Which Rolls-Royce model first used a fully unitary body and chassis?

The Silver Shadow was the first Rolls-Royce model to use fully unitary body-and-chassis construction. Instead of mounting a separate body on a conventional frame, its structural bodyshell integrated the functions of both.

Introduced in 1965, the Silver Shadow represented a major technical break with the Silver Cloud and earlier Rolls-Royce cars. Pressed Steel engineered and manufactured the body-in-white, which was transported to Crewe for final assembly. The new construction allowed a more efficient use of space: the Shadow was shorter and narrower than the Silver Cloud but provided greater passenger and luggage room.

The change also accompanied several modern features, including all-around independent suspension, disc brakes and a high-pressure hydropneumatic self-levelling system licensed from Citroën. These upgrades helped Rolls-Royce respond to concerns that its traditional chassis architecture was becoming outdated.

The Silver Dawn and Silver Cloud used separate chassis, so they are not correct alternatives. The later Silver Spirit inherited the unitary-construction direction, but it was the Silver Shadow that introduced it to the marque.