57-467: The Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow is a full-size luxury car produced by British automaker Rolls-Royce in various forms from 1965 to 1980. It was the first of the marque to use unitary body and chassis construction. The Silver Shadow was produced from 1965 to 1976, and the Silver Shadow II from 1977 to 1980. The combined model run was 30,057 cars manufactured; James May reported it in 2014 as
114-470: A "Bentley" logo were only used when the factory had them available. The long-wheelbase version of the Bentley T did not have a separate identity and was simply called T long-wheelbase or T2 long-wheelbase. Only a very few of these were built (9 and 10 examples respectively, less than 0.4% of the total long-wheelbase production). All two-door cars were also available as Bentleys. However, only one example of
171-580: A Bentley Camargue was ever produced. In 2013, the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow featured on a "British Auto Legends" postage stamp issued by the Royal Mail . Rolls-Royce car This is a list of Rolls-Royce branded motor cars and includes vehicles manufactured by: Bentley models (from 1933) Bentley models were produced mostly in parallel with the above cars. The Bentley Continental coupés (produced in various forms from
228-507: A book price of £6,557 in the first year of production. The Shadow featured a 172 hp (128 kW) 6.2 L V8 from 1965 to 1969, and a 189 hp (141 kW) 6.75 L V8 from 1970 to 1980. No official power outputs were stated, but registration authorities in many markets required outputs be listed. Left-hand-drive models were coupled to the recently introduced Turbo-Hydramatic 400 automatic gearbox sourced from General Motors (GM). Pre-1970, right-hand-drive (RHD) models used
285-595: A bumper standard that yields the "maximum feasible reduction of cost to the public and to the consumer". Factors considered included the costs and benefits of implementation, the standard's effect on insurance costs and legal fees, savings in consumer time and inconvenience, as well as health and safety considerations. The 1973 model year passenger cars sold in the U.S. used a variety of designs. They ranged from non-dynamic versions with solid rubber guards, to "recoverable" designs with oil and nitrogen filled telescoping shock-absorbers. The standards were further tightened for
342-642: A car's safety systems must still function normally after a straight-on pendulum or moving-barrier impact of 4 km/h (2.5 mph) to the front and the rear, and to the front and rear corners of 2.5 km/h (1.6 mph) at 45.5 cm (18 in) above the ground with the vehicle loaded or unloaded. European countries have implemented regulations to address the issue of 270,000 deaths annually in worldwide pedestrian/auto accidents . Specialized bumpers, known as " bull bars " or "roo bars", protect vehicles in rural environments from collisions with large animals. However, studies have shown that such bars increase
399-613: A highly modified, aluminum-cased version of the original cast-iron 4-speed Hydra-Matic gearbox that had been built in Crewe under licence from GM since 1953. From 1968, export RHD cars gained the Turbo-Hydramatic 400, and by 1970, the 4-speed unit had been completely phased out even in the home market. A distinctive feature was a high-pressure hydropneumatic suspension system licensed from Citroën , with dual-circuit braking and hydraulic self-levelling suspension . At first, both
456-560: A moderate-speed collision. Around 500 people are killed this way in the United States annually. Following the June 1967 death of actress Jayne Mansfield in an auto/truck accident, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommended requiring a rear underride guard, also known as a "Mansfield bar", an " ICC bar", or a "DOT (Department of Transportation) bumper". These may not be more than 22 in (56 cm) from
513-460: A plastic cover over a reinforcement bar made of steel, aluminum, fiberglass composite, or plastic. Bumpers of most modern automobiles have been made of a combination of polycarbonate (PC) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) called PC/ABS. Bumpers offer protection to other vehicle components by dissipating the kinetic energy generated by an impact . This energy is a function of vehicle mass and velocity squared . The kinetic energy
570-612: A proposal to upgrade the U.S. performance requirements for underride guards. Many European nations have also required side underride guards to mitigate lethal collisions where the car impacts the truck from the side. A variety of different types of side underride guards of this nature are in use in Japan, the US, and Canada. However, they are not required in the United States. UN Regulation 58 sets forth requirements for rear underrun protective devices (RUPDs) and their installation, among which
627-426: A rigid construction and do not absorb (by plastic deformation) any energy in a collision, which is more dangerous for pedestrians than factory plastic bumpers. The legality of the aftermarket off-road bumpers varies by jurisdiction. Bumper regulations in the United States focus on preventing low-speed accidents from impairing safe vehicle operation, limiting damage to safety-related vehicle components, and containing
SECTION 10
#1732793253046684-583: A silver commemorative placard on the inside of the glove box door. Thirty-three of these were designated for and shipped to the North American market. Rolls-Royce considered offering a more exclusive, long-wheelbase Phantom VII model based on the Silver Shadow, but production was not pursued and no prototypes were built. Instead, a pilot series of ten stretched-wheelbase "limousines" – which offered an additional 4 inches of rear seat legroom –
741-498: A vehicle's bumper systems are designed to absorb the energy of low-speed collisions and help protect the car's safety and other expensive nearby components, most bumpers are designed to meet only the minimum regulatory standards. International safety regulations , devised initially as European standards under the auspices of the United Nations , have now been adopted by most countries outside North America. These specify that
798-410: Is crucial that front bumpers be the first parts of a vehicle to make contact in the event of a frontal collision, to leave sufficient time to inflate the protective cushions. Energy-absorbing crush zones are completely ineffective if they are physically bypassed; an extreme example of this occurs when the elevated platform of a tractor-trailer completely misses the front bumper of a passenger car, and
855-452: Is equal to 1/2 the product of the mass and the square of the speed. In formula form: A bumper that protects vehicle components from damage at 5 miles per hour must be four times as tough as a bumper that protects at 2.5 miles per hour, with the collision energy dissipation concentrated at the extreme front and rear of the vehicle. Small increases in bumper protection can lead to weight gain and loss of fuel efficiency . Until 1959, rigidity
912-500: Is identified by all alterations found on the Silver Shadow II and additionally an Everflex -covered roof (also available as an option on the Silver Shadow II), a smaller, more formal rear window, and different wheel covers. The Rolls-Royce factory built a special stretch limousine on Silver Wraith basis in 1979. It was ordered by the religious leader Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh , who had a collection of 93 Rolls-Royces. In 1971
969-521: Is that trucks and trailers of various types must have such devices with height above the ground not more than 45 cm (17.7 in), 50 cm (19.7 in), or 55 cm (21.7 in). Mismatches between SUV bumper heights and passenger car side impact beams have allowed serious injuries at relatively low speeds. In the United States, NHTSA is studying how to address this issue as of 2014 . Beyond lethal interactions, repair costs of passenger car/SUV collisions can also be significant due to
1026-542: The Chevrolet Monte Carlo starting in 1978, with significantly lower mass than heavy chromed-steel bumpers with separate impact energy absorbers. The bumper regulations applied to all passenger cars, both American-made and imported. With exceptions including the Volvo 240 , Porsche 911 , and Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow , European and Asian automakers tended to put compliant bumpers only on cars destined for
1083-455: The "Phase I" standard. At the same time, a zero-damage requirement, "Phase II", was enacted for bumper systems on 1980 and newer cars. The most rigorous requirements applied to 1980 through 1982 model vehicles; 5-mile-per-hour (8 km/h) front and rear barrier and pendulum crash tests were required, and no damage was allowed to the bumper beyond a 3 ⁄ 8 in (10 mm) dent and 3 ⁄ 4 in (19 mm) displacement from
1140-424: The 1974 model year passenger cars, with standardized height front and rear bumpers that could take angle impacts at 5 miles per hour (8 km/h) with no damage to the car's lights, safety equipment, and engine. There was no provision in the law for consumers to 'opt out' of this protection. The regulations specified bumper performance; they did not prescribe any particular bumper design. Nevertheless, many cars for
1197-525: The Canadian requirements were not lowered to 4 km/h (2.5 mph) in 1982 as was done in the United States. Some automakers provided stronger Canadian-specification bumpers throughout the North American market, while others chose weaker bumpers in the U.S. market. This limited grey import vehicles between the U.S. and Canada. In early 2009, Canada's regulation shifted to harmonize with U.S. Federal standards and international UN Regulations . As in
SECTION 20
#17327932530461254-569: The Silver Cloud, but nevertheless managed to offer increased passenger and luggage space, thanks to more efficient space utilisation made possible by unitary construction and a full-width, slab-sided body design. Other new features included disc brakes replacing drums , and independent rear suspension instead of the outdated live rear axle design of previous Rolls-Royce models. The standard wheelbase Silver Shadow measured 203.5 inches (5,170 mm), 4,700 lb (2,100 kg) and had
1311-618: The Silver Shadow two-door models were given the separate identity of Corniche (with either Rolls-Royce or Bentley badging), and eventually went on to outlive the Silver Shadow by some years with production lasting until 1982 for the coupé and 1996 for the convertible. Another coupé variant on the Shadow platform was the Camargue , with bodywork designed by the Italian firm Pininfarina , and production running from 1975 to 1986. The Camargue had
1368-564: The U.S. and Canadian markets where the regulations applied. This meant their North American-spec cars tended to look different than versions of the same model sold elsewhere. U.S. bumper-height requirements effectively made some models, such as the Citroën SM , ineligible for importation to the United States. Unlike international safety regulations , U.S. regulations were written without provision for hydropneumatic suspension . The requirements promulgated under MVICS were consolidated with
1425-416: The U.S. market were equipped with bulky, massive, protruding bumpers to comply with the 5-mile-per-hour bumper standard in effect from 1973 to 1982. This often meant additional overall vehicle length, as well as new front and rear designs to incorporate the stronger energy-absorbing bumpers, adding weight to the extremities of the vehicle. Passenger cars featured gap-concealing flexible filler panels between
1482-472: The boot – North American safety laws made this impossible, as the petrol tank would have had to be relocated. The cars with a divider lost the entire gain in wheelbase, trading off extra legroom for privacy. Initially, the long-wheelbase model did not have a separate name, but with the introduction of the Silver Shadow II in 1976 the longer car was dubbed the Silver Wraith II. The Silver Wraith II
1539-495: The bumper's original position. All-wheel-drive "cross-over" cars such as the AMC Eagle were classified as multi-purpose vehicles or trucks, and thus exempt from the passenger car bumper standards. The recently elected Reagan administration had pledged to use cost–benefit analysis to reduce regulatory burdens on industry, which impacted this standard. As discussed in detail under Physics , before 1959, people believed
1596-504: The bumpers and the car's bodywork causing them to have a "massive, blockish look". However, other bumper designs also met the requirements. The 1973 AMC Matador coupe had free-standing bumpers with rubber gaiters alone to conceal the retractable shock absorbers. "Endura" bumpers, compliant with the regulations yet tightly integrated into the front bodywork, were used on models such as the Pontiac Grand Am starting in 1973 and
1653-469: The bumpers on cars sold outside of North America were still solidly mounted and protruded 2 in (5 cm) less. Also now made standard across the board was the deletion of the small grilles mounted beneath the headlamps. In 1979, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the company, seventy-five Silver Shadow IIs were specially fitted with the original red "RR" badges front and rear, pewter/silver paint, grey leather with red piping, scarlet red carpets, and
1710-625: The company was falling behind in automotive innovation, most notably in its unitary construction. Style-wise, the John Polwhele Blatchley design was a major departure from its predecessor, the Silver Cloud . More than 50% of Silver Clouds had been sold on the domestic market where, by the standards of much of Europe and most of North America, roads were narrow and crowded. The new Shadow was 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (8.9 cm) narrower and 7 inches (18 cm) shorter than
1767-551: The corner crash test speeds from 3 miles per hour (5 km/h) to 1.5 miles per hour (2 km/h). In addition, the zero-damage Phase II requirement was rolled back to the damage allowances of Phase I. At the same time, a passenger car bumper height requirement of 16 to 20 inches (41–51 cm) was established for passenger cars. NHTSA evaluated the results of its change in 1987, noting it resulted in lower weight and manufacturing costs, offset by higher repair costs. Despite these findings, consumer and insurance groups decried
Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow - Misplaced Pages Continue
1824-513: The costs of repair after a crash. In 1971, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued the country's first regulation applicable to passenger car bumpers. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 215 (FMVSS 215), "Exterior Protection," took effect on 1 September 1972—when most automakers would begin producing their model year 1973 vehicles. The standard prohibited functional damage to specified safety-related components such as headlamps and fuel system components when
1881-514: The distinction of being the most expensive production Rolls-Royce. A Bentley version of the Shadow, known as the Bentley T (and Bentley T2 from 1977), was also made. It was mechanically identical and differed only in the badging and design of the radiator shell. The more rounded radiator also required a slightly reshaped bonnet profile. Other modifications were only slight cosmetic ones, a different front bumper and hubcaps. Engine valve covers with
1938-496: The ends of the vehicle, thereby increasing occupant protection from progressive crumpling in a serious accident. They are no longer made of steel and rubber, but of a plastic outer fascia over a lightweight, impact-absorbing polystyrene foam core. Automobile bumper standards in Canada were first enacted simultaneously as those in the United States. These were closely similar to the 8 km/h (5 mph) U.S. regulation, and
1995-420: The first contact is with the glass windshield of the passenger compartment. Underride collisions , in which a smaller vehicle such as a passenger sedan slides under a larger vehicle such as a tractor-trailer often result in severe injuries or fatalities. The platform bed of a typical tractor-trailer is at the head height of seated adults in a typical passenger car and thus can cause severe head trauma in even
2052-408: The front and rear of the car were controlled by the levelling system; the front levelling was deleted in 1969 as it had been determined that the rear levelling did almost all the work. Rolls-Royce achieved a high degree of ride quality with this arrangement. A two-door saloon was introduced early in 1966, followed by a convertible in 1967. There are two different versions of the two-door saloon –
2109-624: The height mismatch. This mismatch can result in vehicles being so severely damaged that they are inoperable after low-speed collisions. In most jurisdictions, bumpers are legally required on all vehicles. Regulations for automobile bumpers have been implemented for two reasons – to allow the car to sustain a low-speed impact without damage to the vehicle's safety systems, and to protect pedestrians from injury. These requirements conflict: bumpers that withstand impact well and minimize repair costs tend to injure pedestrians more, while pedestrian-friendly bumpers tend to have higher repair costs. Although
2166-534: The largest production volume of any Rolls-Royce model. A Bentley -badged version, the T-series , was produced from 1965 through 1980 in 2,336 examples. The Silver Shadow was originally intended to be called Rolls-Royce Silver Mist , but was replaced with Silver Shadow at the last minute due to Mist meaning "manure" or "crap" in German. It was designed with several modernisations in response to concerns that
2223-452: The mid-1910s, but consisted of a strip of steel across the front and back. Often treated as an optional accessory, bumpers became more and more common in the 1920s as automobile designers made them more complex and substantial. Over the next decades, chrome-plated bumpers became heavy, elaborative, and increasingly decorative until the late 1950s when U.S. automakers began establishing new bumper trends and brand-specific designs. The 1960s saw
2280-618: The mid-1950s to the mid-1960s) did not have Rolls-Royce equivalents. Rolls-Royce Phantom limousines were also produced. Bumper (automobile) A bumper is a structure attached to or integrated with the front and rear ends of a motor vehicle , to absorb impact in a minor collision, ideally minimizing repair costs. Stiff metal bumpers appeared on automobiles as early as 1904 that had a mainly ornamental function. Numerous developments, improvements in materials and technologies, as well as greater focus on functionality for protecting vehicle components and improving safety have changed bumpers over
2337-458: The model was renamed the Silver Shadow II in recognition of several major changes, most notably rack and pinion steering; modifications to the front suspension improved handling markedly. Externally, the bumpers were changed from chrome to alloy and rubber starting with the late 1976 Silver Shadows. These new energy-absorbing bumpers had been used in the United States since 1974, as a response to tightening safety standards there. Nonetheless,
Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow - Misplaced Pages Continue
2394-516: The more common Mulliner Park Ward , featuring a raked C-pillar and swooping rear bumper line, and the very rare early James Young model reflecting the more formal 4-door that was only built in thirty-five Rolls-Royce examples (with another fifteen Bentleys), discontinued in 1967. The convertible variant, by Mulliner Park Ward and similar in style to its 2-door saloon, was marketed as the Silver Shadow Drophead Coupé. In 1977,
2451-433: The pitch of each vehicle, so bumpers can bypass each other when the vehicles collide. Preventing override and underride can be accomplished by extremely tall bumper surfaces. Active suspension is another solution to keeping the vehicle level. Bumper height from the roadway surface is essential in engaging other protective systems. Airbag deployment sensors typically do not trigger until contact with an obstruction, and it
2508-616: The requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Number 215 (FMVSS 215, "Exterior Protection of Vehicles") and promulgated in March 1976. This new bumper standard was placed in the United States Code of Federal Regulations at 49 CFR 581, separate from the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards at 49CFR571. The new requirements, applicable to 1979- model year passenger cars, were called
2565-563: The results, including repair costs. Car makers that do well in these tests tend to publicize the results. In 1990, the IIHS conducted four crash tests on three different-year examples of the Plymouth Horizon . The results illustrate the effect of the changes to the U.S. bumper regulations (repair costs are quoted in 1990 United States dollars ): Today's bumpers are designed to mitigate injuries to pedestrians and minimize weight at
2622-413: The road. The U.S. trucking industry has been slow to upgrade this safety feature, and there are no requirements to repair ICC bars damaged in service. However, in 1996 NHTSA upgraded the requirements for the rear underride prevention structure on truck trailers, and Transport Canada went further with an even more stringent requirement for energy-absorbing rear underride guards. In July 2015, NHTSA issued
2679-536: The stronger the structure, including the bumpers, the safer the car. A later analysis led to the understanding of crumple zones , rather than rigid construction that proved deadly to passengers because the force from impact went straight inside the vehicle and onto the passenger. NHTSA amended the bumper standard in May 1982, halving the front and rear crash test speeds for 1983 and newer car bumpers from 5 miles per hour (8 km/h) to 2.5 miles per hour (4 km/h), and
2736-714: The threat of death and serious injury to pedestrians in urban environments, because the bull bar is rigid and transmits all force of a collision to the pedestrian, unlike a bumper, which absorbs some force and crumples. In the European Union , the sale of rigid metal bull bars that do not comply with the relevant pedestrian-protection safety standards has been banned. Off-road vehicles often utilize aftermarket off-road bumpers made of heavy gauge metal to improve clearance (height above terrain), maximize departure angles, clear larger tires, and ensure additional protection. Similar or identical to bull bars, off-road bumpers feature
2793-437: The use of bumper covers made of flexible materials. Front bumpers, especially, have been lowered and made of softer materials, such as foams and crushable plastics, to reduce the severity of impact on legs. For passenger cars, the height and placement of bumpers are legally specified under both U.S. and EU regulations. Bumpers do not protect against moderate-speed collisions, because during emergency braking, suspension changes
2850-415: The use of lighter chrome-plated blade-like bumpers with a painted metal valance filling the space below it. Multi-piece construction became the norm as automakers incorporated grilles , lighting , and even rear exhaust into the bumpers. On the 1968 Pontiac GTO , General Motors incorporated an "Endura" body-colored plastic front bumper designed to absorb low-speed impact without permanent deformation. It
2907-505: The vehicle is subjected to barrier crash tests at 5 miles per hour (8 km/h) for front and 2.5 mph (4 km/h) for rear bumper systems. The requirements effectively eliminated automobile bumper designs that featured integral automotive lighting components such as tail lamps. In October 1972, the U.S. Congress enacted the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Saving Act (MVICS), which required NHTSA to issue
SECTION 50
#17327932530462964-620: The weakened bumper standard. They argued that the 1982 standard increased overall consumer costs without any attendant benefits except for automakers. In 1986, Consumers Union petitioned NHTSA to return to the Phase II standard and disclose bumper strength information to consumers. In 1990, NHTSA rejected that petition. In the United States, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) subjects vehicles to low-speed barrier tests (6 mph or 9.7 km/h) and publishes
3021-490: The years. Bumpers ideally minimize height mismatches between vehicles and protect pedestrians from injury . Regulatory measures have been enacted to reduce vehicle repair costs and, more recently, impact on pedestrians. Bumpers were, at first, just rigid metal bars. George Albert Lyon invented the earliest car bumper. The first bumper appeared on a vehicle in 1897, and Nesselsdorfer Wagenbau-Fabriksgesellschaft, an Austrian carmaker, installed it. The construction of these bumpers
3078-406: Was built in 1967 and sold, one of them to Princess Margaret . This long-wheelbase variant was offered in the United States from May 1969, and available to domestic customers from early 1970. Some extended-wheelbase models were fitted with an electrically retractable privacy glass divider. Outside of North America, the cars with a divider were fitted with a separate air conditioning unit mounted in
3135-464: Was featured in a TV advertisement with John DeLorean hitting the bumper with a sledgehammer and no damage resulted. Similar elastomeric bumpers were available on the front and rear of the 1970-71 Plymouth Barracuda . In 1971, Renault introduced a plastic bumper ( sheet moulding compound ) on the Renault 5 . Current design practice is for the bumper structure on modern automobiles to consist of
3192-441: Was seen as beneficial to occupant safety among automotive engineers . Modern theories of vehicle crashworthiness point in the opposite direction, towards vehicles that crumple progressively . A completely rigid vehicle might have excellent bumper protection for vehicle components, but would offer poor occupant safety . Bumpers are increasingly being designed to mitigate injury to pedestrians struck by cars, such as through
3249-407: Was unreliable as they featured only a cosmetic function. Early car owners had the front spring hanger bolt replaced with ones long enough to attach a metal bar. G.D. Fisher patented a bumper bracket to simplify the attachment of the accessory. The first bumper designed to absorb impacts appeared in 1901. It was made of rubber, and Frederick Simms gained a patent in 1905. Automakers added bumpers in
#45954