The Rolls-Royce Flying Spur was a turbocharged, higher-performance version of the Silver Spur III, sold in 1994 and 1995. It was a rare car even when new: only 134 were produced.
Rolls-Royce Flying Spur at a glance
| Maker | Rolls-Royce Motors, Crewe |
|---|---|
| Production | 1994–1995 |
| Based on | Silver Spur III |
| Engine | 6.75-litre V8 with turbocharger |
| Gearbox | four-speed automatic, the GM 4L80E used from winter 1991 |
| Body | long-wheelbase four-door saloon |
| Suspension | self-levelling with Automatic Ride Control |
| Series | the SZ generation introduced by the Silver Spirit in 1980 |
| Built | 134 |
The Flying Spur is described in a short section of the English Wikipedia article on the Silver Spirit, so this page is shorter than usual and based on one source.
History of the Rolls-Royce Flying Spur
A faster Spur
The Flying Spur of 1994–1995 was a turbocharged, higher-performance version of the Silver Spur III, the long-wheelbase member of the SZ family. Where the standard Spur relied on its 6.75-litre V8 without forced induction, the Flying Spur added a turbocharger, and only 134 cars were built during the two-year run.
Place in the range
The Silver Spirit had been introduced in 1980 as the first of the SZ series, and it formed the basis for the Flying Spur as well as the Silver Dawn, the Touring Limousine, the Park Ward and the Bentley Mulsanne and Eight. The Spirit and Spur carried over the basic design of the Silver Shadow, its 6.75-litre L410 V8 and the General Motors three-speed automatic, later replaced by the four-speed GM 4L80E in the winter of 1991, and used unitary bodywork built by Pressed Steel that followed the styling of the Pininfarina-designed Camargue.
The end of the generation
The Flying Spur arrived at the end of the SZ’s life. The final revision, known as the New Silver Spirit and New Silver Spur and introduced late in 1995 as a 1996 model, adopted a Garrett turbocharger on all models along with Zytec engine management, revised bumpers and sixteen-inch wheels; Rolls-Royce avoided an official ‘series IV’ name because four is a homonym for death in some Far Eastern languages. Silver Spirit production ended during the 1997 model year, although a few cars were built through 2000 to use up bodies and parts in stock.
Design and features
- Turbocharged V8: the higher-performance version of the Silver Spur III.
- Long wheelbase: built on the Spur rather than the short Spirit.
- Rarity: only 134 cars produced in two years.
- Mark III specification: Automatic Ride Control, anti-lock brakes and fuel injection as standard.
- End of the SZ line: sold just as the turbocharged Mark IV replaced the range.
Rolls-Royce Flying Spur versions
- Flying Spur (1994–1995): the turbocharged Spur III, 134 built.
- Silver Spur III (1993–1995): the standard long-wheelbase car it was based on.
- Silver Dawn: a special edition of the Spur III with traction assistance and rear seat heaters.
- New Silver Spur (1995–1998): the Mark IV, turbocharged on every model.
The Flying Spur belongs to the family that began with the Silver Shadow. More cars are in the Rolls-Royce collection.
Sources
- Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit, English Wikipedia: Flying Spur section, SZ series, Mark IV
