• Year of manufacture 
    1995
  • Car type 
    Other
  • Lot number 
    r0002
  • Condition 
    Used
  • Location
    United Kingdom
  • Exterior colour 
    Other

Description

To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Paris event, 13 February 2021.

  • Just two private owners and just under 91,000 miles from new
  • One of 134 examples produced, one of only 42 built to RHD specifications
  • Retains its original manuals and service book

Introduced as a limited-edition model of the Silver Spur III for the 1995 model year, the Rolls-Royce Flying Spur was the very Rolls-Royce to be fitted with a turbocharged engine. Naturally, this engine was sourced from Rolls-Royce’s corporate siblings at Bentley. The tried and true 6.75-litre turbocharged V8, as found in Bentley’s Turbo R provided more than adequate performance, especially considering the car’s weight. Tipping the scales at 2,387 kg, 100 km/h could be achieved from a standstill in roughly seven seconds, leading to a top speed of 225 km/h. Also retaining the Turbo R’s settings for its adaptive damping and self-leveling suspension, these Rolls-Royces were as exciting to drive as they were to be driven in.

Interest was strong and it quickly became clear that there was enough demand for more than the fifty cars Rolls-Royce initially intended to build. By the time production concluded, 134 Flying Spurs had left the factory. Interestingly, each car was given a specific number engrained in the wood trim on the centre console, but these were numbers out of fifty (for the American and European markets respectively) rather than one hundred and thirty-four. For example, the car presented here proclaims itself as “Number 23 of 50”, a specific number which two other Flying Spur’s received.

Built to RHD specifications to be delivered to the U.K. through SP. Broughton & Company, Rolls-Royce’s official dealership in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, chassis number 55305 was first registered in the U.K. in June of 1995 under registration number CPH 1. Finished in attractive Red Pearl over a beige leather interior, it was purchased new by an English businessman and remained with him in the U.K. until it was purchased by the consignor from RR&B Garages in Birmingham. At that point, it was exported to Germany, where it has remained ever since.

The car is accompanied by its original service book, tracing its mileage and showcasing regular servicing whilst in the U.K. Since coming to Germany, it has been serviced by Michael Gross, a Rolls-Royce specialist based in Berlin. According to the consignor, the car runs smoothly and is fitted with an upgraded stereo with satellite navigation. Furthermore, it comes with two sets of keys, its original owners’ manuals and the aforementioned service book.

Combining the opulence one would expect from Rolls-Royce along with the performance one would expect from Bentley, the Rolls-Royce Flying Spur offers the best aspects of both brands for the discerning enthusiast.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/pa21.