1991 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit

Pictures provided by the seller

Highlights

• Lovely Silver Spirit II 
• Rare Light Ocean Blue
• Well maintained by diligent owner
• Over £4,000 spent recently on suspension and radiator overhaul

THE BACKGROUND

In Rolls-Royce’s pre-BMW days, every car was a story of evolution rather than revolution. If you wanted the finest car in the world, then what you got was a concept that had been continually refined and evolved rather than a car that would set the world on fire.
The Silver Spirit was a case in point. Launched in 1980, its angular styling, square headlamps and flat, slab-sided appearance were an entirely new direction for Rolls-Royce, bringing the brand kicking and screaming into a dynamic new decade. Yet beneath the sharp new suit, the Spirit was largely based on the Silver Shadow it succeeded, using the same floorpan, Citroen-derived hydraulic suspension and 6.75-litre L410 V8 engine, coupled to a GM four-speed automatic gearbox that had its roots in a 1960s Cadillac.
What Rolls-Royce didn’t know at the time was that the Silver Spirit and its sister car, the LWB Silver Spur, would go on to enjoy a 20-year production run, by which time the car was a glorious anachronism. 
There were four major enhancements during the Spirit’s lifetime, the first of which came in 1989 with the Silver Spirit II, and that’s what we have here. A 1991 example wit a very low mileage. 

THE HISTORY

This Silver Spirit was first registered in March 1991 and dates from right in the middle of Silver Spirit II production. 
The vendor reports that it has received ‘proper’ rather than ‘knee-jerk’ maintenance and has been well-maintained during his ownership. 

THE PAPERWORK

There’s a recent bill with the Rolls-Royce for over £4,000, covering its most recent maintenance and service which also saw a new radiator and a suspension overhaul, which in turn addressed the minor advisories raised on its last MOT. 
The current MOT certificate runs until May 2022 and the car comes with a UK V5C.

THE EXTERIOR 

Finished in Light Ocean Blue metallic ad sitting on its original Avon alloy wheels, the Silver Spirit is a fabulous looking car and looks absolutely fantastic. 
It sits well with no signs of sagging or droopy suspension and the vendor describes the bodywork as being in very good order, with no notable faults. There are no mentions of floor, sill or chassis corrosion on any of its previous MOT tests.

THE INTERIOR 

The cream Connolly hide and matching lambswool carpets give the Spirit a real air of grace and dignity, and everything appears to be in fine order, with smart burr walnut inserts and a whole host of luxury features, including fold down tables and separate ashtrays and map reading lights for rear seat passengers. 
Being a Series II, it also has additional air vents for the climate control system and a much small steering wheel than the original model, which used the old Silver Shadow one. 
According to the seller, all of the controls work as they should and it is a lovely and relaxing car in which to travel. 

THE MECHANICS 

With the launch of the Series II, Rolls-Royce changed the design of the suspension to include "Automatic Ride Control", a fully automatic system that adjusted dampers at all four wheels in real time, a precursor of the systems fitted to many luxury and performance cars today. 
Other updates included the introduction of ABS and fuel injection as standard, using Bosch's MK-Motronic system. 
This is one of the last to retain the arguably more reliable three-speed GM automatic ‘Hydramatic’ transmission.
It has been regularly serviced and maintained via regular inspections rather than when components have failed. The vendor says that the car drives very well indeed, with no known faults. 

THE APPEAL

Right now, the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit represents absolutely astonishing value for money and is a massive amount of car for what you’ll pay – in its day, it was one of the most expensive cars on sale and, as Rolls-Royce said in its advertising, the quality remains long after the price tag is forgotten. 
Given that prices of good Silver Shadows have been rising for some time now, an excellent Silver Spirit promises to be a terrific investment opportunity as well as a car you can thoroughly enjoy for its unbeatable character and luxury. And this one seems to be a good one!

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Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.

As is normal for most auctions, this vehicle is sold as seen, and therefore the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. All bids are legally binding once placed. Any winning bidder who withdraws from a sale, is subject to our bidders fee charge. Please see our FAQs and T&C's for further information. Viewings of vehicles are encouraged, but entirely at the seller's discretion.

Please see our FAQ's here and our Terms & Conditions here

Please see our FAQs here and our Terms & Conditions here

Vehicle specification
  • Year 1991
  • Make Rolls Royce
  • Model Silver Spirit
  • Colour Light Ocean Blue
  • Odometer 56,919 Miles
  • Engine size 6750
Auction Details
  • Seller Type Private
  • Location Berkshire
  • Country United Kingdom
Bidding history
33 bids
  • du•••• £9,600 05/12/21
  • lo•••• £9,500 05/12/21
  • lo•••• £9,400 05/12/21
  • du•••• £9,300 05/12/21
  • lo•••• £9,200 05/12/21
  • du•••• £9,100 05/12/21
  • lo•••• £9,000 05/12/21
  • du•••• £8,900 05/12/21
  • lo•••• £8,800 05/12/21
  • du•••• £8,700 05/12/21
Message C&C Auction Team

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