Designed by long-time employee Fritz Feller, the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit was unveiled in 1980 as a replacement for the outgoing Silver Shadow.

Carrying over the Silver Shadow’s 6.75 litre V-8 and three-speed automatic transmission, the Silver Spirit was designed with a premium on smooth ride quality, featuring a hydro-pneumatic self-levelling suspension and gas-charged shock absorbers.

Thirteen years later a third generation of the Silver Spirit was introduced with subtle improvements, including a redesigned intake manifold and cylinder heads for a boost in power, and the addition of dual airbags and individually adjustable rear seats.

Along the way, Rolls-Royce had begun to explore the stretch limousine market, starting in 1982 with a touring-limousine version of the Silver Spur, the long-wheelbase variant of the Silver Spirit.

Because this represented a very narrow segment of overall production, the decision was made to outsource body construction to Robert Jankel’s coachbuildi...