30th Mar 2009, 11:51
If you just want a car to go from here to there, and have a limited interest in engineering, this is not the car for you. Go buy something else.
These are cars to be appreciated as one would a fine yacht or aircraft, and if looked after in the same way, will give you years of trouble free motoring enjoyment.
These cars are build with old fashion values, when manufacturers were quality driven, not purely profit driven, which is why these companies are having trouble staying afloat.
Kevin.
26th Dec 2009, 09:39
I purchased a 1986 Silver Spirit two years ago. The car is an ex Hong Kong car now in North Queensland Australia. Although it had only 70,000 km, just about every component has required a rebuild and despite systematically working through problems as they occur, something else seems to fail at great expense. I am hopeful that since it's just a machine, at some point it will represent what a Rolls Royce should be. Although I probably own one of the best cars in the State, a word of caution is that Rolls Royce ownership is not for the faint hearted. I understand the ethos of the marque, but am puzzled as to why RR often over complicates simple mechanical things that work for other manufacturers. Wouldn't sell it though.
21st Aug 2014, 19:04
The rear struts failed on a low mileage '89 Rolls-Royce because the gas springs were depleted of the nitrogen charge from "sitting". If these two(2) struts were renewed with fresh gas springs, it would have sustained the wonderful ride these cars are noted for. Once the rear gas springs are completely depleted, the suspension gets ruined in the rear on both sides. The gas springs should be part of periodic checkups, usually renewed every five-six years. A Rolls-Royce wears out quicker when just "sitting". These cars were made to be periodically driven, if not daily transportation.
16th Sep 2016, 21:59
In preference to suffering annoying factors with owning one make of vehicle over another, I've taken to driving hire cars where I can see their pluses & idiosyncrasies whilst the car's still in new condition.
And I'll make a short-list (before buying a new car) hoping that my initial experience with 'that car' is rewarded with smug satisfaction on the 2nd time around.
Mind you, some hire car companies cater only to base models of particular marques, so I move on to companies who 'want my business'.
Ev in Qld.
15th Dec 2016, 08:17
Yes, this is a major reason why some of these older Rolls-Royce/Bentley vehicles run into issues. They need to be driven fairly regularly, or things start wearing out much quicker than normal. A lot of guys don't know this and keep the cars stored away in a garage so they can brag about the "low miles" or "impeccable condition", so the car will look great, but will have a bunch of hidden issues underneath. In my opinion, owner neglect is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) sources of problems with these cars.
There was a guy here who bought into one of these neglected cars and it cost him a great deal to get the issues addressed. However, after he did all that, he went on to put 30,000 miles on the car within a year, saying that the Silver Spur was dead reliable and trouble free through it all (and probably still is).
13th Aug 2008, 23:18
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars once said, "You don't just buy a Rolls-Royce; you commission it, like a fine piece of art or a super yacht."
Rolls-Royce is in a segment of the automobile market totally removed from mainstream companies. Even Cadillac and Lexus can't provide cars to match. It's actually quite possible that nobody in the world builds cars like Rolls-Royce does. They aren't just cars, they are Rolls-Royces- fine works of art, automotive masterpieces. This kind of car isn't built with those involved worrying about costs- that doesn't matter. Not with this kind of car.
A Rolls-Royce is one of the finest cars on Earth, a testament, a monument, to how far the car has come and how far it can go. It also represents something else- the fact that nobody, deep down, wants to own a compact car. Who cares about economy when you can have a Rolls? No, every time a Rolls-Royce goes by, people don't say, "Who wants one of those? I'd rather have a Honda." All you need to know to be sure everybody would rather own a Rolls-Royce than a car that can help save the planet is for one to go by. When everyone near you says something like, "Damn, I wish I had one of those", that, right there, is all you need to know.
-Greetings from Richmond, Virginia
12th grade high school student.