1983 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit Saloon

Ushering in a new era for the 1980s, the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit was an essentially modernised and improved version of the classic Silver Shadow. The product of almost a decade's worth of development by Crewe's designers and engineers, the Silver Spirit boasted lower, wider bodywork with up to the minute styling with a novel touch - the famous Spirit of Ecstasy was now fully retractable due to new safety legislation. The self-levelling rear suspension was revised to enhance an already superb ride while the new interior featured digital displays for selected functions but retained the traditionally luxurious ambience with all the hides and wood capping one would expect in a Rolls-Royce. In the best tradition, power output was described as 'adequate' and the 6.75-litre V8 certainly had more than enough to waft the Silver Spirit along at impressive speeds. The Silver Spirit may have been high-tech compared to the Silver Shadow but was still largely hand crafted and no more than 60 cars were completed each week. The Silver Spirit represents excellent buying in today's marketplace, offering unparalleled luxury for the price of a new economy car.