Congratulations to Frank Janicki for winning Best of Show at this year’s RREC Annual Rally held at Burghley House on Sunday 3rd July with his 1939 Rolls-Royce Wraith. Having driven the car from its home in Bavaria (Germany) to attend the show, this award was well-deserved.
Chassis No. WMB53 is a stunning car carrying 4-door, 4-light saloon coachwork by James Young boasting a stylish ‘razor-edge’ design with beautiful proportions. We are very proud to have recently carried out a complete coachwork restoration and significant mechanical work to the car, and are delighted with the recognition it has received.
The Wraith was the final Rolls-Royce model introduced before WW2, being launched in 1938 with fewer than 500 examples built. It is a masterclass in silence and refinement, being the ultimate development of the small horse power range. It was significantly larger than its predecessor (the 25/30), with Rolls-Royce adopting many features of the Phantom III. These included the cross braced chassis, independent front suspension, a rear anti-roll bar and a hydraulic jacking system to name just a few. The engine was based upon the 25/30’s 4 1/4 litre unit but carried an improved cross flow cylinder head and a greatly revised front of engine gear train. The result is a sublime silent running motor car.
