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From Kjell N. – Hi Guys, on the way back from the American Lancia Club Reunion, we spotted this old RR in a very rural town in the Sierra Nevada mountains. We talked to the very friendly owner who bought the car in the 1960s from the first owner while he lived in San Francisco. He stated that the original owner ordered the car in 1948 and took delivery in 1951. The car has been off the road for many years because of non-operating (very complex) brakes. It was recently pushed outside to make shop room for an ongoing hot rod project. It’s a very straight car with a nice interior.
Thanks for sharing Kjell. Hopefully someone will be able to save that car before it succumbs to the elements. Oh, and nice Lancia you’ve got there!
I would be VERY interested in acquiring the car and restoring it. Who might be able to give me the contact information of the gentleman that owns it?
John Cole
Las Vegas, NV
I also would be very interested in purchasing this car and restoring it
With all due respect to the Rolls Royce, which looks wonderful, I’d much rather have that Lancia Flaminia GT
Pininfarina did a nice job on the Lancia Flaminia GT… However that Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith is one of 1,883 hand built by bespoke specialist coachbuilders between 1946 to 1959. The Silver-Wraith is truly a museum piece.
Yes, the Rolls Royce is a museum piece, but the Flaminia GT would be better on the road IMHO. I don’t mean more comfortable, but a better handler and more ‘interesting’.
An advantage of the Flaminia is that the owner wouldn’t feel that it might be wrong to drive it across a mountain range, just as Kjell drove his across the Sierra Nevadas.
I also would like to know the information Would love to ship it to the Philippines to my Wife. it would keep her quiet for another two years heheheheheh!
Joey!
Sorry to hear/read that the only way to keep her (temporarily) quiet is by feeding her expensive cars……….
Quiet for two years? If I brought that car home, the echo from the explosion would still be ringing in two years. That little bit of knowledge has saved me untold dollars over the course of our marriage, however.
(That, and the ’55 Messerschmitt which is still waiting for a restoration 20 years after I brought it home!)
I don’t get it. It’s frustrating to your readers to show a delectable car like that the owner wants to sell–and not have any contact info. Why?
I want it.
I want it.
I want it.
I want it.
(cynicism off)
.
.
.
THERE IS NO MENTION OF ANYONE WANTING TO SELL IT.
No bargain here for flippers to drool over.
Can we not just once enjoy a nice find like this, without anybody falling over-themselves about/and trying to make a buck over it, pleeeeease.
The fact that it is in good hands and with somebody, who works on cars is good enough for me.
Nice find, thank you for sharing.
Well, the owner of the car never told us it was for sale. We are only sharing a sighting and for privacy reasons we can’t divulge much more. If you are in the area though, I doubt it would be too hard to find.
Looks familiar
That place is over by Murphy’s California on the way to glencoe. DD
Assuming that all that is wrong is brakes, that alone could be $4000 in parts – “my” mechanic had a mid ’50’s one in his shop for months awaiting parts from someone “across the pond” plus jury rigging up belts, hoses, and gaskets from what he could find as a close fit, goal a “driver”, not a museum piece. But what a handsome car. Or you could buy an early ’80s Caddy Seville for about $4000 for which you can get parts and drive it all day and have the same look.
H.J. Mulliner bodied Silver Wraith. The brakes are not that complicated if you understand them. Actually, they are a pretty clever way of getting a power boost (at least when moving forward). The brake pedal works a caliper that squeezes a disk connected to the transmission output shaft, the disk (backed up by the momentum of the multi-ton car) then applies the force to the brake drums.
Brilliant!
I’ve found many mechanics will declare something ‘difficult’ or ‘unfixable’ it is not something they are familiar with.
if the owner is not going to fix it please put it up for sale. and until the car is sold please put in inside. this car needs to be saved. great find
Mulliner Wraith – please either sell it or put it back inside. Although mostly aluminum bodied – there is lots to deteriorale – paint, wood, interior (great place for moths, mice etc.) Given the limited number of these produced a shame to let a rare(ish) vehicle just rot away.
Go to parkwardmotors.com they are RR / Bentley experts who have an extensive repair, reconditioning, restoration shop and Museum in the Chicago area. I’m sure they can tell you anything you need to know about any model, year, parts availability, repair etc. They even sell off some of their Museum pieces, and inventory used reconditioned RR and Bentley up through the late 90’s before BMW got involved with RR.
The only thing that really caught my eye is the old pedal cars in the background. Cheaper on parts and take up a lot less space. At least that’s what I keep telling her.
Had a few RR’s Over the years (too many) from 1926 to 1960s all with the same brake system Fix it exactly the way it says in the manual and the brakes are spot on. Don’t let local mechanic “have a go at the adjustments ” if he doesn’t understand the principle.
Wish it was in Australia and RH drive!
Some one from belgium is even interested !!!!
Just to set the record straight – Pinninfarina did not style the Flaminia GT.
It was Touring……
Pininfarina had nothing to do with the Flaminia GT. It was built by Touring.
I had one and the car was a dream to drive.
The RR is a barge by comparison.
Curious as to what is wrong if anything with the very simple brakes. These use a mechanical servo the seldom if ever gives trouble, but one of the quirks to this system means the front brakes only work if the car is moving, which has on the past lead owners to believe they are not working. You can’t test them on a rolling road either
Love the fact that both cars have their original number plates from the country they were issued in. Brilliant !