1985 Rolls Royce Silver Spur 6.75 gas from North America

Summary:

Big

Faults:

Basically drivable as is. The driver's window was sticking and the antenna was broken from the car wash. Tires were old and I replaced them. Also I did an oil change and replaced the front pads.

All in all it was under $1000.00, and a lot less than any other used car I have bought

General Comments:

It's a great car and really well built. I have 14 other cars, including 5 Jaguars. Therefore I can compare the Rolls. I really love the 1987 XJ6, being the last of the series III and I have 2 of them. I really like to give the Rolls all credit due, but it does not ride as well as the XJ6. This is especially true on the Chicago streets. The Rolls is not a driver's car and I bought it mainly just to have one.

There are few other things I find difficult in the Rolls, like the location of the driver's side window control that is under the front part of the armrest. Whereas Jaguar has made the effort to build a truly left-side controlled car, the Rolls only moved the steering wheel. On a car that costs 10 time more than most luxury cars and being partially hand-built, I see no reason, beside arrogance not to change all controls over. As for the window switch, it will only require rearranging the wires. Using flat-head screws installed in a horizontal position is a nice touch, but it adds nothing to the ergonomics of the controls.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd October, 2018

23rd Oct 2018, 14:45

A beater Rolls-Royce is like a once-famous movie star reduced to doing infomercials: sad :(

26th Oct 2018, 16:23

This was not the reply I was looking for... LOL. My 1985 Rolls is not a beater; none of my cars are. It is in showroom condition, not a single tinny crack in the wood or blemish in the leather. With all the different cars I owned I can surely make a comment about my Rolls. It's a great car, but from the Rolls I expected greater. I see a car that was built with a lot of arrogance and a "take it or leave it" mentality.

26th Oct 2018, 21:08

I saw that earlier comment - wasn't quite sure the person can actually appreciate a Rolls. Like, "beater" isn't necessarily what you'd call an '83 420SL (or whatever engine powered what was the 350/450SL body at the time). Maybe if the Rolls were an ex-limo rental with worn everything, rips on the leather, 400K miles, peeling clearcoat.

You can see the limitations though of a car built by a company which didn't have the resources of Mercedes-Benz, for example. Maybe in the 1950s or 60s, cars were built like jewelry - who's got the best diamonds, how ornate was the filagree, etc. and with a Rolls, you can get away with having simply craftsmen. But by the '80s, the engineering of most modern cars demanded a lot of financial backing. Just to keep complying with safety and emissions regulations was not cheap. Exclusive as cars like Rolls or Lotus were, the lack of sales meant they just wouldn't earn the vast amounts of capital needed for keeping up with modern demands. Rolls would've died if they didn't sell out.

1985 Rolls Royce Silver Spur 6.75 L from North America

Summary:

A Rolls purchased used is a lot of car for the money

Faults:

Right front passenger power seat not working.

Rear window was leaking.

General Comments:

This is the second Rolls Royce I have owned.

I have found them to be very reliable cars if you drive them on a regular basis. The worst thing you can do to a Rolls Royce is to let it sit in the garage.

I also own a Jaguar and Aston Martin, and the cost of maintenance is no worse on the Rolls than either of the previously mentioned cars.

I drive it regularly on trips between Chicago and Western New York, and it is definitely a road car. It cruises along at 80 MPH no problem. I am never tired when I get to my destination.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 30th October, 2011

6th Feb 2019, 04:39

Found the comments helpful.

Thank you.