Debuting in America during 1994, but not available to other markets including Britain until the following year, the ‘New' Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn was among the final variants to be spun from the accomplished but long-serving Silver Spirit platform.

A late hurrah before BMW assumed control, the newcomer was based around the Crewe concern's familiar four-door monocoque bodyshell equipped with all-round independent suspension, adaptive ride control, power steering and ABS four-wheel disc brakes.

Benefiting from Bosch Motronic fuel injection and digital ignition, its smooth 6750cc OHV V8 engine was allied to a four-speed automatic transmission.

Available with a bewildering array of options not to mention Rolls-Royce's bespoke `tailoring' service, the ‘New' Silver Dawn remained in production until 1998.

Expensive yet exclusive as befits the ‘World's Best Motor Car', just 237 are thought to have been made.

Manufactured in 1997, the Silver Dawn offered was finished from the factory in Re...