---
title: "A Classic Rolls-Royce With a Tesla Swap Makes Perfect Sense"
description: "Shift EV took a 1970 Silver Shadow that belonged to Johnny Cash and gave it Tesla Model S DNA."
date: "2020-08-09"
modified: "2020-08-09"
authors:
  - name: "Jesus Garcia"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jesus-garcia"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/35534/a-classic-rolls-royce-with-a-tesla-swap-makes-perfect-sense"
categories:
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "Rolls-Royce News"
  - "Tesla News"
tags:
  - "luxury"
  - "Rolls-Royce"
---

# A Classic Rolls-Royce With a Tesla Swap Makes Perfect Sense

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2020/08/Shift-EV-Tesla-Rolls-Royce-.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

[Classic car EV conversions](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/30492/historic-vehicle-society-denounces-converting-classic-cars-to-electric-power>) have been a steadily growing trend, but the controversy remains as to whether or not it takes away the point of owning a vintage ride. Converting a Porsche 911 or first-gen Ford Mustang offers the fun of instant torque, but most of the entertainment in driving an old car is the mechanical soundtrack. But, what if you converted a classic that was already designed to be quiet and smooth? [Shift EV has been doing gas-to-electric](<https://www.shiftev.com/blogs/service-examples/johnny-cash-rolls-royce-plus-tesla-s?_pos=1&_sid=7eee2ea27&_ss=r>) conversions for classic cars and hot rods since 2009. One day, a client showed up in a 1970 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow formerly owned by Johnny Cash asking for a "deep swap" Tesla conversion.

What puts this build in a separate category from other classic [EV conversions](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/32157/yamahas-new-270-hp-ev-crate-motor-could-be-perfect-for-your-dream-ev-swap-project>) is that Shift EV didn't just pull the engine, dump in an electric motor with a battery pack and call it a day. The project involved swapping motors, batteries, ABS, air conditioning, traction control, electric power steering and anything else you'd find in a Tesla Model S into a 50-year-old, hand-built Rolls-Royce. But, the key to making this car a success is that they kept the exterior and interior as original as possible out of respect for the "Man in Black."

The decision to do an [EV swap](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/32357/whats-your-dream-car-for-an-ev-swap>) came down to the simple reason that the 130,000-mile Silver Shadow needed a full mechanical restoration. The opportunity to go electric seemed like the perfect solution. After all, a Rolls-Royce is the pinnacle of personal luxury and ride quality, where quiet and smoothness can only improve it.

![Johnny Cash Rolls-Royce Tesla EV ](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1597006728173-shiftev-rolls-royce-tesla-008.jpg>)
*Shift EV*

![Johnny Cash Rolls-Royce Tesla EV ](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1597006744308-shiftev-rolls-royce-tesla-007.jpg>)
*Shift EV*

![Johnny Cash Rolls-Royce Tesla EV ](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1597006760147-shiftev-rolls-royce-tesla-010.jpg>)
*Shift EV*

This project's donor car was a new Tesla Model S with a 75-kilowatt-hour battery pack, purchased solely to be stripped of its guts. One of the biggest challenges was discovering that the Silver Shadow is actually 10 inches narrower than a Model S. The rear wheels were fitted with an adaptor to bolt Tesla wheel bearings onto the stock Rolls-Royce components, while a Tesla drive unit is visible if you look where the differential housing would typically be. The Tesla battery pack sits center underneath the Rolls-Royce, and the trunk hides the center instrument display and charger with plenty of room for luggage and a guitar case. The Johnny Cash EV Rolls-Royce has a range of over 200 miles and accelerates, stops and handles better than it did in 1970.

![Johnny Cash Rolls-Royce Tesla EV ](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1597006885796-shiftev-rolls-royce-tesla-003.jpg>)
*Shift EV*

![Johnny Cash Rolls-Royce Tesla EV ](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1597007157892-20200320_172952_grande.jpg>)
*Shift EV*

![Johnny Cash Rolls-Royce Tesla EV ](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1597007209713-20200229_151059_grande.jpg>)
*Shift EV*

YouTube channel [*Transport Evolved*](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A9xnbcGXso&feature=emb_title>) produced a video interviewing Shift EV on everything that went into building this fascinating car. It's definitely worth a watch:

https://youtube.com/embed/5A9xnbcGXso

It may not be a pieced-together Cadillac, but this Tesla swapped Rolls-Royce definitely lives up to [Johnny Cash's lyrics](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18cW_yHo3PY>).

*"I'm gonna ride around in style*

Gonna drive everybody wild

'Cause I'll have the only one there is round."

![message-editor%2F1597007244050-shiftev-rolls-royce-tesla-001.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1597007244050-shiftev-rolls-royce-tesla-001.jpg>)
**Shift EV**

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### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/jesus_behind_the_wheel>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/JBehindtheWheel>)