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BEHIND THE WHEELS
ROLLS-ROYCE CACHET
Adlai Pennington got a real bargain when he purchased this classic • By Richard Greene
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f you pulled into almost any parking lot of almost any size 50 years ago with a Rolls-Royce like this 1978 Silver Shadow II, it is entirely likely that you would have the car with the greatest prestige and the most expensive of them all. What if you encountered a Cadillac owner, you may ask? The GM flagship in the 1970s could be had for about $10,000. According to the big insurer of classic cars, the Hagerty Insurance Company, a Rolls would cost you more than six times that amount. Or, somewhere north of $280,000 in today’s dollars. So, when classic car collector Adlai Pennington made this vehicle number 25 in his very eclectic collection of cars that he keeps in just the condition he finds them, he was able to say that he had an exceptional example of a classic from five decades ago.
Readers may recall that I’ve featured a couple of other Adlai’s cars that he keeps in his garage/warehouse/mancave on his property tucked away in a wooded area along a nearby stream. Recalling how his collection is arranged bumper to bumper and door handle to door handle, I asked him if there was space for this new addition. “Oh yes,” he assured, “there’s room for this one, too.” He went on to say through his affable smile, “I’m thinking about holding a one-man car show someday. It will require some doing since most of my cars haven’t been started in a very long time and some of them will require towing, but I’ve got what is needed to do that, too.” I hope he is serious because such an event would reveal a car collection like no other – all of his cars are one-of-kind, and
Adlai Pennington stands with his 1978 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II, which was acquired at an auction during the world-renowned Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance event. Photos: Richard Greene
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ARLINGTON TODAY • November 2020 • arlingtontoday.com
