The Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit – and its long-wheelbase sister car, the Silver Spur – represent an interesting chapter in the iconic marque’s history. Being at once the start and end of two distinct eras, the launch of the Spirit/Spur in 1980 showcased the first of a new generation of models for Rolls-Royce, paving the way for the Flying Spur and Silver Dawn – and, of course, during this era there were equivalent Bentley models being built in parallel, so the Spirit platform also informed the Bentley Mulsanne. In addition to these blossoming beginnings, the Spirit/Spur also heralded the end of an era in that it was the last all-new model to be developed before the Volkswagen era began in 1998.
For the launch-model Silver Spirit and Silver Spur, retroactively dubbed the ‘Mark One’, Rolls-Royce carried over the basic design of the long-running Silver Shadow, including its 6.75-litre V8 and GM-sourced transmission as well as the Citroën-licensed hydropneumatic suspension. The facelift of 1989, the Silver Spur II, was comprehensive with refinements including the introduction of ‘Automatic Ride Control’, a fully automated real-time damping adjustment system, along with bringing in Bosch MK-Motronic fuel injection and ABS. These improvements were enhanced yet further with the model we have here, the Silver Spur III. Launched in 1992, the car enjoyed a redesigned intake manifold and cylinder heads to increase power, the suspension system was further refined, and the cabin was treated to dual airbags and individually adjustable rear seats.
While the Silver Spirit may not have enjoyed the runaway success of the ubiquitous Silver Shadow, it was – in every sense of the word – a significant refinement of the formula. Sumptuous luxury, impeccable reliability, ample power, and a fabulously comfortable ride.
Supplied to its first keeper in November 1994, this Rolls-Royce has clearly always been a beloved and cherished possession; not just a means of conveyance, but a companion. The current keeper has owned the car for around twenty years, keeping it generally as a London car and maintaining it in a no-expense-spared fashion; whatever the Rolls needed, the Rolls got. If an MOT flagged an advisory or a service revealed a worn component, the items in question were immediately renewed.
Indeed, the passion for this car has continued with consistent strength through the owner’s advancing years; at 101 years old, he’s still very keen to get out and about in his pride and joy, but ultimately – with regret – the decision has been made to stop driving and allow the Rolls-Royce to pass to a new owner who will love it just as he has.
The correct V5 is present, and we can see that the car passed its MOT in October 2020 with no advisories. The original manuals and service book are here, and the latter is pleasingly filled with stamps. We’re looking at a full service history – in the car’s early life it was serviced every six months, and it’s continued to be regularly serviced by specialists throughout its life. (As you look through the photos, you may spot a gap in servicing between 2001-2005 – the service coupons for this time period have been removed along with all the others, so we can assume it was serviced at these times but the book not stamped.) Such is the voracity for maintenance, in fact, that the entire service book has been used up and the more recent stamps added on a page at the back of the book!
Elsewhere in the file we find a variety of receipts for work carried out in recent years: in 2018, £800 was spent on leather restoration, and in early 2020 some paintwork was carried out to the tune of £1,500+. (We can assume that this was repainting the front passenger door.) Various other works were also carried out last year, including resealing the rear brake pump (£625), fitting a new battery (£163), and remedying an oil leak (£528). There’s also a certificate to show that the vehicle is equipped with a Tracker.
There’s a clear list of reasons why Rolls-Royce owners choose the cars that they do, and the quality of the interior ranks very near the top. As you can see from the photos of this Spirit’s cabin, it’s an exercise in class and taste rather than overt excess, and the quality materials and construction ensure a decent level of hardiness too. So, with relatively few miles on the clock, this car’s interior is quite frankly fabulous. We can see from the paperwork that the leather trim had a fair chunk of cash spent on restoring it to its original freshness, and it’s clearly been looked after and used very little since. The leather is the correct Parchment hide with blue piping (matching the code on the under-bonnet spec plate), and the seats are in beautiful condition throughout with no wear, stains, rips or marks.
The car features the factory-option lambswool overmats, which were an expensive option that’s very desirable these days; their inches-deep pile is as fluffy as it should be, with the owner placing rubber mats on top of them to protect them. And yes, with overmats placed on overmats, the carpet beneath is of course in good condition too.
There are a few modern upgrades to contemporise the driving experience: in addition to the factory radio-cassette in the dash and Alpine 6-disc CD changer hidden away in the boot, there’s also a Parrot Bluetooth hands-free module as well as plug-in wiring for a dash-mounted tablet or display, plus an upgraded aerial in the rear screen.
Inside the boot it almost looks as if nothing’s ever been carried in it, such is the quality of the original carpeting – it’s certainly never hauled goods from the garden centre or builder’s merchants! Tucked away in the hidden compartments at the top of the boot we find the factory toolkit, which has clearly never been used and features all of its original tools and bulbs; the original jack and warning triangle are in there too, also untouched.
All of the gauges work correctly, and every button and switch we pressed did what it ought to; the seller assures us that absolutely everything in the cabin is fully operational. And we have to give special mention to the wood trim on the dash and door cards, which is of such sumptuous artisan quality that it would look at home on a piece of antique furniture; the inlays are sublime and there’s not a hint of sun damage or lacquer peel, it all looks just lovely. Speaking of which, the wood trim on the driver door is the only part of the interior that’s displaying any damage, although when you know what caused it then you’ll most likely find it as endearing as we do and won’t be wanting to fix it: the little indentations on the door capping were caused by the owner’s cufflinks over the years, the gentleman always being smartly attired and resting his arm on the open window. Don’t think of it as damage, but character.
It really is an excellent colour choice, isn’t it? The paint code under the bonnet confirms that we’re looking at Peacock Blue here, and it’s a gloriously shape-shifting hue that looks deep and midnight-y in low light, and erupts in fairground sparkles when the bright sunshine hits it. Overall, the paint finish is excellent throughout, with no scratches, scuffs or scrapes. It is, however, worth pointing out that the front passenger door has been repainted – it’s not a perfect colour match, the shade is just a little lighter than its adjacent panels. It’s a very straight panel though, so it wouldn’t be hard or overly expensive to remedy if you so desired. In terms of dents and dings, the body is impressively straight throughout, with just a couple of very small indentations on the passenger-side front wing – one at the front above the headlight, and one on the side near the side-repeater. The bumpers are very good and, despite being a London car, have no signs of parking scrapes. All of the light lenses and window glass are very good, and the correct chrome trim is all present and wonderfully untarnished. (If you’re looking at the car head-on and thinking that something looks amiss, it’s the fact that the chrome badge bar and number plate mount could do with being removed and re-attached about an inch to the right in order to line everything up.) The original wheel trims are all here and in excellent condition, and the car wears the correct-spec Avon Turbosteel tyres with good tread. The spare underneath the car is also fitted with a Turbosteel. And most importantly of all – the Spirit of Ecstasy looks just as splendid as she should.
A Rolls-Royce ought to be smooth, near-silent and free of vibration or resonance, and that’s precisely how this Silver Spirit III behaves. The mighty six-and-three-quarter engine fires on the first spin of the starter motor and settles into a subtle idle. The column-shift transmission is slick and the auto ’box shifts cleanly, the torque-rich motor providing the appropriate levels of waft, with all of the hidden urgency you may require just a throttle-blip away. Just as a Roller should.
It’s always been properly maintained, and having only covered 71k miles one might argue that the massive motor is barely even run-in. It certainly runs beautifully, and the under-bonnet area is spick-and-span. The radiator looks brand new too.
Elsewhere we find no mechanical issues to be concerned about; the hydropneumatic suspension floats like a cloud, the steering is well-weighted, and the brakes are strong. The car’s always been looked after, and it feels it.
A wonderful example of the breed, this Silver Spirit III makes a strong case for itself. The profile of the design is immediately recognisable even before you’ve clocked the imposing trademark grille – and, incidentally, this model was the first Rolls-Royce to feature a retractable Spirit of Ecstasy – and the sublimely judged form has aged very well, looking classic without seeming outdated. It exudes class from every angle. And with the magic carpet ride of the hydropneumatic suspension, and the effortless GM transmission mated to the eerily quiet and wonderfully torque-rich V8, it behaves exactly as you’d expect a Rolls-Royce to. This is an honest and trustworthy example of the Silver Spur III, with a very reassuring history and a wonderful specification. A beautifully equipped cruiser which is ready for jaunts to the Riviera or the Costa; conversely, it’d also be a sublime machine for the commute or the school run, making an interesting alternative to the similarly-priced hatchbacks on the market! Whatever the intended purpose, this is a dependable and high-quality machine that would make every journey feel like relaxing in the drawing room of a private member’s club. And that’s some way to live, isn’t it?
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1994 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit III
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