SCALD61E91CX07619 is a Park Ward Silver Seraph limousine; a coachbuilt version of the Silver Seraph, with 10 inches added to the overall length; two inches in the front doors and eight in the rear. With that extra room the coach builders fitted considerable enhancement to the appointments, particularly in back. 11 of these cars were released for the 2000 model year, 56 for 2001 and 59 for 2002.
The low volume and superior appointments made the Park Ward much more exclusive than the standard Silver Seraph, of which a total of 1,570 examples were built. The longer body and capacious rear seat gave the car a very different feel, with a much gentler ride. Most Park Ward cars were left hand drive with many going to Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Roughly one-third of the cars (less than 50) came to America.
This example is finished in black with Tangier and Sahara (beige) interior trim. The veneered steering wheel rim and veneered door panels were extra cost options, as were the R-R emblems on the picnic tables and waist rails. The top roll was done in one color instead of the usual two tone. Otherwise the car was built to the standard specification.
This car was delivered with Avon 255/50 R18 whitewall tires which were exchanged for Pirelli black walls in 2015, as the Avon whitewalls are no longer manufactured. The car carries the original wheel rims and caps, which are of the standard Silver Seraph pattern but in the rare 18 inch size.
The factory fitted bigger brakes to cars with 18-inch wheels. The wheels and tires on this car are noticeably larger than those on a standard Seraph, and the brakes are uprated to match.
The factory fitted bigger brakes to cars with 18-inch wheels. The wheels and tires on this car are noticeably larger than those on a standard Seraph, and the brakes are uprated to match.
We examined this vehicle on November 28, 2018 and compared it to the record in the Bentley database. Even though this car is branded a Rolls-Royce its records are maintained by Bentley because they support all pre-2003 vehicles. The examination shows it is original with respect to colors, trim, and appointments. It is also original with respect to undercarriage and body dimensions; having never suffered any accident or corrosion damage to the chassis. A check of alignment shows correct suspension geometry after calibration. Tagged body panels carry the correct vehicle identification numbers. This car is completely original.
This car left the factory May 23, 2001, and rode to America on a containership. Traveling in springtime the passage was probably smooth and a harbinger of a good life to come. This was the seventh-to-last Park Ward built for the 2001 model year. It was delivered to Bentley Scottsdale, and subsequently shipped to Florida. By 2016 the car had come into possession of the New Auto Toy Store of Pompano, Florida. They represented the vehicle as a one-owner car. The car is part of a large collection in New England today, where it represents the transition period between British and German ownership of the Rolls-Royce motor company.
For more information on these cars (which included the Silver Seraph and Bentley Arnage) I recommend this book by Richard Vaughn, available on Amazon.
(c) 2018 John Elder Robison
John Elder Robison is the general manager of J E Robison Service Company, celebrating 30 years of independent Bentley, Rolls-Royce, BMW/MINI, Mercedes, Land Rover, and other vintage restoration and repair in Springfield, Massachusetts. John is a longtime technical consultant to the car clubs, the technical editor for the Rolls-Royce Owner's Club of America, and he’s owned and restored many fine British and German motorcars. Find him online at www.robisonservice.com or in the real world at 413-785-1665
Reading this article will make you smarter, especially when it comes to car stuff. So it's good for you. But don't take that too far - printing and eating it will probably make you sick.
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