Innehållsförteckning för Issue 48 - May/Jun 2025 från Rolls-Royce & Bentley Driver

Catching up with Eric Bauly and his 100-year-old Rolls-Royce 20hp for the feature that we’re running in this issue was an interesting exercise, and not just because of the owner’s personal tale. As you’ll read (starting on page 40), Eric first spotted the car back in the early ’60s, when he was a schoolboy, and almost 30 years later he became its proud owner… for the first time. Experiencing the car now, however, reminded us just how important a model the ‘Twenty’ was for Rolls-Royce. Prior to the 20hp’s 1922 debut, Rolls-Royce had relied on the enormous (and enormously expensive) 40/50 ‘Silver Ghost’. The company realised, however, that an expansion of the line-up was needed, and decided that a new entry-level car would appeal to coachbuilders and customers alike. It…

If the studio photography used for this issue’s Rolls-Royce Camargue feature has you craving something similar for your own car, the good news is that master snapper John Colley is taking on new commissions. All studio work is carried out at John’s Derby base, with professional shoots and a set of top-quality images available for less than you might expect. John has been involved in car photography for several decades, and comes highly recommended. To see samples of John’s studio work, visit www.johncolley.com.…

This issue’s Auction Tracker covers the full year period from March 1st 2024 to the end of February 2025. Trends are assessed on a 12-month rolling basis versus the numbers published last time (to the end of December ’24 – the 2m trend) and year-on-year versus March ’23 to February ’24 (12m trend). As I have now been tracking the market for a full two years, I am also able to present the trend versus 24 months ago – a new 24m trend. NOT ALL GLOOM I’d like to break from the norm to start this column by sharing some recent high-profile Bentley results from outside of the UK, even though they’re not included in my figures. They were all sold by RM Sotheby’s, and represent the four ages of…

Having looked at some relatively straightforward service jobs on a 1962 Silver Cloud III last time out, we’re staying with Rolls-Royce but moving into the Britpop era with an oil strainer gauze removal, clean and refit on a Silver Spur III – the slightly longer-wheelbase version of the Silver Spirit III, boasting the same beefy 6.75-litre V8 and innovative Shift Energy Management transmission system, and manufactured for only a couple of years from the mid-1990s before being succeeded by the Silver Seraph. Fewer than 500 Silver Spur IIIs were made in total, of which only 176 were right-hand drive, making this all-white example something of a rarity. In good condition inside and out, and with summer approaching, it will make a really nice rolling restoration project for someone. Keep an…

"You're kind of old-fashioned, maybe. But there's something about you. You know what you've got? You've got class!" So exclaims Shirley MacLaine, in character as gangster’s moll Mae Jenkins, in The Yellow Rolls-Royce when first confronted by the 1932 Phantom II with Barker Sedanca de Ville bodywork that gives the 1964 movie its title. And she wasn’t the only one to be wowed by the stately piece of British craftsmanship, for cinema audiences across the world also fell for the Canary Yellow charms of the aristocratic star car. The film went on to become a major hit at the box offices of 60 years ago (it was only released in the UK on December 30th, 1964, and not until May the following year in the USA, so most audiences saw…

Although Bentley Motors’ profits dipped by 37 per cent last year to £314 million, the company’s new CEO, Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, has described the results as “positive”, with the company ramping up investment in new products and its Crewe plant in preparation for a major increase in its electrified line-up. Bentley is gearing up for the 2027 launch of its first fully electric vehicle (EV), described as a “luxury urban SUV”, and will launch at least one new hybrid or EV every year for the next decade, with the goal of becoming electric-only by 2035. The company’s new EV assembly line will be located in the oldest building at the Pyms Lane site, with plans already in place for the transformation. Investment into the Crewe factory is described as record-breaking…

Evice Ltd, which exhibited an EV-converted Silver Shadow at last year’s RREC Annual Rally, has announced the launch of its new brand, Halcyon – with the first project being the transformation of a 1978 Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible to EV spec. The car is described as being currently “in build”, with Halcyon boasting that it integrates “worldleading technology, expert craftsmanship, and bespoke design”. The first Halcyon customer orders are set for delivery in late 2026, following what will have been a three-year development and testing programme. Limited to just 60 unique commissions, each car will be tailored to meet its owner’s precise requirements. The 12-month build process includes over 1000 hours of bodywork restoration alone, ensuring each Halcyon Rolls-Royce is finished to the highest standards. Owners can work with Halcyon’s in-house…

Ten years after it had shocked traditionalists via the unveiling of its hi-tech monocoquebodied Silver Shadow, Rolls-Royce created another stir with the official launch of its new-for-1975 two-door coupé: the Camargue. Joining the range rather than replacing an existing model, the head-turning newcomer sat above the Corniche, appealing to clients who demanded an even more expensive, more exclusive coachbuilt creation. But of course, not everyone approved. It's true that the Camargue looked like no other Rolls-Royce. Although inevitably sharing the same SY-generation platform as the Silver Shadow and Corniche, this Pininfarina-styled coupé couldn’t have been more of a contrast aesthetically. The sharp two-door styling was almost simplistic, swapping the SY family’s curvaceousness and elegance for a low, flat look that alienated as many marque enthusiasts as it attracted. But that…

Brian Gush, a South African by birth, started working at Volkswagen SA in 1986, rising to become Chief Engineer before getting the call to Wolfsburg, where he spent three and a half years developing the Engineering Operations for Volkswagen Group China. In so doing, he came to the attention of Ulrich Hackenberg, who became Bentley’s first Member of the Board for Engineering under Volkswagen ownership, who invited Brian to join the team at Crewe in 1999. Here, Peter Lavers speaks to Brian about his Bentley involvement and his countless achievements. PL: Tell me about your time working at Crewe. BG: My first role at Bentley was as Engineering Operations Director, with the task of aligning Crewe’s engineering functions with the way that the rest of the group was structured. This…

“Seeing this car for the first time, when I was 15 years old in 1961, is something I can still vividly remember,” smiles Suffolk-based Eric Bauly, as we chat during the photo shoot with his 1925 Rolls-Royce 20hp. “I was a passenger in my father’s car, and we were waiting at a junction when this amazing machine just wafted by. I’d never seen anything like it before, and I immediately loved it.” Eric didn’t realise that the 20hp in question was owned by a friend of his grandparents. Discovering this in later years, he went to see the Rolls-Royce in around 1974 or ’75, by which time it was off the road and being stored under a tarpaulin in an open barn: “I knew I’d still love to own the…

There are numerous phrases that some members of the motoring press like to throw around like confetti, ‘The Best Car in the World’ being among them – and back in the 1970s, that trophy was one which sat firmly in the cabinets at Crewe. Whether it was your thing or not, the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow had, in the eyes of the motoring press, earned that accolade. But that’s not to say there were no challengers to the title. The Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 was one, boasting a colossal V8 in a standard S-Class shell. The Cadillac Fleetwood was another, colossal in every sense and truly the Cadillac of automobiles. And then, emanating from the Rolls-Royce’s home turf, there was the Jaguar XJ12 – Jaguar’s first serious entry into the ultra-luxury…

Bentley has unveiled an exceptional example of the co-creation commissioning journey that every Batur customer experiences, the unique end result being The Black Rose that’s said to be themed around the beauty of rose gold. The Black Rose is one of 18 Baturs being built by Mulliner’s Bespoke Studio, and results from an extensive co-creation journey between the client and Mulliner’s design team. This particular car features bespoke Black Rose metallic paintwork commissioned by Mulliner exclusively for the customer, with a gloss Beluga upper body. Satin Rose Gold accents adorn the front grille, the bonnet line, mirror caps, lower body kit and 22-inch tri-tone wheels. The theme continues inside, where the dark hides and fabrics are punctuated by rose gold thanks to an automotive industry first. Bentley employed gold Additive…

Don’t forget that the world’s biggest gathering of SY-generation Rolls-Royces and Bentleys takes place at the historic Brooklands Museum over the weekend of August 16th-17th, ensuring that the Silver Shadow family’s 60th anniversary is celebrated in style. Michael Marshall-Clarke, pictured here with his 1974 Silver Shadow, reports that more than 200 cars have already been pre-entered – and the Middlesex section of the RREC, which is organising the special event, is hoping for more. Among the highlights are a black tie dinner in the famous Brooklands Clubhouse and a road run through the scenic Surrey Hills. The gathering is open to all SY-generation cars, comprising the Silver Shadow and Shadow II, Bentley T-series and T2, MPW/Corniche, Silver Wraith II and Camargue. For further details, see the official write-up on page…

Send an email to rrb.ed@kelsey.co.uk or write to: The Editor, Rolls-Royce & Bentley Driver, Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Kent, ME18 6AL RARE BENTLEY FIND I thought you might be interested in the enclosed photos of an intriguing Bentley that I happened to spot at a local garage for classic cars. I thought it looked like a Graber body, and as a Bentley is a very rare sight here in Denmark – especially an unusual model like this one – it made me want to find out if I was right. An online check of the license plate revealed that the car is a 1956 S1 with a Graber Cabriolet body on chassis number B462LAN. According to James Taylor’s Coachwork on Rolls-Royce & Bentley 1945-1965,…