AN ANATOMY OF THE… SILVER SHADOW & T-SERIES
Looking back on the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow and Bentley T-series models today, they seem almost traditional, bordering even on the conventional. The familiarity of the cars – which appeared in far greater numbers than any previous Rolls-Royce or Bentley and set the template for future generations – has lessened the impact of what a sea-change for Crewe they represented when launched 56 years ago. But back in 1965, when unveiled at that October’s Paris Motor Show, the Silver Shadow and T-Series were regarded as an extraordinary and surprising leap forward for a very conservative manufacturer that still regarded itself as the builder of the best cars in the world.
The SY cars (to give them their collective designation) dragged Rolls-Royce into the latter half of the 20th century. Not only was their boxy and smaller (but still imposing) monocoque styling so modern that it would continue to look fresh and current for the next 15 years, there was innovation under the skin as well, with complex hydropneumatics providing the newcomers with a superb ride. All this was wrapped up in the usual package of ultra-luxurious interiors and engines that were definitely rather more than just ‘adequate’. The Silver Shadow was the car that stepped out from the shadow of its ancestors, and shone
