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Rolls-Royce fire: 1957 Silver Wraith

Watching a priceless 1957 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith burn is like watching part of history go up in flames. Sure this isn't a sports car by definition, but the Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith was a luxury vehicle with the handling and power of sports cars from that time period. The first post World War II Rolls-Royce made at the Crewe factory, this is literally a rolling time machine from days gone past. The 1957 was a short wheelbase, as opposed to it's pre-1953 models that were all long wheel based.

Powered by a 4.9 liter inline six cylinder, the '57 Wraith was the vehicle to have if you were a celebrity or royalty. Official use such as the Irish Presidential State car, Brazilian Presidential Ceremonial State car, the Royal Dutch Limousine, Royal Danish Ceremonial Car "Store Krone", and now finally the star of a vehicle fire on I-285 outside of Atlanta; my the tables have turned for the 1957 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith.

What could have caused this fire? Being that it was an older vehicle, we can speculate that improper maintenance is the villain. By the looks of their cluttered trunk, it appears that this owner chose to neglect their automotive relic and forget about checking the lines. Old fuel lines crack, that's a given and probably the cause for this fire. Being that it was on I-285, the fast paced traffic was probably running the old goat at higher RPM than the vehicle could handle. Combine age with abuse and neglect, and you have a recipe for fire. It's a shame to watch this beautiful Rolls-Royce burn to the frame.

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, Tampa Sports Car Examiner

Full-time engineer turned writer, Michael brings knowledgeable articles about Tampa Bay's sports car scene. His experience in import, domestic, and exotic manufacturers ensures quality content for all readers. Michael is also a contributor at CarDomain.com and can be contacted via Streetfire.net...

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