[ Owning a Rolls-royce Silver Shadow]
Anne & Tony Williams, Leics
‘We have owned our 1980 Silver Shadow II since 1988 and it has covered 51,000 in our hands. Many of those miles were racked up on European rallies with the RREC; long-distance cruising is the Rolls-royce’s forté and the atmosphere within the club is extremely friendly.
‘Keeping the car up to condition hasn’t been an especially costly exercise. On a run we get about 15mpg, but using the air-con knocks 2-3mpg off this. The aircon has needed some work and the starter motor has had to be replaced, but very little has been needed really.
‘Our car is garaged, but rust is inevitable; we’ve spent money on the scuttle and wings keeping it at bay. With this approach we’ve spent as much as £3000 in a year and there was a one-off cost of £6000 to overhaul the engine bay, but a £400 annual service is often all that’s needed so our average annual expenditure is very good value at £1000-£1500.’
John Neale, Worcs
‘I bought my 1979 Silver Shadow II in 1991, having previously owned a Shadow I. I’ve never been let down by either car, although the Shadow II has had a much easier life as it’s done just 86,000 miles, including 51,000 with me, mainly on European rallies with the RREC.
‘The Shadow II wasn’t quite as well made as the Shadow I, but it’s better to drive with its more modern steering and suspension. I do much of the maintenance myself. It’s much easier than you’d think, although regular use is key to minimising problems. Often the biggest issue is finding someone who can accurately diagnose a problem and fix it – I’ve had aircon and central locking earthing faults that have taken longer to sort than they should have done, but I still average only £1000-£1500 per year to keep the car running.’
Arthur Pemberton, Staffs
‘I bought my 1976 Bentley T1 five years ago, having bought an S1 in 1988. While the older car is quite old-fashioned, the T1 is utterly usable with its aircon, cruise control and two-speed wipers.
‘I do all my own maintenance and parts can be surprisingly cheap; used and reconditioned bits are available from Flying Spares, and some good-quality pattern parts are available. There’s also some interchangeability; front brake discs from a contemporary Ford will fit, for example. My T1 has an LPG conversion; there’s no perceptible difference running on petrol and LPG, and there’s still plenty of boot space, even with the 100-litre fuel tank installed. It costs less to run than my XJ8.