Rolls-Royce Silver Spur
The Rolls-Royce Silver Spur was a four-door sedan made by the British car manufacturer Rolls-Royce , based on the Silver Spirit introduced in 1980 . The Silver Spur had a longer wheelbase than the base model. At times the name Silver Dawn was also used for the vehicle . A sporty version of the car was at times marketed under the name Rolls-Royce Flying Spur , and an even longer version was called the Rolls-Royce Silver Spur Touring Sedan . Repeatedly changing model names caused irritation in the 1990s.
The individual models
| Rolls Royce | |
|---|---|
 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur Mk. I
|
|
| Rolls-Royce Silver Spur | |
| Production period: | 1980-1998 |
| Class : | Upper class |
| Body versions : | limousine |
| Engines: |
Otto engine : 6.75 liters |
| Length: | 5350 mm |
| Width: | 1880 mm |
| Height: | 1470 mm |
| Wheelbase : | 3160 mm |
| Empty weight : | 2275 kg |
| Previous model | Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith II |
| successor | Rolls-Royce Park Ward |
Silver trace
Design and technology
In the course of 1980 Rolls-Royce discontinued its most successful model to date, the Silver Shadow , after 15 years of production. Together with the Silver Shadow, production of the Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith II with a longer wheelbase also ended . The Silver Shadow series has been replaced by the Silver Spirit. At its side, the factory provided a version with a wheelbase extended by 100 mm, which was named Silver Spur ("silver spur"). The Silver Spur replaced the Silver Wraith II.
Apart from a longer wheelbase, the Silver Spur technically corresponded to the Silver Spirit. The body design of both models was also identical. The extension benefited the rear passengers entirely. However, unlike the shorter basic version, the Silver Spur was equipped as standard with a vinyl roof (here called Everflex ), the hubcaps of the corniche and a Rolls-Royce logo on the C-pillar.
Series
The Silver Spur followed all the development steps of the Silver Spirit. Like this one, it was built in four series:
- Series I (1980 to 1989): Successor to the Silver Wraith II. Launch in the USA, Canada and Japan only in model year 1981. US models with four rectangular sealed beam headlights and electronic injection, models for other markets with carburettor.
- Series II (1990 to 1993): Introduction of electronic chassis control as well as revision of the dashboard and optional availability of a driver airbag.
- Series III (1994 to 1995): revision of the engine, increased performance, standard driver and front passenger airbag, introduction of the free-form headlights also in the US models.
- New Silver Spur (1996 to 2000): Further technical changes, rounded front section, exterior mirrors mounted in the mirror triangle, radiator grille reduced by 2 "in height.
From 1997, all vehicles that previously had a naturally aspirated engine were equipped with a 300 HP turbo engine (Light Pressure Turbo). In contrast to the more powerful engines in the sporty sister model of the Bentley Turbo R , these did not have a water cooler.
production
The Silver Spur was significantly more successful than its predecessor, the Silver Wraith II. While the Silver Wraith II only accounted for 15 percent of the total production of the Shadow / Wraith series, the ratio of the short Silver Spirit (9,614 vehicles from 1980 to 1998 ) almost balanced to the extended Silver Spur (8,833 copies); In the 1990s, there were even more long versions than short versions.
Parallel to the Silver Spirit there was at times an extended version of the (largely identical) Bentley Mulsanne , which was called Mulsanne L and 49 copies were produced.
Flying Spur
The Rolls-Royce Flying Spur was a sporty version of the Silver Spur. While the Silver Spur was equipped with the conventional, 6.75 liter naturally aspirated engine, the Flying Spur was given the turbocharged version that was introduced in the Bentley Mulsanne Turbo in 1982. The Flying Spur was the first Rolls-Royce vehicle to be powered by a turbo engine. The engine output exceeded that of the naturally aspirated engine by 50 percent according to the factory; however, exact values were not given. The top speed was 225 km / h.
The vehicle was presented in May 1994 and remained on sale for about a year. Initially, the factory had planned a production of 50 copies; 134 vehicles were actually built.
Silver Spur Touring Sedan
The Silver Spur Touring Sedan appeared in February 1984. It was a six-door variant of the Silver Spirit, the wheelbase of which had been lengthened by 914 mm compared to the base model. The car was made by Robert Jankel Design - a company owned by the founder of the retro car brand Panther Westwinds . By 1985, 16 copies were produced, which were primarily sold on the US market. The retail price was double that of the base model at £ 140,000.
From 1985 Rolls-Royce took over the production of the long limousine itself. The assembly was now carried out at Mulliner Park Ward , a body shop that had belonged to the Rolls-Royce Group for several decades. The models manufactured from 1985 onwards differed in some details from the Jankel vehicles: The wheelbase was now 1106 mm longer than that of the basic version; nevertheless the car only had four (instead of six) doors, but was still available with six seats.
Until 1992, the Silver Spur Touring sedan was offered in parallel with the traditional Rolls-Royce Phantom VI . After it was discontinued, it was the longest model Rolls-Royce had on offer. At that time, the vehicle was formally transformed into an independent model. In 1991 the model name "Silver Spur" was dropped, so that the car was only called the Rolls-Royce Touring Sedan. In 1999 a single copy of the Touring sedan was manufactured as the Bentley Mulliner Park Ward sedan .
literature
- Jonathan Wood: Rolls-Royce & Bentley. The story of a legendary brand. Heel Verlag, 2003, ISBN 3-89880-106-3 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ However, individual Silver Spur models had a regular metal roof in accordance with a customer request.
- ^ Marinus Rijkers: The Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit models. Retrieved May 18, 2007 .
- ^ Rolls-Royce Motors Limited (ed.): Technical Service Bulletin . 6000H.
- ^ Production figures according to Wood: Rolls-Royce & Bentley, p. 117.
- ^ Wood: Rolls-Royce & Bentley, p. 126.
- ↑ Model description on the website www.rrab.com (accessed on June 25, 2012).
- ↑ Used 1999 Bentley Mulliner Sold in Marina Del Rey CA 90292 Checkered Flag International. In: checkeredflag.com. Retrieved February 5, 2020 .