Then you know exactly what we mean: a typical British and stylish car with a bodywork as 'work of art'. This Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow has been camping in an old barn for five years and is waiting to be brought back to life.
By: Dirk de Jong
Douwe has been an enthusiastic lover of this 'Lord of Class' since he was 13 years old and likes to take the time to tell his special story.
The first acquaintance
“In 1976 there would be a performance in Sneek of the Sunset trio, of which one of the musicians drove in a Rolls-Royce. I had never seen such a car before and was very impressed. I was even allowed to ride a bit and that great experience made me decide that I wanted a Rolls-Royce later on. ”
The feeling remained
“My boyhood dream came true in 2007, when I bought a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow in England on Ebay and drove it back myself. The bad news was that I regularly stopped and on closer inspection the fenders were no longer made of metal but made of filler. Deeply disappointed, the car was immediately put up for sale, which had an unexpected and pleasant result. Because the buyer - also a Rolls Royce fanatic - immediately became friends. One that has been going on for years now. ”
A 'blessed' copy
“Of course I still wanted a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, but a better copy that I found again on Ebay but now in America. Left-hand drive, a beautiful color combination of cream white with dark blue. Absolutely unique and the only one in this color scheme in the Netherlands. ” The owner turned out to be a pastor who immediately reassured Douwe - after telling his previous experiences - about the quality of the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. After all, he had to be accountable to the higher power for his actions. The gold sticker under the headlights with the folded hands proved that it was a blessed Rolls-Royce.
Douwe Zijlstra
Douwe does not have a mustache, does not smoke a pipe, does not have a Harris-tweed jacket with a well-cut vest on which a watch is draped, and is therefore not a status hunter. But he is someone with a passionate interest in Rolls-Royce that he now shares with his friend Jan Wolters, who has collected more copies. So an ordinary citizen with his own friends club AVK (worshipers of classics) with only 2 members. A beautiful story of a 'classic dream' that really came true.
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