Michael Caine once owned this Rolls – and he didn’t blow the doors off

By Chris Rowlands
News
 | 24 May 2018
Michael Caine once owned this Rolls – and he didn’t blow the doors off

Michael Caine might be known for his cockney accent and working class background but, after starring in more than a hundred films (and, presumably, retrieving the gold from the back of that bus), the cinema legend found himself driving several distinctly upmarket machines.

In fact, in quite the upgrade from his iconic Italian Job mini, his first ever car was a Rolls-Royce (though insurance costs meant it was cheaper to hire a chauffeur to drive it).

Continuing that trend, in 1984 he took delivery of a subtle but luxurious Silver Spirit. Not his first Roller, but certainly quite the looker – and now it could be yours.

How? It’s going under the hammer on 3 June at Bonhams’ Greenwich auction – and not a lot of people know that. 

Michael Caine once owned this Rolls – and he didn’t blow the doors off

The Silver Spirit was the first of the SZ series and arrived in 1980 – a year in which Michael Caine starred in both Dressed to Kill and The Island – bearing several similarities with its Silver Shadow predecessor.

Very much evolution over revolution, power for the Silver Spirit again came from the established Rolls-Royce 6.75-litre V8 engine, while the real focus remained refinement: improved self-levelling suspension and hydraulic ride-height control delivered a sumptuous ride.

Subtle improvements were made to the shell, too, over its predecessor, with noticeably squarer lines, a more modern, cleaner nose and a lower posture in general – though it remained every bit the Roller, complete with Spirit of Ecstasy at its bow.

Inside, things were as luxurious as you’d expect from the high-end British marque, with separate rear seats fitted after the sculpted bench of the Silver Shadow, together with the reintroduction of those all-important picnic tables.

The actor ordered his Silver Spirit in a classy two-tone paint job, with Ocean Blue and Deep Blue. Quite why he didn’t opt for red, white and blue we’re not sure.

Things were made to match inside, too, so everything from the top roll and dash to seats and carpet were finished in an appealing shade of light blue. Caine also had the Rolls optioned with lambswool rugs and an electrically operated sunroof – which doesn’t blow off.

Michael Caine once owned this Rolls – and he didn’t blow the doors off
Michael Caine once owned this Rolls – and he didn’t blow the doors off

Stabled with the prolific actor for several years, the vehicle eventually left Caine’s ownership to go to a new home in California, before later moving between Pennsylvania and New York – where it remains today.

Remarkably, despite being 34 years old, this luxury cruiser has covered a mere 23,000 miles and, better yet, remains in outstanding condition, doubtless due to its long history of careful maintenance – as proven by the raft of invoices with the car.

Beyond the work receipts, everything from the order forms to the original manuals will be sold with the classic Rolls when it goes under the hammer on 3 June, making it both a complete and unique lot.

And, while Michael Caine might recently have said that he’s giving up Rolls-Royces because they’re too ostentatious in times of austerity, you can bet his understated former Silver Spirit remains every bit the luxury runaround. Its estimate? £14,000 – £18,000.

 

Interested in buying a classic Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit? We've got plenty in our classified listings

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Chris Rowlands

Perennially on the road, Chris has to content himself with writing about classic cars instead of owning them – though he’s sure he’ll one day have the keys to an E-type. A regular contributor to Classic & Sports Car, his first love is motorsport.