1955 Silver Wraith
4-door, 6-light Touring Limousine
by Freestone & Webb
body 1769, design 3171
DLW72, engine L71D, registration 864DLT

 

Complete history will be added as it becomes available through the previous owners and the RREC.

  The Freestone & Webb design 3171 is termed a limousine, but it is considered a five-seater. It was the coach builder's answer to the Hooper Empress line. DLW72 is built on a long-wheelbase chassis. A total of 15 of the same design were produced. Cost when new was UK£8,098, the equivalent of US$274,262 in 2004.
1954

 

 DLW72 was purchased by the investment banker Ronald Strauss of Strauss, Turnbull & Co. Mr. Strauss also owned Silver Wraith FLW73, a James Young sport saloon with division. The following special equipment was ordered: flasher unit, automatic transmission, step irons, flat petrol tank, non-standard headlamps to be built into the fenders as can be found on the Silver Dawns, and a roof aerial.
Freestone & Webb Freestone and Webb was formed in 1923 by V E Freestone and A J Webb for the sole purpose of car body building.
Mr. Freestone was from Crossley Motors and Mr. Webb came from a French firm of coachbuilders.
Its workshops were at Brentfield Road, Willesden, London, which was its only home during its existence as an independent company. They concentrated on building bodies to private order on Rolls-Royce and Bentley chassis, output on the Rolls-Royce eventually averaging some 15 per year. One of the body designs developed by Freestone and Webb became known as the "Top Hat".
The firm also had a hand in popularizing the "razor edge" style. During World War II the company switched to aircraft production, mainly working on Spitfire wing tips. Freestone and Webb exhibited regularly at the London Motor Show and for nine consecutive years won the Gold Medal in the private Coachbuilders competition. On the death of A J Webb in 1955 the company was taken over by H R Owen, Ltd. of  Berkeley Street, London W1, but continued to build bodies only until 1958.
1 October 1957

 

 DLW72 is sold to Elliott Brothers of London
26 November 1957

 

 Ownership is quickly transferred, this time to Francis Delsenne, Ltd. in London
18 May 1962

 

 DLW72 is purchased by Colonel J. D. Brayley of Bristol, England
10 December 1963

 

 The auto dealer Marcus Harris of London acquires the PMC from Colonel Brayley
1965   - 1975

 

 DLW72 is owned by Mr. Harold P Lymn
February, 1975 

 

 DLW72 is purchased by a Chevrolet dealer, Bob Batey, in Elk Grove, CA. Accompanied by his son, DLW72 is shipped to New York on the QE2 in the midst of winter. On her drive from New York to California, the car fails to proceed when, driving in 10 degree weather through Kansas, the lack of anti-freeze in the radiator causes the engine block to fracture. A new block is placed into the car upon her delivery to California. No other significant work was done during the remaining years this PMC was in the Sacramento area.
1980 - 1985 Custodianship lies with Robert J. Heyn of California during these years.
1987 -1989 William Hirshfelt of California owns DLW72 during these years.
? DLW72 is owned by Mr. Cassidy of Fall Oaks, CA
1989

 

 Many receipts came with the car indicating re-chroming of many parts during the late December, 1989 through January, 1990. Gregory Smith took delivery of the car and began to work on her immediately.
27 April 1990

 

 DLW72 is registered to Gregory Smith of Saratoga, California
5 June 1990

 

 A new headliner is installed by Jordan Enterprises.
2 November 1990

 

 A&M Paint and Body was paid $3,727.88 for 45 hours of body work and 21 hours of paint work on DLW72.
21 September 1992

 

 The calorostat is sent to Robertshaw Controls for repair.
16 May 1994

 

  A dated receipt for A/C repair shows the mileage at 23,690
June 1995

 

 DLW72 is featured in "The Flying Lady" on page 5105.
20 August 2004

 

 A successful bid at the reserve value at the second annual Bonham Auction at the RROC concours transfers custodianship to Dallas!
30 August 2004 DLW72 arrives in Dallas and is driven to lunch and dinner for her maiden voyage in Dallas. Already 40 miles are added to the odometer on this date! Although all fluids appear to have been recently changed, an appointment has been made with Bentley-Dallas to replace all fluids from the radiator to the aft shock dampers! We will then have a baseline to measure from.
25 September 2004

 

 Some ten hours of elbow grease was put on the car today. Meguiar's products were used on the claying, polishing, and waxing of the PMC. The leather was treated and looks a bit better, but a full Leatherique treatment will have to be applied this fall.

    
 
   

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