The Hot List Load Star Two Million Dollar
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Issue 3 • SUMMER 2016 • £5 where sold THE The magazine of the Rolls-Royce SPIRIT Enthusiasts’ Club SZ Register BIG TWO MILLION DOLLAR MAN INTERVIEW Kevin Wheatcroft on The LeBlanc collection his concours winning Bentley Continental restoration THE HOT LIST Complete guide to every Turbo R LOAD STAR The only Flying Spur estate in the world FOR ALL OWNERS AND ENTHUSIASTS OF 1980s AND 1990s ROLLS-ROYCE AND BENTLEY CARS THE SPIRIT THE SPIRIT Front seat Walt Disney knew a thing or two about making dreams come true and, New Reconditioned Recycled since becoming the custodian of an SZ, I know exactly what he meant Your choice of new We offer a comprehensive range of Quality used parts, sourced Let’s face it. You don’t buy a used Silver he had parted with £2000 for a Morris “Crewe Genuine” original Bentley & Rolls-Royce from vehicles carefully Spirit with your head. It’s your heart that Oxford dressed in a Princess ballgown. But Bentley parts or quality components, all professionally rebuilt to dismantled on site by our signs the cheque, led on by the promise to me, the car was (and still is) beautiful. of all that glamour, the romance and A year or two later and the dream was aftermarket alternatives. exacting standards in the UK. experienced team. the adventure. Just as a Rolls-Royce reawakened by an XJ-6 advertisement advertisment urged back in 1983: “This showing a schoolboy gazing wistfully is the year to let the car of your dreams through a Jaguar showroom window on drive into your life.” a rainy night, while musing: “Some day, Now, I admit that I have always been some day”. That schoolboy could so easily a sucker for a bit of leather and walnut – have been me. Hell, I am one of the few people on earth But, really, these were just pale illusions to still covet a Vauxhall Viscount – and compared with the real deal – one day to The Leading Online Rolls-Royce & Bentley Parts Catalogue I well remember a trip in a neighbour’s own a Rolls-Royce or Bentley. But that’s Vanden Plas Princess 4-litre R. My hopes not something that I seriously thought were high thanks to its Rolls-Royce engine would come true. Walt Disney knew a but, even at six years old, I noticed the thing or two about bringing fantasies to www.flyingspares.com automatic gearchange was abrupt enough life: “If you can dream it, you can do it,” to displace his trilby, and the bootlid flew he famously advised and I certainly did open each time we traversed a manhole plenty of dreaming. cover. In only a short time the owner had So again this morning I had to pinch come to dislike the car intensely, saying myself when I popped out to the garage and realised that it was my Bentley parked inside. The car is everything I ever hoped and is a treat for all Specialising in parts for all 1980 to 1998 SZ models, the senses: the sight, the sound, we are proud to be associated with The Spirit and offer you: the sensation, the scent – not forgetting • Unrivalled stocks of New (Genuine & Aftermarket), Reconditioned & Recycled parts that all-pervading air of • Twelve experienced salesmen dedicated to offering you the fastest service and best prices good taste. What I wasn’t prepared for • Fully searchable web catalogue offering photographs and exploded parts diagrams was the rest of the experience. Those • Website also includes Tool Hire, Recommended Garages, Cars For Sale, Gifts & Manuals who know me will tell you I’m not a great • Worldwide mailorder facilities including fully encrypted web payment system one for joining in – but the support and • Free catalogues available on request or as a download from our website enthusiasm for the SZ Register, and new • Comprehensive search facility for all current 180,000 Rolls-Royce & Bentley part numbers friends made around the world, goes far • Discount available for all RREC, BDC and RROC members beyond anything I ever imagined. Thanks guys, for helping me live the dream. Richard Charnley [email protected] 2 Issue 3 • SUMMER 2016 THE MAGAZINE OF THE ROLLS-ROYCE ENTHUSIASTS’ CLUB SZ REGISTER THE MAGAZINE OF THE ROLLS-ROYCE ENTHUSIASTS’ CLUB SZ REGISTER SUMMER 2016 • Issue 3 3 THE SPIRIT THE SPIRIT THE SPIRIT • SUMMER 2016 THE MAGAZINE OF THE ROLLS-ROYCE ENTHUSIASTS’ CLUB SZ REGISTER CLUB ENTHUSIASTS’ THE SPIRIT • SUMMER 2016 MAGAZINE OF THE ROLLS-ROYCE Issue 3 • SUMMER 2016 • £5 where sold Join the SZ Register Who can join THE The magazine of the Rolls-Royce SPIRIT Enthusiasts’ Club SZ Register BIG today, it’s free! TWO MILLION DOLLAR MAN INTERVIEW Kevin Wheatcroft on The LeBlanc collection his concours winning Bentley Continental restoration Download a the SZ Register? THE HOT LIST Complete guide membership form Membership is open to every Rolls-Royce to every Turbo R Cover: the one-off LOAD STAR from www.rrec.co.uk The only Flying Spur Enthusiasts’ Club member who is an estate in the world 1930s-style mascot commissioned for or www.rrsilverspirit.com/sz or email owner or enthusiast of these charismatic James LeBlanc’s your details to [email protected] Bentley Continental T. cars. That means any Rolls-Royce or FOR ALL OWNERS AND ENTHUSIASTS OF 1980s or [email protected] 92 AND 1990s ROLLS-ROYCE AND BENTLEY CARS Picture DD Classics Bentley that has a “Z” in the fourth Contents position of the chassis number and was COMMENT 72 FIVE DAYS AT FLYING SPARES built between 1980 and 2003. A Silver Spirit is recycled 54 8 3 FRONT SEAT Living the dream 78 SELLING THE DREAM Eligible cars include: How SZs were advertised 7 DATA DASHBOARD • All Silver Spirit and Silver Spur models, SZ Register facts and figures 86 FROM CANADA TO CANNES Mulliner editions, Park Ward editions, Crossing France in a Silver Spirit 130 TAIL PIPE stretched limousines and division editions Why Bunty and I can never part 92 PERFECTLY FORMED • Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn (1995-1998) Scratch-built 1:24 scale interior FEATURES and Flying Spur (1995) 94 THE FACTORY IN 1986 8 CONCOURS CONTINENTAL What went on inside the buildings • All Mulsanne, Mulsanne S, Eight and Multiple RREC trophy winner Brooklands models, long wheelbase 96 WORKING PRACTICES 16 ONE (950) OF THE BEST How SZ manufacturing changed 20 editions and stretched limousines Second placed concours Spirit • All Bentley Turbo R and RT models, 98 PYMS LANE AT 1000 ASA 19 CAR SPOTTERS’ QUIZ 1980s photo tour of SZ production and Mulliner editions How well do you know the SZ? • All Bentley Continental R, S, T and SC 101 THE ROYAL RT 20 THE LE BLANC COLLECTION Prince Charles’ personal car models, Le Mans, Mulliner, Millennium $2 million worth of cars 102 TOUGHER THAN THE REST and Final Series editions 24 SOUTH OF ENGLAND RALLY Armour plated Mulsanne • All 1995-2003 Azure models, Le Mans, SZs go back to school 106 CHARIOT OF DREAMS Mulliner and Final Series editions 30 BENTLEY TURBO R Hooper State Landaulette • Rolls-Royce Corniche (2000) and Guide to every model built 110 DRAWN TO AN SZ Corniche Final Series 38 THE CHAUFFEUR’S TALE Personalised pictures • Rolls-Royce Corniche convertibles Adventures in the driver’s seat 112 ROAD TEST RESULTS from chassis number CCH05037 45 CENTENARY REPLICA What the press said about the SZ onwards (1982), Corniche II, III, IV and S One of 25 special Silver Spurs 116 ON GOLDEN WINGS • Bentley Corniche convertibles from 46 FINE CLARET Hooper two-door coupé chassis number CCH05822 onwards Rolls-Royce Mulliner Spur The Spirit is produced by Charnley Publishing Ltd for the SZ Register of the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club. (1982), Continental convertible and 48 A SOUVENIR OF ENGLAND TECHNICAL 38 72 It is distributed free of charge as a PDF, with a printed Continental Turbo. Bentley Continental T 66 IT STARTED MITH A MISS Collectors’ Edition available from the RREC club shop. Solving a Mulsanne Turbo misfire 50 WESTERN MODELS SZ Register Team The man who bought the moulds 82 AT YOUR SERVICE Juergen Buech ([email protected]) Keeping your car in top condition 54 FLYING SPUR ESTATE Richard Charnley ([email protected]) California-style conversion Marinus Rijkers ([email protected]) DATA Daniel Diewerge ([email protected]) BENEFITS 59 FIT FOR THE SLOPES 120 DATA INDEX Contributors to this issue Robert Jankel’s estates 10 pages of SZ facts and figures Martin Bensley; Peter Caton; Andrew Diem; Ross OF SZ REGISTER Garner; Gary Greenwood; Nicolas Gravel; Ray Hillier; 60 134 INTO 50… 121 PRODUCTION FIGURES Numbering of the Flying Spur Colin Hughes; David Irvine; John Pearce; Anders MEMBERSHIP How many were built Rohdin; John Shostrom; John Snook; Don Stott; David 63 IN SEARCH OF PERFECTION 124 PERFORMANCE Taylor; Richard Vaughan 116 3000-mile Mulsanne Contemporary road test results The views and opinions expressed in this magazine are • The Spirit magazine 64 BOOKS OF DREAMS 126 UK PRICES not necessarily those of the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Evolution of Silver Spirit brochures Club nor of the SZ Register. The name Rolls-Royce, • Technical advice What the cars cost when new the Rolls-Royce badge and linked RR device are 68 SPIRITS OF THE 80s 128 ECONOMIC DRIVING FORCE trademarks of Rolls-Royce plc and are used by the SZs in London when they were new Silver Spirit vs the cost of living Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club under licence. • Car rallies and social events • The most affordable thing it’s free! 4 Issue 3 • SUMMER 2016 THE MAGAZINE OF THE ROLLS-ROYCE ENTHUSIASTS’ CLUB SZ REGISTER you willcar ever – do with your SPECIALIST VEHICLE INSURANCE THE SPIRIT THE ROLLS-ROYCE ENTHUSIASTS’ CLUB OFFICIAL INSURANCE SCHEME Data dashboard The SZ Register has more than 300 members MODEL NUMBER Bentley across five continents, with 41 different models Azure ..............................................................4 Brooklands ................................................