Who remembers the TV show, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous? It was hosted by England’s Robin Leach, and you could expect to see him tooling around in a car like this 1994 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur (III). It was a variant of the Silver Spirit, rode on a longer wheelbase, and was in production for more than 20 years. This Mk III version from 1994 looks like a beautiful automobile, though it’s been idle for the last eight turns of the calendar, sitting under a cover in a garage in Lafayette, California. It will need some TLC (at least) to get it going again and is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $20,000.
The Silver Spur (not the limo version) rode on a wheelbase that was four inches longer than the Silver Spirit and we assume the extra space was afforded the rear-seat passengers. The Mk III edition varied only slightly from the Mk II, with some cosmetic and mechanical updates. These cars were powered by Rolls-Royce’s 6.75-liter V8 engine paired with a 4-speed automatic transmission sourced from General Motors. New to the cars in the 1990s was the addition of dual airbags and just 465 Silver Spurs were built in 1994-95.
We’re told this Spur III is a one-owner car that’s spent its entire life in Northern California. The vehicle was last driven in 2016 and has not been started since, so there’s no telling what it will need besides a battery. A fair assumption might be that its owner got ill and later passed away, which would explain why such a stalworth automobile has been idle for so long. The body and paint look great, and the seller says the interior is “museum quality.”
The original keys were lost over time and the seller does say a lot of mechanical love will be required. Anyone with experience with these cars will know that anything associated with working on a Rolls will not come cheaply. The seller says he/she will entertain offers and is mostly testing the waters, although that was several months ago. The odometer shows just 20,000 miles and the overall condition of the car suggests that’s spot-on.
20 grand will buy me something nicer and more reliable. Plus, better on gas and insurance, also not liable to get swiped off the street.
More reliable, maybe.
NICER? Manifestly not! Don’t be ridiculous.
We’ve been an R.R. family going back generations.
We have stuck with our two 1965 SC 3’s, but I remember us having this motorcar way back when I was in college. You can find NOTHING for $20K nicer than this. Our SSP3 is still around actually. My brother keeps it out at his place in Bath UK.
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Curt – these cars rarely get stolen – it is impossible to be inconspicuous in one. I never even lock mine and people leave it alone. My insurance is cheaper than for my Jeep or Toyota. Probably because it isn’t even worth as much as my Jeep or Toyota!
No keys and not running. All for $20,000. Such a deal.
The lack of keys has me the most puzzled. It has obviously been well stored and is very low mileage, so what happened to the keys? Probably doesn’t have the title either. Doesn’t run? How the heck would the seller even know that?
Someone wanted grampa’s or dad’s car gone and didn’t have the keys to the safe deposit box, or the right to sell it.
Not necessarily. I’ve dealt with the ugly reality of dementia first hand. My dad’s final years were a never-ending maze of lost keys, passwords, a handgun (!), credit cards, bills, endlessly re-ordered checks… you name it.
I bought a Silver Spur that also needed recommissioning some years ago. My car was running, and had keys. I paid less than $10K for it.
The car here looks lovely, with nice paint and interior, but recommissioning will be expensive…..If performed by a RR specialist, the bill will potentially exceed the value of the car. It will need major service to the fuel system, brakes, suspension, tires ++++. Remember these cars have very complicated hydraulic systems for brakes and suspension. It will need new hoses, accumulators, and various valves. Decent driver-quality SZ cars (Spurs/Spirits) , with up-to-date service records, can often be had in the $20K range. Cars with needs start way below $10K.
In my recent experience, good running cars can actually be bought for $6,000 or $7,000 but that is just the beginning. Repairs to the brakes, electrics etc will quickly far exceed your initial purchase price.
Interestingly I worked with Robin Leach on “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” ( writer, reporter…and penned the line “Champagne Wishes and Caviar dreams”). Robin was not a car guy at all and drove a secondhand Town Car when he had to.I was the definite car guy on the show and my 1956 Coupe De Ville made a few TV appearances! I always look at these ads for Rolls and Bentleys and ponder how much amazing car you are getting for the $$ on the secondhand market..then I ponder the downside of maintenance.Still hope someone enjoys it..with a bottle of bubbles of course..
No such thing as a cheap used RR.