1991 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit

First registered on 01 August 1991, this early-model MKII (with the three-speed transmission) has enjoyed the company of six distinguished and fastidious owners throughout its lifetime, racking up an impressive 103,000 miles during its 30 years in service, not that you’d be able to tell from its condition.

Previously owned by the chairman of the Liverpool Organic Brewery (hence the registration) the car has been used as a wedding/special event hire car whilst in the care of the current owner, along with having been used as a sunny day / weekend car, meaning that it has not seen extensive use in recent years, amassing only a handful of miles between annual MoT exams.

Whilst not in use, the car has been stored underneath a waterproof breathable car cover whilst in the current ownership, as it is simply too big for the vendors garage!

With an impressive history and numerous invoices and documents from HR Owen and other marque specialists, this is a well-used, but equally well-cherished example of the second-generation Silver Spirit.

Finished in the ever-elegant shade of Midnight Blue, the coachwork of this Silver Spirit II is in very good condition overall, still looking as regal and high-class as the day it rolled out of the Rolls-Royce factory gates.

On the whole, the paintwork on the front, sides and rear of the car is in good order, and presents very well indeed. There are a few notable scratches on the offside rear wing, a few larger stone chips on the front end and minor marks on the edge of the bonnet, and some bubbling paintwork around the NSR door handle.

Up above, there is significant ‘spidering’ across the entire roof, and along the bottom edge of the rear window, which we’ve photographed and can be seen in the gallery below.

Looking along the flanks of the car, we’re impressed to see that - save for one or two small ‘ripples’ the bodywork is very straight indeed, and there are no signs of any mis-aligned panels, with the only issues worthy of mention being a section of lower door trim coming off on the NSR door.

As far as we could see, there were no cracks or damage to any of the light lenses, nor to the front or rear windows.

The vendor notes that the boot latch is ‘tricky’ at times, and during our photoshoot we were unable to open the boot, despite cycling the lock both manually and through the remote locking fob several times, so perhaps the physical catch requires some attention.

All four wheels are in very good condition, wearing only some minor dinks, scuffs and kerb rash.

With a sea of Connolly leather, high-quality carpets and a general feeling of opulence, sitting in this Silver Spirit - whether as a driver or passenger - makes any journey feel like an occasion, such is the overall quality and ‘build’ of the cabin.

In spite of its high mileage, the cabin of this ‘roller’ still presents wonderfully, with no heavy wear to the seats, no major stains or marks to the carpets, a taut headlining that is equally free of wear, and excellent wooden inserts throughout, with no lacquer damage or major marks noted to any of the capping or centre console inserts.

Being critical - as we always try to be - there are some typical wear marks on the inner door sill covers, along with some corrosion or flaking paint noted in the door jamb of the nearside front door, as seen in the gallery below.

From what we could tell, all systems are working as they should be, with the a/c kicking in, the heated seats in full working order, and all of the dials and instruments working as they should be. That said, the vendor notes that the cigarette lighters and flip-up navigation screen (fitted to the more modern entertainment unit) are inoperable, and we were unable to test the cruise control.

Starting with ease and immediately settling into a smooth, refined and quiet idle, the 6.75-litre V8 engine in the front of this Silver Spirit is in apparently rude mechanical health, and showed no signs of any untoward behaviours, noises or quirks during our test drive, nor during repeated starts whilst photographing the car.

When warm, we did note that the starter sounded slightly slow - as you can see in the video below - so perhaps a new battery may be on the cards, but otherwise from a mechanical standpoint, we have no reservations from our limited experience with the vehicle.

In terms of suspension, there was a very slight clunking from the front axle when going over speed bumps, but otherwise the car felt planted, refined and wonderfully smooth, as a Rolls-Royce should be. Truthfully, in a normal car the sound would’ve likely gone undetected, but since this Silver Spirit is so well-insulated, every little noise is noticeable.

We did note that despite being run for around 25 minutes in a mix of traffic conditions the temperature gauge never went above the bottom-most area of the ‘normal’ zone on the gauge, and the frontmost radiator fans (the ones you can see from outside the car) appeared to be laboured and turned very, very slowly, even with the air-conditioning system on, though the system itself blew cold with no issues.

In the engine bay, the engine, ancillaries and the bay itself all present well and have evidently been well-kept throughout the cars lifetime, with only a minor misting of fluid noted around the upper echelons of the oil system, as seen in the photographs below.

Underneath, the chassis looks to be in good, used order, and displays nothing more than the typical ‘bloom’ expected from a vehicle of this age.

The most recent MoT exam - dated 28 July 2021 - shows a first-time pass with a minor advisory for a ‘light misting of oil / limited damping effect’ on the offside rear shock absorbers.

Included with the vehicle is the V5 showing six former keepers, the private registration plate that is currently affixed to the vehicle, numerous MoT certificates, and a respectable history comprised almost entirely of H R Owen and other Rolls-Royce/Bentley specialist documentation.

The most recent service took place in August 2020 and was carried out by Reading independent Jags & Classics (a Rolls-Royce specialist) at 102,818 miles, along with the front nearside brake calliper being overhauled.

Three sets of keys are included with the car.

With a level of luxury that makes any journey feel special, yet feeling immediately useable and comfortable for any driver or passenger, this 1991 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit II is presented in very good condition throughout, and is ready for the next owner to put to use however they see fit.

Offered with NO RESERVE and an estimate of £7,000 to £12,000 these 1990s Rolls-Royces offer fantastic value for money, and will no doubt give plenty more years of faithful service to the considerate and maintenance-conscious enthusiast owner.

Viewing is always encouraged. This particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays between 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.