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Rolls-Royce Wraith - Full In-depth Interior and Exterior Walkaround Video Tour

977 views · Published 17 August 2017 · 3:06 · Indexed 21 September 2026

Channel: Mashley Media · 2017 · Autos & Vehicles

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In the decade since Rolls-Royce Motor Cars' re-emergence as the most revered name in motoring, the word Phantom has become synonymous with peerless luxury. Its launch in 2003 emphatically heralded the marque’s return to the very pinnacle of excellence, presenting a hand-made luxury good without equal to connoisseurs across the world.

Ghost followed in 2009. It revived one of the most celebrated names in motoring history, embodying the effortless dynamism that characterises the car, as well as the inherent beauty of its 20th Century namesake.

Choosing a name to reflect the newest Rolls-Royce model’s unique character was therefore vital. The task was to find something to suit a car that promised to draw superlatives; the boldest design and the most dynamic, powerful car in the marque’s 108 year history. Yet, a car with more than a hint of the noire.

The choice was clear. The newest addition to the Rolls-Royce family would be called Wraith.

Origins of the word

Derived from Scots dialect, wraith follows traditional Rolls-Royce nomenclature in drawing ethereal inspiration. However, it also hints at a profound sense of darkness, a name that alludes to something more menacing; a nimbler, caliginous foil to Ghost and Phantom’s stately presence.

Though the word ‘wraith’ can be broadly defined, it describes an almost imperceptible force, an otherworldly entity that imposes its presence before swiftly returning to the dark.

When Wraith is present, for that fleeting moment, the world stands still.

Fittingly, the word’s origins are something of a mystery. Scholars believe it first appeared in a Scottish 15th century translation of Virgil’s Aenid, whilst theories exist it has origins in the Gaelic word for ‘guardian angel’.

It was Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns who popularised the word in 1784 – using it in his brooding song ‘Ballad on the American War’:

An’ Chatham’s wraith, in heav’nly graith,
(Inspired Bardies saw, man)
Wi’ kindling eyes. Cry’d, ‘Willie, rise!
Would I hae fear’d them a’, man!’

Beyond this famous verse, there are precious few examples of its use in literature. Indeed, wraith received little attention until 1938 and the introduction of the first Rolls-Royce to bear the name.

Launched in 1938, Rolls-Royce Wraith featured a marriage of dynamic power delivery and hallmark Rolls-Royce luxury, an approach emphatically endorsed in Britain’s Autocar shortly after the car’s debut:

'...it seems of little consequence what the precise maximum speed figure is when such astonishingly easy and completely effortless running is available at, say, 75 mph.”

The Honourable Charles Stewart Rolls one of the company’s founding forefathers, embodies many of Rolls-Royce Wraith’s characteristics.

A man of extremes, he was born an aristocrat but eschewed the path his social standing suggested, choosing instead to indulge a passion for innovation, engineering and adventure. And racing.

His desire for adventure took him to the infamous Paris to Madrid town-to-town, an event in which many of his fellow drivers failed to return. But his attentions were soon to turn to even more daring pursuits.

From 1908, Charles Rolls divided his time between his burgeoning motor concern and winning the adulation of the British public through his new passion for endeavors in the air.

He won the praise of King George V who hailed him “the greatest hero of his day” when he became the first man to cross the English channel and to return non-stop in a flying machine. Sadly this drive would lead to his untimely demise aged just 32, testing the very limit of his Wright Flyer’s capabilities in high winds at an air show in 1910.

So much of the man’s debonair character can be seen in Rolls-Royce’s latest model: enigmatic, never still, and possessing a relentless appetite for adventure. But, like our founding forefather, Rolls-Royce Wraith is also a model that embraces the very finest things in life: luxury, elegance, refinement and the trappings of exclusivity.

Were he alive, this is the car Charles Rolls would choose to drive. And, like all those who work at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars today, he would have been proud to call it Rolls-Royce Wraith.

The Rolls-Royce Wraith is a British handmade 4 seat luxury grand tourer manufactured by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and based on the chassis of the Rolls-Royce Ghost.

The name Wraith comes from an old Scottish word meaning image of a ghost or spirit, a name it shares with the 1938 model by the original Rolls Royce company.

The body style is a 2-door pillarless coupe, where all side windows can roll down as in a convertible. This body style was popular in American cars during the 1950s and 60s and was known as the Hardtop body style.

The vehicle was announced in January 2013 and unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. Deliveries began from the fourth quarter of 2013.

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