Just Arrived

Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit 2 - FSD 83

Chassis: CH44221

Some colour combinations seem to disappear with time.

Not because they're unpopular, necessarily, but because the people who own them tend to hang on to them. Which makes this 1992 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit something of an unusual sight.

Finished in Cobalt Blue with a fine red coachline running the length of the body, it's a specification we don't come across very often. Whether that's because buyers ordered them sparingly or because owners have been particularly reluctant to let them go is anyone's guess. Either way, it's nice to see something a little different arrive through the gates.

Then there's the tow bar.

You don't often find one attached to the back of a Rolls-Royce, although with 6.75 litres of V8 under the bonnet, we imagine it'd make rather light work of a caravan. Whether Crewe had holiday parks in mind during development is another matter entirely.

It's been standing for a while, and nature has started making the first tentative moves. Around the rear bumper, a light dusting of moss has begun staking its claim, suggesting this Spirit has spent more time parked than driven in recent years.

Despite that, it actually presents rather well.

The Cobalt Blue paint still has plenty of promise beneath the dust, the wheel arches appear reassuringly solid, and the body remains straight.

Inside, the story is a little more mixed. The leather has held onto its softness in places, but years of use have left their mark elsewhere. There are tears beginning to appear, a fair amount of grime has built up over time, and while it's certainly showing its age, it hasn't reached the point of complete surrender. The woodwork follows a familiar Rolls-Royce script too, with the lacquer on the door cappings cracking and flaking away after decades of sunlight. It's not unusual, and we've certainly seen far worse.

Unfortunately, the engine isn't feeling quite so cooperative.

There's power. The lights come on exactly as they should. But ask the starter motor to join the conversation and you're met with... nothing. Not a cough, not a reluctant turn, not even the sort of half-hearted effort that usually gives us false hope.

The result was an unloading operation powered almost entirely by determination. Parking it required a good number of willing hands (and one equally willing woman), gently persuading two and a quarter tonnes of Rolls-Royce into its new home.

So where does that leave it?

For now, somewhere in the middle.

Unlike some arrivals, this Silver Spirit hasn't already been condemned. Before any decisions are made, it'll head into the workshop for a proper assessment. We'll find out why the old V8 has gone so quiet, work out whether there's a sensible route back to the road, and let the car decide the next chapter for itself.

We've been surprised before.

Perhaps this one has another story left to tell.