1995 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur

First registered on the 15th of December 1995 and showing six previous keepers, this Silver Spur III benefits from the more powerful engine, dual airbags, and improved rear seats.

In the care of the vendor for the past ten years or so, it’s been fastidiously maintained while it’s been in his care despite him only having covered around 3,000 miles as he has other cars in his collection.

Only for sale because of this infrequent use, it’s being offered with a very sensible reserve, so if you’ve ever hankered after one you know what to do…

UPDATE: The vendor has been in touch with the following information:  The first owner reportedly specified that the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot for this car should be larger than standard. The vendor is led to believe that it is at least 25% bigger and is a very unusual factory feature.

The Royal Blue Metallic coachwork is fabulous, sporting tight and even shutlines, dent-free panels and a rich, deep gloss to the blue paintwork.

The front bumper has a wonderful little badge bar, which would make a great place to display the period enamel badges you’re going to be scouring eBay for.

Speaking of which, while the chromework is generally good that on the front bumper is a little scratched and could do with polishing.

The alloy wheels are fitted with chrome wheel trims. This might be an unusual combination but it is one that works very well. They’re also in a terrific condition and are fitted with matching Avon tyres, all of which have good tread.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you an insight into their attitude towards maintenance.

Mistermatic has carried out some localized repairs to the bodywork, and has done a good job of blending them into the old paint. There are still a couple of minor rust bubbles to sort out, most notably on the base of the nearside B- and C-pillars. The badge bar shows some rust staining where it joins the bumper and there are only a couple of minor areas where the usual aluminium ‘spidering’ has taken hold.

That said, none of it is bad and the overall presentation is very smart; we try to be pernickety because we know so many of you bid sight-unseen so will always err on the side of caution…

The Magnolia leather seats are piped in blue. They’re heated too, and have a four-position memory switch for the electrical adjustment. Only gently patinated, they’re still firm and comfortable and look suitably regal; nothing says ‘old money’ better than mildly creased leather seats. From scar-free cows, obviously.

The extensive wooden veneer trim is in an excellent condition, as are the wool carpets whose pile is considerably deeper than that in any of our houses…

It’s the same story with the leather-covered dashboard and door cards, as well as the rest of the interior furniture; its condition is commensurate with the car’s mileage, age and money-no-object curation.

Mind you, considering that almost everything is either top-quality leather, wood, chrome or wool, it’s longevity and condition shouldn’t really come as a surprise, should it?

And yes, even the headlining is leather – and it’s still taut and free of stains, which is all you can hope for from the leather-covered objects in your life, isn’t it?

As the long-wheelbase version, the Silver Spur boast enormous rear legroom. Individual rear seats too, plus wooden marquetry around the mirrors in the C-pillars and picnic tables on the back of the front seats. It really is a very special place to be.

We’ve tested the rear seats and they adjust as they should, as do the front ones. The air-conditioning is good too, as is the radio, electric aerial and central locking. You’re very welcome to come and play with the toys but given the vendor’s fastidious nature we’d be surprised if you could find anything that doesn’t work.

The boot is as well-trimmed as you’d imagine, and home to two sliding trays. One is home to the toolkit and warning triangle, while the other houses the handbook. There’s a wonderfully labelled battery cut-off switch in there too, plus a place for a bottle of LHM fluid.

We lifted the spare wheel out of the way to check the floor, and can confirm that it is solid and free of rust.

Problems are few and minor. There is some cracking to the lacquer on the driver’s door capping and, er, well that seems to be it.

January 2019 saw the Silver Spur gain a new spring, windscreen and a wheel trim at a cost of £1,300. A spring cup had been fitted the previous month, which enthusiasts will know is a common, and not inexpensive, problem.

A new cruise control ECU was fitted in April 2019, a fresh battery was fitted in June 2019, and the air-conditioning was re-charged and a window regulator cable fettled in July 2020.

November 2017 saw the Rolls-Royce receive some repairs to the offside rear suspension, new rear brake disc pads and handbrake pads, new brake pipes and lower damper bushes. This bill came to another £2,300.

Earlier work includes a new alarm module in January 2016 along with a new brake pipe, fresh LHM fluid, a ball joint, suspension bushes and a starter motor. The final bill came to almost £2,500.

The service history booklet and attached invoices show the following services having been carried out:

15.01.1996 and 1,248 miles

08.07.1996 and 7,752 (?) miles

03/??/1997 and 13,648 miles

14.05.1997 and 15,789 miles

21.06.1998 and 24,043 miles

01.06.1999 and 32,807 miles

10.08.2000 and 40,697 miles

21.06.2001 and 49,948 miles

30.07.2002 and 57,866 miles

03.09.2003 and 64, 528 miles

12.06.2004 and 68,998 miles

09.05.2005 and 83,870 miles

31.03.2006 and 84,975 miles

28.03.2007 and 88,385 miles

01.06.2007 and 89,011 miles

01.02.2010 and 91,958 miles

06.01.2011 and 93,687 miles

18.03.2019 and 101,250 miles

We’ve driven it and are delighted to report that it drives as you’d expect; we’re huge fans of the model and this is as good to drive as any we’ve tried, pulling well and feeling tight.

We note that the brake system can take a minute or so to build pressure up after its been sitting for a few days. But, it always gets there and the brakes work perfectly once it has.

The underside looks very solid with only very light surface corrosion to deal with. Still, a couple of hours with a wire brush and some quality underseal would see that ticked off the list and see the old girl fighting fit and ready to face whatever the winter can throw at her.

The Silver Spur’s MOT expires at the end of January 2021 and the certificate was gained without any advisory points.

It comes with a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years.

It also still has its original owner’s handbook, book pack (and it is a book) and wallet plus the original invoice, and two keys.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

And please be reassured, we’ve undertaken a full COVID-assessment and put into place strict control measure to enable us to safely facilitate a no-contact, socially distanced viewing that includes disinfection of the vehicle before and after your viewing.

The cliché that a Rolls-Royce can be yours for the price of a new Ford Fiesta might be true but it is rarely advisable; they’re just too damn complicated to be maintained on a budget – when things go wrong, they tend to go wrong very quickly, which is why you see so many being sold on the cheap…

But, if you buy the right car that bargain-basement Fiesta suddenly looks a whole lot less appealing - and when you realise our guide price of between £10,000 and £18,000 would buy you only a mid-spec Ford it gets even more appealing, doesn’t it?

Because this late-model Silver Spur has very good coachwork, a fulsome interior, an unblemished service history and an awful lot of recent expenditure making it a Rolls-Royce you can buy with your head and your heart – and if you’re canny, you could probably get in and back out of it within a couple of years at minimal cost.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.