Quote:
Originally posted by JanusCole
epbrown: How was it to drive? Was RR ownership worth the financial and personal investment? I mean, aside from being quiet, is there any other reason to own a Rolls?
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As someone that's owned Porsches and BMWs, I've heard questions familiar to everyone on the board: "For the same money, you could get a Corvette\Camaro\STi, etc." We all then launch into discussions about quality and engineering, and say we'd rather own a 20-something Porsche than a 5-year old Corvette.
Those same arguments apply to Rolls-Royce - their engineering focus is different, but they went after their goals with the same dedication as Porsche, BMW, or Ferrari. Sitting in a Silver Shadow, there's nothing you'll look at or handle and say "Wow, that's cheap." Historically, the cars have always cost about the price of a comfortable suburban home, and they live up to it. The carpets are made of quality wool, bound with quality leather, the front seats will rival a comfortable leather armchair in any upscale furniture store, while the rear seat is pretty much a 54" sofa. The switches in my '66 were chromed organ pulls set in a burled wood dash, and the headliner was cloth (though full leather was an option). There are lots of cars you can get for the same money as a Silver Shadow, but none of them will be as well made and luxurious. As with my Porsches, whenever I worked on my Rolls I was always impressed with the thought and care that went into everything I handled.
If your dream car is a 911 2.7RS, this 4800-lb. car with 200 bhp and a 0-60 of 11secs is going to disappoint. As written above, it's made to waft along quietly and comfortably. RR switched to a rack-and-pinion steering system in '77 so the handling's a bit sharper, but it's still more 70s Cadillac than 70s Mercedes-Benz. But if you get one for what it is and use it for what it's supposed to do, it's as pleasurable to own as a Rolex or old Nikon camera.
And for me, the appeal is that like those quality items, it's something I could keep my entire life and enjoy, in spite of more modern fare becoming available.