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Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow Long Wheelbase

1967, LRH2542, Dark green

The Long Wheelbase (LWB) of the Silver Shadow was launched in 1969 (LRX6599) but in 1967 a pre-series of 10 long wheelbases was produced. One of these cars was the LRH2542, specially built for HRH Princess Margaret. This car had a lot of special features as a result of the longer length or ordered by HRH. This page shows these features.
This page has been made in May 2006. At that time the car was for sale in Japan at Caesar Trading (courtesy). The price of the car was about 3 million yen (= 21,500 Euro) without guarantee. The car was imported to Japan in 1973 and since then kept by 1 owner. It had a Sinagawa (an area of Tokyo) 33 number plate.

Compared to the later Long Wheelbases (1969 and onwards) this pre-series Long wheelbase had the next features:
- No smaller rear window
- No everflex on the roof
- No RR-badge on the C-pillar
- No side marker lamps
- Keyed door locks on the rear passenger compartment
- Pivoted front side windows
- The smaller track and wheels of the first production years

The special features this car is provided with are shown with the pictures below, from the fourth picture on.

On the last picture above you see the original car as produced in 1967 (source: "Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, Bentley T-series" by Malcolm Bobbitt). On this picture the car has the blue police lamp on the roof and the royal coat of arms behind it. When delivered on 19th July 1967 the car had the royal coat of arms which John Blatchley specially designed on request of the Princess. The royal coat of arms and the police lamp are not present any more. On the front bumper there are three badges (without badge-bar) that have later been removed as well.

The car is finishes in dark green paint with special green hide to match. The rain caps above the side windows are not original.

The car is provided with a flagstaff (or corner pole) but that is not original. On these early cars the reversing lights were located in the main cluster. The rear window of this car is darkened.

Carpets were pale grey-green and the facia was made from oiled teak. The car was provided with an air conditioning.

The extra length was 4 inches, just like in the later Long Wheelbases. This extra length was available for the rear passengers. This car had no loudspeakers in the rear doors and no picknick tables. The waist rail is not covered with wood but with leather.

Features included were a height and forward-adjustable rear seat for ceremonial occasions and extra night illumination. There were three armrests in the rear bench and no armrests on the doors. The head rests are not original. There is no wood around the vanity mirrors.

The unit in the boot is part of the air conditioning. The engine looks original with even the front height control present and working.

Their is no doubt about it: this car is an original Long wheelbase.


The royal family purchased 21 cars from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars before World War II, and 26 cars after it until 1990. Princess Margaret ordered 7 cars: a 1954 Phantom IV, a 1960 Silver Cloud II, a 1967 Silver Shadow MPW Long Wheelbase, a 1971 Silver Shadow Long Wheelbase, a 1975 Silver Shadow Long Wheelbase, a 1979 Silver Wraith II, and a 1980 Silver Wraith II. The 1979 Silver Wraith II might have had some serious trouble: after Kensington Palace made some pungent comments this 1979 Silver Wraith II was replaced by the 1980 Silver Wraith II. Nobody knows what happend to the 1979 car!
The third car mentioned is this very 1967 Silver Shadow MPW Long Wheelbase. Itemizing so many Silver Shadows, it seems that the Princess was fascinated by them. In addtion, arranging closely with the designers of MPW, all of the Rolls-Royce cars were specially ordered as original ones.
The renderings below show that even the details of this car were designed very carefully. This car has kept its original features that were ordered by the Princess.