The Rolls Royce owned by Princess Margaret for twenty-two years is going up for auction.
The royals special-order 1980s Silver Wraith II will hit the auction block on May 26 as part of a classic car sale hosted by H&H Classics at IWM Duxford in Cambridge. The Countess of Snowdon’s beloved Rolls has ferried a number of high-profile passengers during it’s twenty-plus years in service, including Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, Queen Mary, and Ronald and Nancy Reagan. The car is expected to sell for between £45,000 and £55,000, as in addition to once being the royal’s main vehicle, it’s also very rare model with only 2,135 produced between 1977 and 1980. The car has 48,000 miles on it, mostly from Margaret’s travels; it was last used to transport her family to her funeral at St. George’s Chapel in 2002.
Margaret’s only son, David Linley, inherited the car following her death, but quickly sold it to royalist Ronald Allwright a few months later, who has gone to great pains to maintain and refurbish the Silver Wraith. Under his care, the Rolls’s Everflex roof has been renewed and fitted with a refurbished steering rack, in addition to other routine maintenance. The car also features a number of special, custom features catered to Margaret’s exact specifications. Queen Elizabeth’s sister requested that the upholstery piping on the front and rear seats be moved back so that it wouldn’t touch her neck should she decide to recline; she had enlarged C-post vanity mirrors and a false floor installed in the rear; the roof was modified to accommodate a flag mast and illuminated shield; and the back seat mounted as low as possible so as to better accommodate Margaret’s 5’1″ stature.
Damian Jones, Head of Sales at H&H Classics told the Daily Mail, “This is a very special, very important and low mileage Silver Wraith II which surely belongs in a museum. It is offered for sale with copy build records, service invoices and a wealth of period photos.”
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