1954 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Four-Door Concealed-Head All-Weather Tourer by Freestone & Webb
- Colour
- Bright scarlet with striped canework panel inserts
A 1954 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith bodied by London coachbuilder Freestone & Webb as a four-door concealed-head all-weather tourer, originally commissioned by American playwright and theatrical producer C. Blevins Davis of Independence, Missouri. One of the more flamboyant coachbuilt Silver Wraiths of its era, the car features a fully disappearing power-operated hood, a folding rear windscreen with walnut cabinetry, and sidemounted spare wheels under streamlined covers. Subsequently owned by a Minnesota collector and American antiques authority David Stockwell, it received a bold scarlet and canework repaint in a later restoration.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$335,000
- 1954 →Factory deliveryC. Blevins Davispartial documentation
American playwright and producer who commissioned this bespoke body; took delivery at his estate in Independence, Missouri in autumn 1954. Within about a year the coachwork was transferred from the original chassis to WLE27 for unknown reasons.
- → 1967Acquisition unknownPatrick Murlowskipartial documentation
Minnesota-based owner who placed the car for sale via advertisement in 1967.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownDavid Stockwellpartial documentation
Prominent authority on American antiques based in Delaware; the car was photographed in his possession and featured in Lawrence Dalton's published work in 1971.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- —Modification
The coachwork was removed from its original delivery chassis (LCLW9) and remounted on chassis WLE27, on which it has remained.
This transfer occurred within approximately one year of the car's delivery in late 1954; the reason is not documented.
- —Restoration
The car was refinished in a vivid scarlet with striped canework-style inset panels, replacing the original two-tone royal blue and black livery. The interior was retrimmed in complementary cream and scarlet leather.
Carried out sometime in the late 1980s or early 1990s; the Classic Era-influenced colour scheme was chosen to suit the car's extrovert character.
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