In 1965, Rolls-Royce launched the Silver Shadow and its Bentley equivalent, the T-series. Compared to their predecessors, these SY models – as they were collectively known – were forwardlooking machines intended to wrest back the title of ‘The best cars in the world’ from rivals such as Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz and Cadillac. They featured fresh, modern styling totally on trend for the mid-1960s, introduced monocoque construction and adopted both load-levelling and braking systems run by high-pressure hydraulics.
The development track that led to the Silver Shadow and T-series, though, was long and convoluted. It lasted almost a decade and, along the way, saw some fascinating prototypes appear – even if they were usually well away from the public gaze. Among these experimental vehicles were the Rolls-Royce Tibet and Bentley Burma, two variations on the same theme that would have introduced significant differences between the two marques, giving each a more individual identity. While quite a few of the ideas explored by the Tibet and Burma prototypes would be dropped, they nevertheless give an intriguing insight into how the SY cars were conceived and gestated.
The Silver Cloud was still brand new when thoughts first turned to what might ultimately replace it. The 1955-launched model still used a separate chassis with drum brakes and, in its original form, perpetuated anin 1956 and upgrading the Silver Cloud with a V8 for 1959. However, it was obvious that whatever came next would need to be a major step forward in looks and engineering.
