“Inheriting All The Traditions Of The Best Car In The World”
The introduction of the Silver Spirit in the United States waited one year after the model’s debut in England. The Silver Spirit and the slightly lengthened Silver Spur followed the long-running Silver Shadow and Silver Wraith II models.
The powertrain for Rolls-Royce sedans remained a 6.75 liter/413 ci V8 mated with a three-speed automatic. In 1981 guise with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, the venerable V8 (development had begun in 1952) was rated at 175 bhp. Despite the Silver Spirit’s 4,900-pound curb weight, Car and Driver recorded a respectable 10.8-second 0-60 time. Fuel mileage was distinctly unrespectable—rated at 10 city/13 highway and triggering a $650 gas guzzler tax. With a large 28.6-gallon gas tank, a Silver Spirit owner could expect a range of 265 to 295 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.
The Silver Spirit retailed for an astounding $109,000—about $410,100 in 2025 dollars. This price was at a time when a top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz 380 SEL went for $44,300, and the comparable BMW 733i was $32,000. Cadillac’s range-topping Seville was a “mere” $23,400.
Standard exterior and mechanical equipment on the Silver Spirit included power-assisted rack and pinion steering, power four-wheel disc brakes, and 235/70HR-15 Michelin XVX tires (a size and type still readily available) on 15-inch wheels. Inside, wood burl trim, leather upholstery, adjustable front bucket seats, automatic speed control, automatic temperature control, and a Blaupunkt Bucharest stereo radio with a cassette player and four speakers were included. There were no formal options, though the factory would satisfy almost any color, upholstery, or trim request for an additional charge.
The View From 2025
Like all Rolls-Royces, the Silver Spirit attracts collector interest, and there is support from the Rolls-Royce forums. Like many late-model Rolls-Royces, Silver Spirits face extreme depreciation because of the costs of deferred maintenance.
According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, a 1981 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit in #1/Concours condition is $16,300, with a more normal #3/Good condition car going for $8,200. Silver Spirits sometimes appear for sale in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer.
Make mine Tudor Red, please.
The Silver Spirit is the first Rolls-Royce I have written about, though I did write about the closely related 1989 Bentley Turbo R sedan. Thus, I have not yet written about the Camargue coupe or the Corniche convertible.
Eighties Cars 