1997 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn

The vendor inherited this magnificent Silver Dawn from his father, who bought the car from Hanwells in 2017.

The mileage, which we have every reason to believe is genuine, is a barely run-in 30,695.

Prior to the vendor and his father, the car’s owner was none other than Countess Raine Spencer, perhaps better known to the world as the late Princess Diana’s stepmother.

That’s some impressive provenance.

But then this is a very impressive car.

Without the Build Sheets, we believe the car to be finished in Royal Blue, but either way, it looks appropriately grand and aristocratic and accentuates the car’s elegant lines to good effect.

The shut lines and panel gaps are consistent and even, and the bodywork is very straight and true, with no dimples, dinks or dents of any note anywhere that we can see.

Viewed from any angle, the car sits reassuringly squarely and correctly.

The chrome-work is devoid of any pitting, foxing or tarnishing that we can see, and the car’s external fixtures and fittings are all in very good order.

There is a little bubbling in evidence on the n/s/f wing and there’s also a bubble on the driver’s door.

The wheels are in decent condition, although there are some minor kerbing scuffs on all four and some bubbling can be seen in places on the hub caps.

The matching, and correct, Avon tyres look to have plenty of life left in them.

We spotted a small dent to the nearside sill where it meets the front wheel arch, a scuff to the front bumper on the nearside, a standard scattering of stone chips and light scratches around the front of the car, and some paint chips and signs of previous touch-ups on the door edges.

There’s a small patch of delamination in one corner of the windscreen.

The condition of the car’s interior is far more a reflection of its low mileage than its age.

It’s really very good all round, save for one or two minor deviations from perfection.

The cream leather upholstery is in very fine order and the seats barely have so much as a few light creases to show for their years of service, let alone any ingrained patina.

The only evidence of use is some wear to the piping on the outer bolster of the driver’s seat back-rest.

The seats, front and back, are comfortable, supportive and functional.

The door cards, headlining, carpets and mats also speak to the car’s mileage, rather than its age, and the overall impression is one of a remarkably well-preserved interior.

Look closely at the dashboard and some of the door cappings and you’ll notice a few cracks to the lacquer on the veneers.

The veneer on the driver’s door capping is notably different to that on the other three; our vendor tells us "This was a special request and was fitted originally by RR Hanwell."

We noticed that the A/C appears not to blow cold, so may just need re-gassing. Also, the electric fuel cap release button has taken early retirement and you’ll have to resort to using the manual release button.

A further idiosyncrasy that raised its head is the tendency of the nearside headlamp to turn off when full beam is engaged.

Apart from that, and as far as we’re aware, all dials, knobs, switches, levers and instruments are fully functional and do what they’re supposed to do without reluctance.

The boot is in excellent condition.

The engine bay looks clean, dry and fresh and everything appears to be in its right and proper place.

The undersides of the car also look to be possessed of plenty of structural integrity and everything seems sound and solid as far as we can tell.

Nothing we’ve seen has given us cause to tut or raise an eyebrow.

The car’s Roll-Royce service book is only showing service stamps from 2016 and 2017, with both services conducted by Hanwells.

Since then, the car has been serviced, maintained and repaired as necessary by Shadow Motorcars of Sittingbourne.

We don’t have any of the car’s earlier history from its Countess Spencer years, but it’s reasonable to assume that the Countess had her people look after it well and without undue concern for expense.

The car comes with full sets of keys, a service book pack, a clear HPI report and an MoT, with no advisories whatsoever, that’s valid until 28.5.25.

This rare and very classy Silver Dawn, for many years the property of Countess Raine Spencer, was built in the year that the life of her step-daughter, Diana, Princess of Wales, was tragically cut short.

It is in pretty much time-warp condition, bar a few relatively minor cosmetic issues, and has yet to put 31,000 miles on the clock.

We think it has all the condition, quality, provenance and integrity to provide its next owner with many years of proud, prestigious, pedigree British motoring pleasure.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £15,000 - £18,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.