Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit / Silver Spur
1980–2000 · Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit / Silver Spur — Luxury Saloon, V8, designed by Fritz Feller.
The Story
The 1980 Silver Spirit – and its long-wheelbase Silver Spur sibling – gave Rolls-Royce a crisp, linear, assertively 1980s look, the work of chief stylist Fritz Feller (who had also shaped the Silver Shadow). Bigger and more imposing than the car it replaced, the SZ-series became the definitive Rolls-Royce of the Thatcher-and-Wall-Street decade, riding on the familiar 6.75-litre V8.
It introduced one charming detail: the first retractable Spirit of Ecstasy, spring-loaded to vanish into the radiator shell if interfered with. Built in Spirit, Spur and later Mk II/III/IV forms through 1999, it is today among the most affordable ways into modern Rolls-Royce ownership.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Luxury Saloon class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
Fritz Feller
Rolls-Royce in-house stylist who designed the 1980 Silver Spirit/Bentley Mulsanne body that underpinned the Turbo R. FLAG: biographical details (birth year) not confirmed in sources.
Studio Motors POV
The Silver Spirit/Spur is the bargain modern Rolls-Royce – abundant and cheap to buy, but only worth owning if properly maintained; a sorted late car is a lot of presence for the money.
The Engine
Rolls-Royce / Bentley L-Series 6¾ V8
Lineage
Where it sits in the bloodline
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About Silver Spirit / Silver Spur
Worth Knowing About the Silver Spirit / Silver Spur
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- 1) It was the first Rolls-Royce with a retractable Spirit of Ecstasy – spring-loaded to drop into the grille if disturbed. 2) Chief stylist Fritz Feller (who also styled the Silver Shadow) gave it its crisp, imposing 1980s lines. 3) The long-wheelbase Silver Spur was, at times, the more popular of the two.
5 Fast Facts
- 1) 6.75L V8 (~189-230+ bhp as it gained fuel injection). 2) ~19,290 built across all marks, 1980-2000. 3) Spirit = SWB, Spur = LWB (10cm longer). 4) Designed by Fritz Feller (the SZ-series). 5) Updated through Mk II (1989), III (1993) and IV.
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
FLAG: the SZ-series was the quintessential 1980s status car of royalty, celebrities and business magnates, but specific individually-documented owners are sparse in sources.
Studio Buyer’s Brief
The most affordable route into 1980s-90s Rolls-Royce ownership – which means cheap cars hiding expensive faults. Later fuel-injected Spirit/Spur II/III cars drive best; verify the V8, hydraulics, air-con and rust. Buy the best, not the cheapest.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit / Silver Spur
- Class
- Luxury Saloon
- Production years
- 1980–2000
- Units built
- ~19,290 total (Silver Spirit ~9,657 + Silver Spur ~9,633, all marks)
- Variants
- Silver Spur (long-wheelbase); Spirit/Spur II (1989), III (1993), IV; Touring Limousine; Mulliner
- Engine layout
- Front
- Engine
- V8
- Engine family
- Rolls-Royce / Bentley L-Series 6¾ V8
- Displacement
- 6.75L (6,750 cc)
- Power
- 189 hp
- Torque
- 320 lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- s
- Top speed
- 119 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 82 hp/tonne · 26.8 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 3-speed automatic (GM400); 4-speed (GM 4L80-E) from 1991
- Drivetrain
- Rear-wheel drive · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 5070 lb
Questions
Silver Spirit / Silver Spur FAQ
What are the differences between the Silver Spirit and Silver Spur?
The Silver Spirit is the standard-wheelbase model; the Silver Spur is the long-wheelbase variant, extending the cabin by approximately 10 centimetres for additional rear legroom. Both share the same powertrain and trim levels.
What engine does the Silver Spirit and Silver Spur have?
Both models use the 6.75-litre Rolls-Royce V8, producing around 189 bhp in early carbureted form. From 1986, fuel injection increased output progressively through the Mk II, III, and IV updates.
How many Silver Spirits and Silver Spurs were made?
Approximately 19,577 examples were produced across all marks from 1980 to 2000 (per Classic & Sports Car), divided between Silver Spirit and Silver Spur variants — one of Rolls-Royce’s longer-running modern model lines, though the Corniche and Phantom VI ran for even greater spans by some scopes.
How much is a Silver Spirit or Silver Spur worth today?
Silver Spirit and Silver Spur values range from $15,000 to $50,000, making them among the most affordable classic Rolls-Royces. Later fuel-injected Mk III and IV examples generally command higher prices. Hagerty tracks ongoing valuations.
What feature did the Silver Spirit introduce to Rolls-Royce?
The Silver Spirit was the first Rolls-Royce with a spring-loaded retractable Spirit of Ecstasy, designed to drop into the grille housing if disturbed. It has remained a standard safety feature on every Rolls-Royce since.
The Rolls-Royce Lineup
Explore every Rolls-Royce
Silver Wraith ’46Silver Dawn ’49
Phantom IV ’50Silver Cloud I ’55Phantom V ’59Silver Cloud II ’59
Silver Cloud III ’62Silver Shadow I ’65Phantom VI ’68
Corniche (1971) ’71Camargue ’75Silver Shadow II ’77
Silver Spirit / Silver Spur ’80
Corniche (2000) ’00Phantom VII ’03Ghost (1st Gen) ’09
Wraith ’13Dawn ’15Phantom VIII ’17Sweptail ’17Cullinan ’18
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