Rolls reversal: Lord Bamford’s brilliantly bonkers Rolls-Royce pick-up

A commercial conversion fit for a peer

Plenty of exotic cars have been converted into load-lugging workhorses over the years, from a Maserati-derived rapid response truck to a Ferrari 412 hauler.

None, though, have been quite as stylish as this absurdly brilliant Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow pick-up, finished this year by British specialist Clark & Carter.

Designed for life as a racing team support vehicle, the story of its creation is quite the tale…

Inspirational conversion

The seed was planted in the 1950s, when a young Anthony Bamford – now a Lord and one of Britain’s most respected industrialists with the family firm JCB – spotted a Rolls-Royce 20/25 being used by mechanics at the marque’s factory. 

The conversion left a lasting impression and six decades later inspired the ultimate paddock support vehicle.

Shadow play

Things really got started in 2014, with the discovery in the USA of a Silver Shadow that had already been converted. 

“Lord Bamford found it, but when it arrived at our workshops it was a bit of a shock,” says Steve Clark. “It was painted white and the conversion looked a bit as if a hillbilly had done it.”

Novel features on the found Roller included a gun rack, a drinks cabinet and a deep shag-pile carpet, while the bumpers were crudely cut and the side trims had been replaced by ‘Town and Country’-style wood. 

As if to fix it all, the rough panel gaps had been brazed and loaded with filler.

Classy cut-and-shut

America more than any other nation has a thing for Rolls-Royce conversions. As the ’70s status symbol became a secondhand bargain, so the chops became inevitable – including jacked-up off-roaders with pick-up bodies. 

The team at Clark & Carter – which produces some of the finest Rolls-Royce and Bentley restorations – is a little more respectful of the marque’s original intentions.

Faithful finish

John Blatchley’s original styling was very much an inspiration for the British firm. Where other modified Silver Shadows have been crudely sectioned behind the front door with a solid metal panel, Clark decided to retain the rear quarterlight. 

Where the rear doors would have been, new steel sections were made to retain the Shadow’s clean lines.

Good for a tow

The pick-up bed and fold-down tailgate proved more of a challenge, says Clark: “The rear panel was made in aluminium for lightness and ease of use. The older conversion had a nasty rear bumper, so we took a standard spare and sectioned it to look more like a corner piece.”

“Under the bumper, a removable panel hides the fixings for a towbar.” 

Unusually subtle ute

The shaping of the rear wing corners around the standard Shadow tail-lights is beautifully done while the final detail – a plated moulding along the top edge of the storage area – brilliantly completes the makeover. 

White-line tyres were chosen to match the period look, while a Tudor Grey finish complemented the natural wood finish and the reinstated chrome trim enhanced the Roller's elegant profile.

Swanky cabin

Inside, the cabin has been beautifully refurbished and retrimmed in a deep slate-grey leather. With a black headlining, it all feels like an exclusive gentlemen’s club. 

The only visible modern addition is a new head unit fitted below the deep veneered dashboard. Behind the seats is a security box to safely store valuables and the standard of workmanship throughout is superb.

Practical packing

The layout of the storage units in the back was carefully planned. “Billy and Bryan, the JCB team mechanics, offered advice,” says Clark. 

“As well as looking stylish, the rear had to make the car a practical support vehicle. We wanted to keep it simple, but it soon became more involved.” 

Nautical style

The finished result would impress any bespoke cabinet-maker: the left side is fitted out with a full Rolls-Royce toolkit and jack, all neatly clipped in place. 

The fittings, meanwhile, are very much marine-inspired. Clark & Carter’s storeman spent ages combing the internet to find old-stock catches (several had to be made in the workshops), while solid teak was used for the edging to protect the units.

Functional adjustments

The rest of the fixed side units are designed to carry the team’s toolboxes, race gear and smaller spares, while the middle section has removable panels to give extra length for carrying larger spares, such as a back axle.

The suspension at the rear had to be modified to support heavier loads. New adjustable springs were fitted, but the rest of the mechanical specification remains standard.

Exacting standards

Lord Bamford wanted several details to make the conversion extra special, such as the bespoke ‘Pick Up’ badge on the tailgate, which was made to match the style of the original Shadow emblem. 

When the canvas tonneau was first fitted, Bamford didn’t like the bare metal studs because they looked too prominent. Black replacements were sourced, which transformed the style of the rear deck when covered. 

Unique team machine

The finished car is a credit to C&C’s talented team, and became a family affair with both of Clark’s sons involved: Stuart worked on the coachwork, while Jamie took on the assembly.

Shock and yaw

You can’t help smiling when you open the driver’s door. Once in that sumptuous cabin, with the smooth V8 murmuring away, you soon forget the practical conversion behind. 

On the road, the superb ride, creamy power, featherlight steering and yacht-like yaw through the corners all fuel Thomas Crown Affair fantasies, and it’s fun to watch reactions as onlookers admire the famous frontage – only to gawp at that remarkable rear end.

A regular sight

The pick-up will now become a fixture of the JCB historic race team, and will eventually be seen at Goodwood events.

Parked under the paddock shelters with the rear in the shade, you’d probably acknowledge it as a mint Silver Shadow, but the distinctive registration soon gives it away as the coolest support vehicle.

Clark doesn’t like to think about the hours that went into conversion, so it’s likely to remain a one-off.

Thanks to Lord Bamford; Steve Clark; the magnificent medieval Cressing Barns