a bit of a tangential story.
Paul Raymond, the veritable King of Soho and purveyor of one-handed reading material, liked his Rollers and had a Shadow. His girlfriend Fiona Richmond had a Series 3 E-Type with the registration FU2. One time she was driving it in Hyde Park and Her Majesty going the opposite direction passed by. Fiona later said she felt rather embarrassed.
Moving on, and that registration now adorns another Rolls, this time a Silver Cloud III (Jodie Kidd featured it on her channel incidentally) which is electric-powered. Very fitting!
Paul Raymond was a heck of a businessman (he was worth over £500 million), but was a classic example of money not buying happiness. He never recovered from his daughter's death from a drugs overdose in the 1990s.
According to his obituary in the Guardian, he sent 30,000 copies of "Men Only" magazine to British troops in the Falklands in 1982, free of charge.
Not to forget the Bhagwan: he had more than thirty!
@@christianvanneuves9958 I thought it was closer to a hundred?!
@@christianvanneuves9958 93 I think.
Agree with you in most...but do not forget the Mercedes 600 from the same era.
The MB was not British and the title states "Why This Is THE Epitome British 1960s LUXURY..."
Ah yes, the dictator's car 😅
@@johnmac8084 Loved by murderers and tyrants around the world!
@@mrdainase And David Bowie! He had the really rare Landaulette version.
@@mrdainase As DeNiro once said " you can get three bodies in the trunk"
A work of art.
There's one that still lurks around West London - on the A406. I see her frequently.
My uncle's lawyer/friend had one in Sydney (he'd had an early S1 XJ12, which caught fire, that distributor bug).
Nice car Jack but I'd say the most revolutionary car ever was the Citroen DS.
However Jack proposes this as the most revolutionary luxury car and the title includes the qualification / implication British. The DS was indeed a revolution and a revelation but in another market niche. Other icons are the Mercedes-Benz 600 and the Ro80 and let us not forget various types of Lancia.
@@htimsid Yes, the Ro80 was definitely years if not decades ahead of its time. It was a shame that the rotary engine proved to be so unreliable and effectively bankrupted the company (though I believe its deficiencies have now been sorted out).
The Mercedes 600 was also an amazing car for its time.
@@htimsid The B-word is in the written title , but NOT in the video : jack in his opening lines compares the car to a japanese one , so the video is not limited to British cars .
Different era , but one could also argue a case for the Tucker Torpedo .
What the Silver Shadow didn't have was performance and handling.
The S1 XJ from 1969 had both, so IMO, that was the most influential.
You bought the Bentley T series for that like everyone knows except you.🤣
@@chiefrocka8604
Seems as though you don't know what you're talking about.
Bentley T series was no faster than the Silver Shadow and handling was no better.
The Jaguar XJ had astonishing refinement of ride and silence. It just wasn't built well enough.
@@pashakdescilly7517
I think you're right.
Must have seemed amazing in the showroom and the first year of ownership.
Rusted and fell to bits after that.
@@pashakdescilly7517 The Mercedes 600 had performance well ahead of the Shadow , despite its higher weight , the M100 did put out 300hp ( although an XJ12 was faster still in a straight line ) and the 600 handled much better , especially since its suspension could be stiffened up at will from the driving seat when enthusiastic driving was desired . A 600 was also better made than a Shadow , and so much better built than the Jaag .... but it was also the most expensive of all these cars .
In 1983, I was stationed in Germany as a US Army Captain. One of the first things I did was fly to England to buy a 1969 Silver Shadow. It was white with green leather. It was a dream to drive even with 80K miles on it. I kept it for a couple years and my family and I toured Europe with it. I only had one problem with it. The electric fuel pumps both required adjustment to their points. A friend of mine helped me make the adjustment. I sold it for a thousand dollars more than I paid for it after putting 12,000 miles on it in the two years I had it. When I sold it, I bought a 1977 Stutz Blackhawk. It was nice, but it wasn't a RR Silver Shadow, but it did have the same quality Connelly Leather.
I think the back-up brake system was a little sneaky. If you have the option on the Rolls and not on rivals it would be almost insulting to a VIP to buy one of the rivals. "What I'm not important enough to get a back-up brake system" lol
I think for a lot of people, this is what they think of when thinking 'Rolls Royce'...I know I do. I'm sure I had a Matchbox version back in the 60's when this came out.
I love the way the dashboard looks, it seems Rolls Royce had figured out how to integrate the center console correctly before some other manufacturers, which had a big bulky thing.
Hi jack, these videos are really very good. Theyre informative well shot dont go on too long. Great balance. Im totally enjoying each one
Thanks Jack, great video. Sorry to be a boring pedant, but its 43 years since 1980, so the annual running costs are even lower than you thought. Love the channel. Tim.
The wheel nuts are handed, one side tightens clockwise, while the other side tightens up anti clockwise.
Same with Chrysler products of the 50s and 60s.
I remember this car so well.
A land yacht indeed! Even though it's not my kind of car, after your wonderfully effusive review it was all I could do to restrain myself from running out to buy one. Without a doubt a sales career will make your fortune should you be so inclined.
A great vid and it goes nicely along with Iain's vid of last sunday. Thanks!
I would pay for build quality like that over excess speed and electronic gizmos any day!
I parked my daily driver Jaguar MK10 next to a Silver Shadow once,the Jaguar looked so sleek and commanding.
The MK10 was wider, sadly the build quality wasn't in the same class but then neither was the cost.
Valid comparison… always liked the Mk X / 420
Jack - love the way you wne full tilt! The lovely Lady pulled up her peticoat and tails and rushed forward! Imagine you could affor one to ride in the back - it would still have been fast but uncouf to accelerate so hard!
It's gorgeous! It's amazing how that ride comes across on film. So smooth. It's as though you've got a professional cameraman with a superb steadycam and has actually changed the quality of the filming. I'm even a tiny bit jealous that you got to drive it. If only companies still made products in which that amount of care was spent on the design and build quality. There is no way an LS400 will get this amount of awe 48 years on from its launch. This is a thing of beauty - as was the Phantom VI.
Our dogs would love that car. They have a preference for leather couches. They like rear seatbelt sockets too.
My favourite Rolls. Current models are good for Vegas and Dubai brash nightlife.
The most beautiful car ever to look at coming to you from the outside ❤
Really nice! I think I saw one of these a few days ago, on a grocery store parking lot of all places! Great car indeed!
The main difference between the Silver Shadow and the Lexus is soul. The Lexus may have been massively competent, but it was sterile. Nothing about it grabbed your heart and mind. The Rolls engages you on so many levels….
Great content and reviews keep it going. No need to give your videos the Harry’s Garage vibe by driving the same roads and camera angles your stuff can stand on its own keep up the great work.
We had a neighbor with one of these in the same color, but burgundy leather. I think his was a '68. Stately car indeed!
I wish I could have a '67-72 Shadow (whatever the skinny bumpers are) in medium gunmetal paint (tad darker than this), gray leather, wool carpets, dark ash wood veneers. Double moonroofs. Custom job, I know, but if I can go that far, it would get a (quieted, but powerful) LS2 and a new suspension (& 4 wheel discs), too. Everything in the car has to be retro. Hit the lottery, find a builder like ICON to build it for me, find a clapped out donor car. Easily a $300K car if not $400K. Just a delicious vision I have.
Always great reviews…!!! 👍😊💥
I had a ride in a Silver Shadow, in the back seat, in USA. Looking out the window, the reactions of other motorists told me I was in a Rolls-Royce. Inside the car, it felt like I was riding in a big ol' Buick. The magic evaporated.
No Buick had an interior that came close to the quality of a Shadow. You muricans have no concept of quality.
What Jack has too a tee is reading how well a car drives because hes driven so many . The Rolls is wayward because it is designed to not jolt but it can hustle if need arises .
Love your videos and i think ive just watched them all and just subscribed . Only one thing though , can you please show the engines and engine bays of these amazing cars ? Love the body , interior , driving clips but would love to see the engines .Cheers
Superb video. Well done. I definitely enjoyed very much. Thank for such a lovely presentation.
Great video,2.50 per mile In a Roller that’s cheaper than a taxi at least.