The Silver Spirit was available from 1980 to 1998, always with a 6.75-litre Rolls-Royce V8engine. There were multiple changes of spec in those 18 years, especially to engine power and suspension, but a late Spirit is recognisably the same car as an early one. As with all Rolls-Royce cars, these models offer a very special motoring experience as long as they have been properly maintained.

That experience is about wafting and gliding. It is not about powering through corners, although a Spirit offers surprisingly good dynamics when hustled along. Most important is to understand the car’s character before buying one, and to appreciate it as a work of automotive craftsmanship rather than just a lot of metal for your money.