1985 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit

The vendor of this Silver Spirit did in fact purchase the 1994 Silver Spur that The Market sold in a recent auction. “I had the opportunity to upgrade to the newer, larger car and took it. I almost felt like keeping both – as this Silver Spirit is such a nice car for the money – but it’s now for sale.”

In his time our chap has owned in the region of 30 to 40 examples of these Spirits & Mulsannes, so he definitely knows a good example from a slightly less salubrious one. That decision to sell means that the lucky next owner is going to get a thoroughly sorted example of the breed.

“I bought this car two and half years ago for my son’s wedding,” he explains. “It’d been owned by a fastidious person and had been in storage for a number of years, before having a fair bit of money spent on re-commissioning. I picked it up as is, gave it a good polish, and drove it.”

In that time it’s covered around 1500 miles (for a sum total of 55,290), and all without missing a beat. The current health crisis meant that it was eligible for an MOT extension, but our vendor insisted on having a fresh ticket completed for its sale. “It sailed straight through, with no advisories”.

We’re not sure how the Silver Spirit has done it, but it’s managed to move from being an ostentatious car when new to a relatively discreet classic in the present day – no mean feat for such a big car.

This example’s colour scheme is particularly pleasing; its Georgian Silver works well with the blue (and unmarked) roof covering and matching pinstripe detailing.  

The bodywork isn’t perfect, but it is pretty damned good. If you allow your eye to follow that pinstripe detailing along each flank then you’ll be rewarded with straight, beautiful fitting panels.

The paint retains a deep lustre and is consistently free from swirl marks or scratches. There are a few tiny spots of bubbling on several of the wheel arches, but as of yet these haven’t broken through the paint. The alloy door skins are generally free from the stress-mark spidering so common on these cars.

Door shuts, sills and panel gutters all remain gorgeous. That prestigious, and considerable, front grill and The Spirit of Ecstasy emblem atop both remain free from pitting and in tip-top condition.

The chrome wheel trims are similarly well-presented and shod in fairly new tyres (2017), albeit a more-budget make.

If you liked the outside of this car then the interior is where it really shines. Its combination of light blue leather piped dark blue and dark blue carpets piped light blue is simply glorious. Throw in the other Rolls-Royce givens (lashings of high quality wood and superior fit and finish), and there’s no doubt that it is a stunning cabin.

The leather has a bit of minor wear (most notably to the driver’s seat outer bolster and door card), but there are no cracks, rips or tears. Given a good feed it’ll come up beautifully. The wood veneer remains in very nice condition, with just one or two minor cracks on the top of the door cappings.

The carpets are in lovely nick, and up top the headlining is as good as the day it left the factory. All electrics function just as they should, except for the central locking and the fuel gauge. The vendor says the latter should be a relatively easy fix (he had a similar issue with one his previous Spirits), while the former will require a touch of electrical TLC.

Pop the boot and you’ll find it immaculately fitted out in matching carpet, with most of the original tool kit (the pliers are missing) and all of the replacement bulb kit.

“It starts first time on the key and drives beautifully,” says the vendor. That statement is something we’re very happy to confirm. The V8 has a whisper quiet tick-over and under load it’s barely any more perceptible, but one thing that is, is the surfeit of torque. It’s delivered in such a smooth, un-ruffled manner that the cabin ambience never shifts far from serene.

There are no clonks or shonks – something that would be present on examples that had been less well loved – from either the drivetrain or suspension, and the brakes offer a reassuringly solid pedal and plenty of stopping power. The oil pressure is good, while the coolant temperature remains where it should be and the fans cut in when necessary. The vendor drove it over 200 miles to our HQ when picking up the Spur.

Pop the bonnet and you’ll find a remarkably grime-free engine bay. The quilted under bonnet sound-proofing also remains in place. A quick look underneath unveils a similarly positive picture with just a touch of surface corrosion on springs and suspension components, but nothing of an untoward nature.

The supplied V5 document shows that this Silver Spirit has had a total of seven owners from new. The original owner’s handbook shows that the first of these was P.J. Evans Ltd of Dudley, West Midlands, which purchased it on 1-4-85.

It also comes with the original service book and this shows a fairly comprehensive service history (mostly at Rolls-Royce main dealer & specialists). Most importantly, it demonstrates that this low-mileage example has been very well treated since new.

There are also a number of invoices and previous MOT certificates in the history file. Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of the paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very high standard.

In terms of outlay there’s surprisingly little fiscal difference between buying a very good Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit, and a ropey one. However, there is a world of difference in terms of both the driving and ownership experiences that you’ll have.

These complex cars don’t respond well to neglect and a lack of use so your best bet is to find a lowish-mileage one that’s been cherished, serviced regularly and driven. Our vendor’s decision to buy a Silver Spur means that this lovely example will provide its next owner with exactly such an example.

“It’s a great car for someone just getting into owning a classic,” he says. As it’s being sold in a no-reserve auction, it could also be snapped up at a bit of a bargain price. We think it’ll sell for somewhere between £6,000 and £10,000, which is a lot of car for the money.

Buy it, and a multitude of serene motoring journeys wait. This car was monstrously expensive when new but while that value was temporary, its quality is permanent.

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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.