Rolls-Royce Alpine Tour 1993

Got a share 50 minutes and are a Rolls-Royce enthusiast?

Well worth watching this episode of Top Gear - from 1993. Watch it on the TV, its better.



Thanks Jeremy Clarkson. I like his old stuff and his new stuff!

Gender Re-assignment Operation

Michael sent in this quite good example of an Anglo-German identity crises example.

Well having Greek architecture on the front of your car is a selling point.



He also provided this fine example of a Venician gondalla who likes flying ladies.



Finally Michael sent in this gem. The classics Rolls-Royce Bentley combination fried rice.



He then said he was off Frank Dale & Stepsons yesterday afternoon, and may send in some photos of their stock.

They looked well stocked.



And look what he found!



Frank Dale & Stepsons had put the car back through a further gender re-assignment operation.



Probably in Thailand. It's cheep and popular there.

Thanks Michael for sending in the photos!

Identity Crisis

Ok, so it's just a Mercedes-Benz 600 Grosser...

 

But it has a growth.

 

 

 

How'd that happen...?

 

 

(Posted by David Irvine)

Be careful in the EWB

Just be careful in the Rolls-Royce Phantom Extended Wheel Base please.

You would not want to slide away from things.



Please keep it together.

Bentley T2 in France

Check out this Crewe Press Photo of this lovely Bentley T2 in France.

The car is sporting the 1900TU numberplate that Bentley Motors still uses to this day.



Very nice!

Spuraphant?

Have you broken your Silver Spirit or Spur?

 

 

Or is she tired and worn out?

 

 

 

 

Or maybe just plain old rotten?

 

 

Don't throw her away...

 

 

There may be a cure.

 

 

Wanna make that tired old early eighties SZ look like a new Goodwood Phantom?

 

Well, almost like one -many people wouldn't know any better...

 

It's the Rolls-Royce 'Silver Spuraphant' (my name for it, anyway).

 

 

 

 

It's a kit for the SZ series cars (Spirits, Spurs, Mulsannes, Turbo Rs...)

 

 

Just add epoxy:

 

 

And transform the old thing.

 

 

She'll still be an RR underneath and inside.

 

 

 

I don't know what else to say.

 

A 'Crewewood' product.

A 'Good Crewe' maybe...?

 

 

"There's nothing like a Good Crewe", the ad could say.

 

On sale on Ebay:

 

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2009-Custom-Rolls-Royce-Phantom-Replica-/261014703623?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item3cc5b04e07

 

Subtle updates?

 

 

At least it's not based on a Lincoln Town Car.

 

 

 

That's just horrible.

 

(Posted by David Irvine)

Inside Crewe in 1996

Here is a great video also from 1996 which is a very nice look inside Crewe at that time.



You could only imagine all the Sultan of Brunei cars being made at this time in the factory.

Old Top Gear from 1996

Check out from 6:30.

Yep its Quentin Wilson banging on about his favourite subject, second hand Rolls-Royce and Bentleys.



I like the up spec'ed Bentley Mulsanne with double round head lamps and alloys.

The best value cars in the world.

Autocar October 23 1953

I really do like Rolls-Royce advertising of yesteryear.

Take a look at this one. It does not even give the brand or logo. No need for the best car in the world.



And for the coachbuilder, H.J Mulliner & Co have 3 phone lines into their Benford Park Works if you need to know.



Just great.

Thanks Andy for this pics.

Thirty Years Ago

Thirty years ago this week.

The new Bentley Mulsanne Turbo.

The start of something good. REALLY good...

 

 

Here's the 'Motor' front cover one year later:

 

 

 

Wow, sixty two thousand POUNDS in 1983!

 

The car that started the turnaround and separate identity of the Bentley marque.

 

 

 

No longer just a rebadged Rolls-Royce.

 

 

 

Of the previous generation T series/Shadow II models (the SY) , just 567 Bentleys (including the nine LWBs) compared to 1,560 Silver Shadow and Silver Wraiths. The last of the line cars had dwindled to three percent Bentley.

The Bentley name was dying..

The Spirit/Mulsanne (SZ) series was just as sad as the very early 1980s Bentley output was down to single digit percentages.

 

This was the car that would become the supercar Turbo R.

This would change the Bentley name forever...

The world's fastest four door saloon...

 

 

Suddenly everybody had to have one.

 

Here's a very early Turbo R with rectangular headlamps.

 

 

Then we got the trademark 'Bentley Only' double round lamps:

(although a very small number of Spirits and Spurs do have these too)

 

 

This car continued for a long time - up to 1998.

 

 

 

 

That's when it was just perfect.

 

 

What a masterpiece.

 

Evolution at its best.

Time flies when you're having fun...

 

 

 

(Posted by David Irvine)