British actor Sir Michael Caine’s buying journey for his first car, a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow drophead coupe in 1968, is the age old tale of why even luxury car dealers should never judge a customer’s appearance.
A salesman at the Jack Barclay Rolls-Royce showroom in Berkeley Square, Mayfair ushered Caine off the premises due to his unkempt and unshaven appearance.
Undeterred, Caine made his way to the other Mayfair-based Rolls-Royce showroom, H A Fox on Dover Street, where he purchased the brand new Silver Shadow which had been taken into stock after a cancelled order from another customer.
Upon delivery, Caine took great delight in being chauffeur driven in his new Rolls-Royce slowly past the Jack Barclay premises, whereupon he saw the offending salesperson and gave them a two-fingered salute.
The Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow drophead coupe featured extensively in the 1969 documentary ‘Candid Caine’.
Less than two years later, the Silver Shadow was acquired by Jack Leach, owner of the Gasworks restaurant in Fulham. A familiar sight on the Fulham and Kings roads for decades afterwards, Leach continued to own the car for the next 43-years until his death in 2013.
The car is now scheduled for auction on March 15 at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, which is one day after Caine’s 90th birthday,
Caine’s former car is now refinished in its original colour of Black.
One of 506 Silver Shadow Two-Door Drophead Coupes that were hand built by Rolls-Royce’s in-house coachbuilder Mulliner Park Ward from 1967 – 1971, the car is estimated at between £100,000 – £150,000 in the auction hosted by H&H Classics.
