1998 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur

The Rolls-Royce Silver Spur was produced from 1980 to 2000 and was the first car to have a retractable Spirit of Ecstasy. Designed by Fritz Feller, it was a four-door saloon powered by the company's 6.75-liter L410 V8 engine paired with a three-speed GM THM400 automatic transmission.

The Silver Spur was the long-wheelbase version of the Silver Spirit, with a 4-inch longer wheelbase resulting in four additional inches of rear passenger legroom. Both the Silver Spur and the Silver Spirit bore a distinct family resemblance to the preceding Silver Shadow II (and LWB Wraith II), retaining the Shadow's floor pan and minimal differences in powertrain, the newcomers' chief advance over their immediate forebear being the heavily revised and improved type of rear suspension that had first appeared on the company's two-door models. Styling revisions were minimal, with increased glass area, a more-modern angular look, new rectangular headlights, and a lower waistline. The interior remained luxurious and to the Crewe firm's exemplary standards, receiving an extensive list of standard amenities. The most noticeable change was the reinstatement of folding picnic tables and the adoption of separate rear seats.

The first generation of the Silver Spirit and Silver Spur were built from 1980 to 1988. It retained its predecessor's hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension, modified with Girling automatic hydraulic ride height control system and gas-charged shock absorbers. Examples built for the United States had sealed beam headlamps to comply with longstanding regulations; European-destined examples had more modern composite units.

The Mark II was built from 1988 to 1992. Introduced at the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Silver Spur and Spirit Mark II received an anti-lock braking system, a Bosch MK-Motronic fuel injection, and Automatic Ride Control. The latter was a fully automatic system that adjusted dampers at all four wheels. The three-speed Turbo Hydramatic GM400 transmission was replaced by a GM 4L80E four-speed unit in the winter of 1991.

Exterior styling updates included two additional ventilation outlets added to the fascia; the interior gained a smaller steering wheel.

Introduced in 1993, the Mark III remained in production through 1995. Updates included dual airbags, independent adjustment of the rear seats, an update to the semi-active suspension system, and a new design of intake manifold and cylinder heads.

The Flying Spur of 1994 and 1995 was a turbocharged version of the Silver Spur III, and a total of 134 were produced.

The Silver Dawn was a special edition of the Silver Spur III that featured several additional options, including rear seat heaters, an Electronic Traction Assistance System, and a radiator with a lower height (by two inches).

The final revision of the Silver Spirit and Silver Spur was the Mark IV, produced from 1995 to 2000. Designed in the autumn of 1992, the Mark IV (albeit, they were not officially designated 'series IV' due to homonym for death in some Far Eastern languages) gained a Garrett turbocharger and a Zytech engine management system. Additional updates included sixteen-inch wheels and integrated front and rear bumpers. The interior gained a wooden column that traversed down the center of the dashboard.

The Rolls-Royce Park Ward Limousine was a limited edition Silver Spur and Silver Spirit Mark IV and served as a replacement for the Silver Spur/Spirit Touring Limousine. It had a 24-inch longer wheelbase and a 2-inch taller roof.

In mid-1998, the name was changed to Rolls-Royce Silver Spur Park Ward, and the model nomenclature on the badge on the rear of the car displayed 'Park Ward.' The well-equipped version included an intercom, a backseat sunroof, an electrically operated division, and a bar cabinet with crystal decanters and goblets.

by Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2025