Cars

Urban explorer finds rare Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith while searching an abandoned property

  • An urban explorer found an abandoned Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith II 
  • The car was parked alongside other vintage vehicles
  • You can see the car in the clip below

Published on Sep 30, 2024 at 2:29 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid

Last updated on Sep 30, 2024 at 4:33 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Tom Wood

An ultra-rare Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith II was discovered in an abandoned fairground storage yard. 

The extraordinary discovery was made by urban explorer Colin Hodson, better known as The Bearded Explorer on YouTube.

The high-end motor wasn’t the only car stashed away and gathering dust at the facility. 

Alongside vintage fairground equipment and trailers, there was also a large motorcycle collection, a 1950s Opel Olympia and a  Mercedes-Benz W116.

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The abandoned fairground storage facility was a treasure trove

Hodson is a bit of an expert when it comes to barn finds, having previously uncovered a Ferrari F1 car at a derelict farm; a treasure trove of classic and super-rare motors; and a Porsche, a Rolls-Royce, a Ferrari, and a Maserati all in one barn. 

And in an equally eye-opening discovery, Hodson found himself surrounded by long-forgotten vehicles at an abandoned fairground storage facility. 

First up, he discovered a fairly run-of-the-mill 1980s Peugeot, before he checked out the 1950s Olympia. 

While searching an abandoned property this man found a rare Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith
The Bearded Explorer
While searching an abandoned property this man found a rare Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith
The Bearded Explorer

The Olympia was a pretty popular nameplate for Opel, but it’s still pretty rare to catch sight of one all these years later – particularly one that is all in one piece. 

Another rare find was the Mercedes-Benz W116, that appeared to be in pretty solid condition, albeit very dusty. 

The W116 was produced between 1972 and 1980 and was a predecessor to the S class; meaning the vehicle is a bit of automotive history. 

The Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith II was in pretty good shape

The rare cars didn’t stop there.

Hodson then stumbled upon the Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith II. 

While searching an abandoned property this man found a rare Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith
The Bearded Explorer
While searching an abandoned property this man found a rare Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith
The Bearded Explorer

Although called the Silver Wraith II the car was actually a derivative of the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, not the Silver Wraith. 

Launched as a limited run of 10 stretched-wheelbase vehicles in 1967, the Silver Wraith II went into 1969. 

The Silver Shadow was a popular motor for Rolls-Royce, with around 30,000 units sold between 1965 and 1980. However, the Silver Wraith II was a bit more exclusive with just 2,135 produced over five years. 

A quick glance inside revealed this particular example had been fitted with a privacy glass divider – a feature that wouldn’t appear in every model, making the vehicle even more rare. 

Pretty cool, eh?

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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Across her career she's covered a wide variety of topics, including celebrity, cryptocurrency, politics, true crime and just about everything in between.