Lot Ended
Description
Super-rare Spirit IV, one of only 145 made; under 60k miles
with 23 services plus many invoices; advisory-free MOT; few owners, the
current since 2019; private plate; a pampered Rolls in superb condition; driven
60 miles to the sale
“There is still
something unique and special about owning a Silver Spirit – and about the
statement it still makes. Valet parkers spring into action on your arrival.
Doormen leap to your aid, waving lesser motorists to less exalted berths. Truly,
a Rolls-Royce has presence and plenty of it. It’s hide-covered interior smells –
almost literally – of money. All around you there’s craftsmanship that would
send the Antiques Roadshow team into sheer ecstasy. After a few miles, you won’t
care that this car has the drag co-efficient of a garden shed. All that matters
is that behind that endless bonnet, you’ve achieved a superior kind of peace
with the world” – RAC buying guide.
Based on the Silver Shadow II, the Silver Spirit and its
long-wheelbase counterpart, the Silver Spur, were announced in the autumn of
1980. While the power unit remained Rolls-Royce's familiar and dependable
6,750cc V8, significant improvements were made to the self-levelling rear
suspension and the styling too came in for revision, with a lower waistline, 30%
more glass area and more modern lines with lightweight aluminium doors, bonnet
and boot lid. Inside, the Crewe firm's exemplary standards of equipment and
finish were maintained, the most noticeable change being the adoption of
separate rear seats.
“Unlike the Shadow which,
while cosseting you in luxury and comfort, required a good deal of concentration
to drive quickly, the Spirit is endowed with enough feel, response and stability
to make driving on all types of road a real pleasure,”
reported Motor magazine in 1981.
The Mark II version of 1989 had further suspension revisions with
computerised ride control, ABS brakes and Bosch fuel injection. The Mark III
version came out in 1993 with a four-speed gearbox, a new intake manifold and
cylinder heads which upped power output and dual airbags for the front
passengers.
Last and best was the 1996 Mark IV version, easily
distinguished by silver side mirrors mounted on the windows not the doors; front
quarterlights eliminated; lower radiator grille; integrated front/rear bumpers;
heated seats and distinctive 16” alloy wheels. It also ditched the old
Bosch Motronic engine management system in favour of a more advanced Zytec Fuel
Injection system. Unlike the earlier models, it was never badged as a Spirit IV
because the number four has bad connotations in some Far Eastern
languages.
The last ‘proper’ Rolls-Royce to be produced at Crewe before
BMW took over, the SWB Spirit IV was replaced by the LWB Silver Seraph in 1998.
In production for barely two years, the Mark IV is therefore extremely rare,
with only 145 made out of a total Spirit production of
9,657.
Loping to 60mph in under 10 seconds with a
top speed of around 130mph, the Spirit remains to this day a paragon
of effortless forward motion that needs to be experienced to be fully
appreciated.
Copies of the factory build sheets
show that this 1996 spec Spirit IV left the works in November 1995 finished
in Red Pearl Mica with gold metallic pinstripes, Parchment hide interior with
red highlights, red hide steering wheel, Burr Oak veneer woodwork, Parchment
Marvelon headlining and Portland Stone carpets with Cherry Red lambswool
overmats.
Supplied new via Mead of Burnham in
January 1996, it has had four owners to date, the second and third in the same
family at the same address and the current since 2019. It has covered 59,900
miles and comes with an excellent service history including 19 stamps in the
book, the last by Colbrook of Peterborough in February 2019 at 54,848 miles.
There are also many invoices for subsequent
upkeep including another three services by Colbrook, the last in August 2021 at
57,367 miles, plus another oil and filter change and thorough checkover by
marque specialist Gary Bretherton in September 2023 at 58,570 miles. That adds
up to 23 services in total which equates to an average service interval of just
2,600 miles – pretty obsessive by any standards.
Waxoil
treated three times in the current six-year ownership, this pampered Rolls-Royce
has been kept garaged and used sparingly on high days and holidays only. We are
told that it drives as well as it looks with working air con and cruise control,
two sets of keys and all tool kits complete. There is also provision for a
trickle charger in the boot so the battery can be kept topped up when the car is
unused for extended periods.
Starting instantly
and driving like a Rolls-Royce should as we have moved it around on site, with
no warning lights, it has an MOT until September 2026 with no advisories
recorded and it was driven some 60 miles to the sale.
As you can see in the photos, this super-rare Spirit IV is in
fantastic condition for its year/mileage, the only real blemish that we could
discern being a small paint imperfection on the right rear wheelarch which has
been there ever since the vendor acquired the car and has never got any worse
(see photo).
The icing on the cake is the personalised number plate,
J800 JDA, which is included in the sale. Go on, treat yourself – you only live
once…
Consigned by James Dennison – 07970
309907 – [email protected]