One argument that often echoes

around the CM office concerns the cost running a top drawer classic, such as a ‘Seventies or ‘Eighties Rolls-Royce or Bentley. One side of the argument raves on about how a well sorted Silver Shadow could be run on the same budget as, say an E-Type or an Austin Healey 3000. On the other side the doubters claim that if you buy the wrong car, just podding out to repair a Shadow’s toasted hydraulic suspension system could cost almost as much as you originally paid for the car in the first place.

To put this argument to bed once and for all, we’ve decided to introduce a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow as our new project car in this issue. And no, we haven’t won the Lottery, as the car actually belongs to Dan Furr, a fellow Kelsey editor responsible for our Porsche titles. So rather than being owned by our publishers, like most of our other project cars, the Rolls is privately owned.

It’s obvious what side of the argument editor Dan is on. He’s confident that by using a specialist and quality used parts when required, the budget to maintain his Silver Shadow should be no more than we allowed for on our still to be repaired Series Three Jaguar XJ6.

That remains to be seen, but as Dan says in the introduction to the new project, it’s vital to choose the right car in the first place. Weighing up the condition of the car and the price Dan paid for his Rolls, I don’t think we’ll find any surprises when the car undergoes a professional appraisal. We’ll be reporting on the inspection in next month’s issue and I’m hopeful this exciting new feature will settle the argument once and for all. It should prove how a well sorted prestige car like a Silver Shadow needn’t cost a king’s ransom to own and enjoy.