ROLLS-ROYCE Silver Dawn Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

Rolls-Royce was considered the ultimate luxury vehicle in the world, and the launch of the MkIV of the Silver Spirit range in 1994 brought a new marketing strategy.

The British car manufacturer decided to introduce the Silver Dawn on the U.S. market first and in the following year for the rest of the world. Nevertheless, since it was pricier than its sibling, it was produced in a smaller number. Less than 400 vehicles ended up being sold, but those who bought them clearly knew what a luxury vehicle was.

Unlike the Spirit, the Dawn was also designed for the driver, not only for the rear seat passengers. For that, the carmaker lowered the front fascia. The traditional silver radiator grille was shorter, and even the famous Spirit of Ecstacy was shrunk by 20%. Since the car sported the same rectangular headlights as its sibling, they looked larger when compared to the rest of the front end. From its profile, the Silver Dawn showed the same classic, elegant design, defiant of all the bio- or new-edge design trends on the market. The overall angular design of the vehicle was ended by a sloped rear end for the trunk.

Inside, the leather-wrapped interior was completed by wood trims, silver, and chromed surroundings for the vents. Its automatic transmission shifter was mounted behind the steering wheel while the ignition was on the dashboard. Strangely, though, there were two cup holders for the front seats but none for the rear passengers.

Under the hood, Rolls-Royce relied on the same 6.75-liter V8 that sent its power to the rear wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission supplied by GM. An important improvement for the car was the addition of a traction-control system.

Only 760 units of the first Rolls-Royce to bear the Silver Dawn name were built between 1949 and 1955, albeit the car shared most of its oily bits and chassis with the slightly more mainstream Bentley Mark VI until 1952 and then with the Bentley R Type until 1955. This means that all cars were fitted with a 4.2-liter straight-six until 1951, when the engine was enlarged to 4.6-liter.

Curiously enough, the Silver Dawn is the first ever Rolls-Royce model to be ordered with a factory built body, unlike its predecessors, which were exclusively sold as rolling chassis. Even though its successor spawned an entire era of the Silver Cloud name, the Silver Dawn name was first resurrected in the mid-1990s, on a special edition version of the Silver Spur Sedan. Nowadays, the Dawn name is used by a four-seat convertible version of the Rolls-Royce Wraith coupe.

The Silver Dawn was launched in austere time and as such, Rolls Royce wanted to offer people a more accessible car, mostly for the buyers who were looking to drive themselves. Most of the Rolls Royce launched by that period were luxury limousines and usually driven by chauffeurs.

The car had a 4556 cc engine, with a 4-speed manual transition. The Rolls reached 60 mph in 16 s and had a maximum speed of 87 mph.