Lot 136: Bentley Mulsanne

After 16 years in production the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow was replaced with a completely new model in 1981. This new car was bigger, more refined and totally different than the Shadow in appearance but it retained much of the Shadow's mechanical underpinnings, including the trusty 6750cc V8 engine. The Silver Spirit represented a huge investment for Rolls-Royce. The model would form the basis of their range for the next 20 years, so it had to be right, first time. Despite some initial grumbling from the traditionalists, the Silver Spirit soon gained its own following, in the same way that the Shadow had, way back in 1965. As with most Rolls-Royce models, since the Silver Dawn, there has been a Bentley derivative. In the case of the Spirit, it was the Mulsanne. Identical to the Silver Spirit apart the grill and Bentley badges, the Mulsanne also found a ready market. This 1984 example is said to be complete with a huge history file, which includes over 25 invoices from Bentley Specialists, Douglas Daniel's. These invoices include one for the replacement of the hydraulic tappets, within that last 20,000 miles. The MoT history also shows that the car has covered less than 500 miles since the last MoT in June 2006. Finished in mid blue metallic with magnolia hide, piped blue the car is said to be in generally good condition and will be driven over 60 miles to the auction venue. Offered due to bereavement, this Mulsanne offers outstanding value for money. This is a late entry and will not appear in the printed catalogue. A late and replacement list will be available on the day. All, non Heritage, late entries are offered at the end of the sale, even though they may carry consecutive 100 lot numbers.