1989 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur

The Rolls-Royce Silver Spur was a long-wheelbase version of the Silver Spirit, produced at the same time. Produced from 1980 to 1999, it was the first model in the SZ series. The Silver Spur limousine became available in the United States in 1985 and had a base price of $185,000. Options included a power rear seat, curtains in the passenger compartment, a flag mast, a vanity case in the rear armrest, and an electric sunroof over the passenger compartment. The engine was an overhead-valve eight-cylinder unit displacing 412 cubic inches mated to a three-speed automatic transmission. Disc brakes were located at all four corners.

At the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show, Rolls-Royce introduced an updated version dubbed the Silver Spirit II and Silver Spur II. It was given a revised suspension with an 'Automatic Ride Control' setup, a fully automatic system that adjusted dampers at all four wheels in real-time. Other modifications included ABS and fuel injection as standard for all models. The three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic GM400 transmission was initially retained; a GM 4L80E four-speed unit was introduced in the winter of 1991. The size of the fuel tank was increased to 107 L (24 Imperial gallons). Changes to the interior and exterior were minimal but included a smaller steering wheel and two additional ventilation outlets.

by Daniel Vaughan | May 2019