I've never sold an AU Falcon and hopefully I never will. Got a mint Grandpa owned 1998 EL on the lot at the moment but.
For Rob and Carl, "the most advanced car in its time and bigger step forward than an Lexus LS 400 in its time" to paraphrase the presenter
Thanks for posting that Rennie, it looks like a nice specification Silver Shadow. The Silver Shadow was a watershed car for Rolls Royce. Unitary construction, 4 wheel disc brakes with twin calipers on the front, almost a fully trailing arm rear suspension, self leveling front and rear thanks to a Citroen licensed high pressure hydraulic system, anti-dive geometry and far more efficient use of interior space than the Cloud it replaced which was larger in every dimension. "the most advanced car in its time and bigger step forward than an Lexus LS 400 in its time" I love these revisionist quotes. The LS400 was not a step forward in any aspect apart from price, interior refinement/noise and a stellar dealer attitude.
Well it wouldn't be the Rolls-Royce ,over the years I've read many build sheets on individual cars ,the road test /issues found and then fixed before the car left Crewe .
There a well built car the Lexus ,but far from the build quality of a Rolls-Royce - perhaps a similar level to a Mazda ?
Majorly stupid post RR may have been a great car back in the day but there panel gaps are NO better than Lexus who have consistently toppped the quality charts world ide for many years To think some overpriced barge is superior to the quality of Lexus is naive at best, and I've been in the latest RR and think they are fabulous
Owned a few Rolls-Royces/Bentley motor cars have you ? Lexus is a very good product -Would I own one NO
Mate, seriously, they are a Toyota with refinements. Each time I sit in one, I just don’t get it. Plastic interiors, nothing interesting to look at. 100% they have great build quality and super reliable but no way would I put them in the same category as an RR. Go sit in a modern Bentley and the level of detail in the interior, build quality etc will blow your mind
I have no doubt that is true but we were only talking about panel gaps Like I said, I've been in the latest RR and the overall quality is second to none but the body build quality was no better than the Lexus, sure the materials used in the RR were way better but not put together than a top of the range lexus
The Japanese have always had excellent panel gaps. Whether they were better in the LS400 than a W140 or E32, I'm not sure. Even my Grandmother's old Toyota Corona assembled by AMI had excellent panel gaps. BTW, the LS400 was designed to be available in most world markets, unlike the Toyota Century, which I believe is a step above the LS400 in refinement and build quality, particularly when fitted with the brilliant Toyota designed V12. However like most myopic Japanese manufacturers, the Century was never exported outside Japan. A few have made it to these shores as private imports, have a good look at one if you have the chance. The Silver Shadow is not a particularly refined vehicle in terms of engine noise, it's quite vocal when extended and Rolls Royce obviously deemed this not an issue. The V8 in the LS400 trounces the Rolls Royce unit for refinement. As does the Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz V12. The Lexus is the quietest of its contemporaries too. Where the Rolls Royce excels is its complete disregard for road irregularities and surface changes, of which I find this characteristic, second to none. It hums along the road oblivious to what's underneath. Even driving through standing water on the road only produces a quiet "splash", unlike other vehicles where you hear and feel, loudly, the water spraying on the underside of the car. The interior quality discussion of the Rolls Royce has been done to death, even Stevie Wonder would get it.
The first generation LS400 had a plastic dashboard with molded-in stitching. WTF. Lexii today are just Toyotas with tasteless interiors. The dash design has a jumble of round and square elements and slabs of plastic "piano black" trim. Plus no other car in my experience has so many intrusive and annoying nanny-state "safety" features. Bentley and RR are on completely different level.
You do KNOW when the Rolls-Royce engine was 1st shown /built ? A well-preserved one with the correct oil is silent .That old T of mine with 250,000 miles up with the correct oil is silent .
People only bought the LS400's as they missed the large S Class Benz IMO. I wouldn't be seen dead in one -car for rent collectors, RE Agents and salesman
Comfort is second to none -The new BMW things don't cut it for me ,ridden and a few and felt car sick,one is just to far away from the front screen/dash.
