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1980 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II

Rolls-Royce

Silver Shadow II

1980

This is a very fine Silver Shadow II finished in rare Claret (Burgundy non-metallic) with gold fine-lines on the waistline and hubcap trim rings. The interior is finished in factory original, un-touched biscuit Connolly hide leather. This combination is rarely seen on Shadow IIs in the US. The Claret colour is a rich deep & dark burgundy in subdue lighting and in the shade. In the sun, it takes on a rich blood red colour - very striking - but  not in any way a bright red. 

This is a very clean and original example that has been well cared for by its 2 previous mature owners of some 35 odd years. It is totally original with no modifications. It even has it original Blaupunkt blue-dot push button radio and factory Pioneer tape deck in its original position. A nice genuine touch.

Mechanically this Silver Shadow II is strong. For the last 20 years it has been in the care of a classic car enthusiast and, as you would expect, is a well maintained example. Under the care of the Park-Ward Motor museum, all our Rolls-Royces are fully work-shop tested including the all important hydraulics and braking system. These are overhauled where required; pumps, accumulators, reservoirs cleaned, lines & hoses replaced, calipers & pads replaced/serviced and system final pressure tested and bled. The level heights are always correct. Transmission, engine ancillaries and exhaust are all inspected and the car road-tested for correct operation. The car drives very “tight” without any of the typical “rattles & thumps” typical of this model. The car is now all up to date on its services and EVERYTHING operating as it should.

The body is straight and paint very shiny and consistent. Much of the paint is original finish, which is quite rare and will please the enthusiasts. Of course, because of the predominantly factory paint, the car does have the signature hair-lines at the base of the “A” & “C” pillars (Rolls-Royce used the “lead-wiping” technique for joining body panels. With the different expansion and contraction rates of lead vs steel, this caused the paint to fracture and so paint stress marks at these points occurred on every single Silver Shadow). Overall, the car is minor on other blemishes and marks so presents well - certainly above average for a Rolls-Royce of this age. As a daily driver, the paint presents as a 9 out-of-10.

The interior presents stunningly, very clean and fresh with the leather in an excellent state. Importantly, and rare to see today, the Connolly hides have NEVER been re-dyed. This is something quite unique as usually the leather after this many years becomes soiled and begins to crack. This is the best testament for the car being a low-mileage and well-cared for example. The leather is not only "clean" but remains super supple (as demostrated in photos doing the "scrunch" test). What is the best part about virgin Connolly hides is the original "toning" effect of the Vaumol hide is preserved. To explain, Connolly used a technique whereby the leather was vat dyed and then treated with a  hand-rubbed darker toning that captures the natural pores and grain of the leather - a mild version of the antique look on a chesterfield couch. I have included close-up photos so you can see this toned grain look. In re-dyed leather, this magnificent trait of Connolly Vaumol hides is lost. Not so, in this lovely example.

The wood on this Shadow II is also all original. A couple of minor hair-line fractures in the driver door are totally welcomed with the knowledge that the finish is totally factory original. Further testament of a well kept example. Further bonuses include; dash roll in excellent condition with no leather pulling at the vents, very clean broad-cloth headlining and the signature Wilton wool carpets in excellent shape still displaying factory issue mouton rug over-lays.

All features, gauges, instruments and electrics work well. All interior lights and dash lights are all fully working. Heater and air-conditioning are fully functional. These are all thoroughly gone thru by Park-Ward. For example, we service all the windows to ensure smooth and swift up and down movement (windows often get very slow on Silver Shadows). The car sits on a set of Michelin whitewalls with plenty of tread but given these tyres have not been made for many years, it would be advisable to change these if you intend to do touring (please let us know), otherwise, for pottering around, they are fine. Hubcaps and super shiny with the stainless in excellent condition.

The 30,00 odd miles, although not verifiable by documentation, is evident when you look closely at the various finishes. For example, the chrome and bright-work around the car is excellent. The brake pedal has minimal wear. This is a hard car to fault and drives very strong. As you would expect from a car of this mileage that has been well maintained, it comes with its original manual, tools and jack.