Great video but, putting on my anorak, all Silver Shadows and Bentleys from 1971 had the 6.7 litre engine, so every T2 (which start from 1977) had the 6.7. That heating/cooling system is very effective but as it is electro-mechanical not electronic, so there are no plug in diagnostics and when it goes wrong it does strange things.
My dad had one in the late 70s and I remember as a kid the deep wool mats and you actually could here the ticking of the clock if you listened hard enough. My mum would pick us up from the local youth club and fill it with kids and drop them off at their houses on the council estate 😂 My old man was a car dealer and if he got something nice in he'd usually keep it for a bit and then sell it.. miss you dad ❤
My brother owns a Silver Shadow and it's a lovely thing. It's hard to believe you can buy a boat load of these hand crafted vehicles for the price of one Escort Mexico. (Which has a massive chance of being a fake / ringer.) As a classic Ford owner I can safely say the classic car world is a crazy and fickle place.
It took them quite a while to rectify this too, possibly late 80s early 90s. At least my 1996 Turbo R has Bentley logos everywhere visible, there's still a few "RR" scattered about in places you can't usually see though.
Lovely car, I do have a bit of a soft spot for these. Although they only had the improved air con for a few short years it didn't go to waste, and carried over in to the Silver Spirit/Bentley Mulsanne range. My 1996 Turbo R has the same system, and I think it was used even later in the run out Continental (not GT) models in the early 2000s.
Nice vid. That era of Bentley/RR looks to be the best. As you say, for a 46 year old car, with no rattles says a lot about the workmanship. I’d love to have a drive in one.
This is a proper luxury car not much tech wood and leather air conditioning big smooth engine soft ride and an impressive look and the so called luxury cars of today that cost an extraordinary amount of money the Bentley's and Rolls Royce's of the late 1970s were built by very talented people put together well and built to last as you said this Bentley is over 40 years old is a true testament to the craftsmen who put it together
Wonderful, Steph. Beautiful cars , whether the double R, or WO . The outside temp gauge possibly in Fahrenheit rather than centigrade, Old English Money and all that ! Possibly, no without doubt, the best value classics around , so much car for the money.
Another great and interesting video from Steph! I love how her videos show all the in focus closeup details of the car she’s showing (Mr Furious could learn a thing or two about doing that to be honest :) ) as well as her incredibly detailed verbal description of the car. She’s the best.
Thought it was cool to hear comedian Jerry Seinfeld say your RU-vid channel is one of his favorites while speaking on the Spike's Car Radio podcast. High praise indeed!
Many thanks Steph for another excellent video of a lovely car. I would really appreciate the quietness, waft , ride quality but not the fuel economy. You looked absolutely in tune with the Bentley.
A great video with the perfect balance of do's and don’ts. These era of RR and Bentleys represent extraordinary value. But as you say join the clubs and also from them find your nearest specialist garage - and enjoy!
one thing I often hear you say about smoking is, just use the window to ash it. But here, in the U.S., we have wildfires started every year from that, so I'm glad to have someone use the ashtray, if they MUST smoke. 🙂
I recall reading in a RR textbook, that a different, small key locks the glovebox. In the glovebox is a button which upon pressing, remote opens the boot/trunk. However that button can be locked with that same small key, and in that case, the boot/trunk won't open, even using the normal door/ignition key. This feature was designed to give security when the driver hands over the ignition keys to a VALET PARKING type attendant. So 'er indoors' Mink Coat, or the Gentleman's custom shotgun or custom golf Clubs in the boot, were protected from easy theft. Also inside the glovebox should be a tiny little toolkit. Because the gear selector works through an unusual complicated motorised system, in case that motorised system ever broke down, a tiny little bar is located in the glovebox toolkit (from the description I read, it must look a bit like an Allen Key). Rolling back the floor carpet slightly, somewhere on the side of the middle hump, will be a slot to insert the little bar. Gear change can then be effected, such as from Park to Drive so the car can be driven onto your nearest RR/B dealer to have the motorised gear selector mechanism repaired. And remember folks, as Penelope from the TV series "To the Manor Born" tells us in an early episode, when her 1950's model wouldn't start. "There's never anything wrong with a Rolls Royce. It's just that sometimes, it won't go !"
Badge engineering, but far fewer Bentley's were made, so a bit more valuable. The main disadvantage with these and I do own one ,is that that a normal garage isn't big enough. To accommodate my car I have had the garage in my new house extended by 5ft.
That car suits you Steph! How bizarre I know exactly where you are that's where I grew up! I live down south now but my roots are in Birkenhead :) Ironically when I visit there now I always stay in the premier Inn you passed and that area is where I took and passed my driving test back in the day. Enough of me back to the car I have always preferred the Bentley to the Rolls in the same way I prefer a Daimler to a Jaguar. Great video Did I say that car really suits you ;) To the Manor Born my dear to the Manor Born :)
Another great episode. A very nice original looking car that could benefit from a good detailing, though. And, as always, that's another great outfit you are wearing!
i have loved the shaped of these cars either as Rolls Royce or Bentley since i was young i had the chance in the 1970's to be a passenger in RR silver shadow never forget it, i would love one but whilst they are reasonable to buy the running costs are eye watering unless you are handy. I have had a Bentley continental flying spur a newer vehicle but taking it in for repair ouch!! spent £8000 over 18 months so it had to go but the driving experience was amazing.
Great video Steph - i have all the Motor Show Guides for the 70s - strangely in some years the T1/T2 is quoted £500 cheaper than the Shadow. However for 1974 they are both quoted at £13,200
That "Wiggle" is the torque effect rocking the suspension. As the flywheel spins clockwise the body tries to spin in the opposite direction. It is most evident in big torque V8's.
My '73 Rambler Matador with the 360 (5.9L) V8 used to do that... loved it! In hindsight, I should have kept it, as I would like one again, except now they are pretty expensive ($35k+, whereas I sold mine for relative peanuts back in the late '90's - $1500), and I can't justify that expense now. Cheers!
Hey Steph. Wonderful review as always. You asked to imagine what it would be like to take delivery of a new one back in the late 70s?? As I a 24-year-old Aussie I can indeed relate to you what it was like to take delivery of a new S reg RR Silver Shadow II in February 1978 in Conduit Street in London. Mine was Nutmeg with beige leather with dark brown piping...in Australian specification. The rack & pinion steering and revised suspension (Citroen self levelling assisted in the rear), made if rather fun to waft and punt along in the country. Actually it had a good turning lock too. Can you imagine after a year in the UK with my weekday daily driver, as a new Citroen 2CV6 Club, heading off to the Continent in the SSII for 5 months youth hosteling around Europe?? I could not get an import permit for 2 cars in one year to Australia. So before leaving the UK two friends helped me disassemble the 2CV to send it home as second-hand spare parts, to be rebuilt in my parent's garage by two car club friends, while I was picking up hitch hikers between youth hostels.... The RR service centre in Lausanne commented that the nice grey exhaust of my car and its responsiveness was very rare to see on any Roller. More likely on a Bentley with a spirited driver...
8:10 Probably both the radio and cassette unit are original. Both look correct for the 70s. Blaupunkt has offered external cassette decks for their car radios as early as late 60s so they were on the market for quite some time already, although very slow selling at first. By the late 70s car radios with built-in cassette mechanisms were becoming more popular but two piece sets like this one were still offered because they didn't sacrifice radio presets to fit the cassette mechanism
Hi Steph, I particularly enjoyed this video as this actual car (ARE 779S) was my step Grandfathers car in the 1980's - 1990's!!!! He purchased the car around 1982 when it was about 4 years old. I had many happy trips out in the car until my Grandfather died in 1996 when the car was subsequently sold. I would very much like to be put in touch with Dylan if that is possible please?
What a delightful video! I have a soft spot for Rolls-Royces and Bentleys from that era. I drove one for about an hour, It was an experience. The ride was soft but stately. I didn't want to give the keys back.
I prefer the looks of this Bently to the equivalent RR, which I had the opportunity to drive a few times in the early 80s. From what I remember, the interiors were almost the same, however, the RR didnt have the front head restraints
Although this is a nice example of this model if you love brown, I much prefer the looks of the T1 with it's chrome bumpers and narrower D posts. Good video besides Steph
Back in the mid 80s I knew a businessman called Ernest Hall - very nice man and a concert grade pianist. He owned a T2 and as I recall in a similar external colour. The interior was a dark colour but I can't recall the specific colour. It was a lovely car always beautifully presented as was he, always wore beautiful suits and brown suede shoes - I suspect Church's or something of that quality.
Hi Steph. I particularly enjoyed this video as this actual car (ARE 779S) was my Step Grandfather's car in the 1980's - 1990's!!!! My Step Grandfather bought the car around 1982 and I had may happy trips out in the T2 until my Step Grandfather died in 1996. I would very much like to be put in touch with the current owner, Dylan, if this possible please?
No freakin’ way!!!! If you pop me your email to my email address which is in my bio, I will pass your details along. GDPR forbids me from sending Dylan’s details and I’d hate to do it without checking anyway x
In 1980 the US export RR‘s all had SU carbs, except for California import cars. These were the only ones with fuel injection, and had a C at the end of the Chassis numbers!
A superb car. And a wonderful presentation Steph. You'd have made a fantastic Bentley saleswoman selling these in the 70s I'm sure of that. I'd love to own one of these or the silver shadow 2!
While working for a body shop in the early 2010s, I got to drive a late 90s Bentley Continental R. They say you should never meet your heroes as you'll only be disappointed - well the same goes for cars. Before I drove one the Bentley was always a hero of mine, but the creaking, clanking, rattling Continental put me off them for life.
Fantastic video, Steph. My only experience was being given a ride is a Shadow of about this same vintage. The Connelly Leather and Wilton wool carpets are simply magnificent. One of the few cars with a seat back high enough to be truly comfortable. Of course, North American examples added head restraints to the front seats. The sound of that 6¾ litre V8 is sublime. The furrent crop of engineers need to be forced to listen to that sweet, deep, quiet burble and work to make the modern imitations sound right.
I wonder how many buyers drove them at the time? If you bought one of these you may well have had 'a Man' to drive it for you! Lovely old car and very well looked after it seems. Thanks for letting us 'waft along' with you Steph. 👍👍
I love high profile tyres , even today I choose them in preference to daft damage prone skinny versions. What a lovely looking car. Modern Bentleys have such a such a terrible reliability and an electronic nightmare. Much prefer a T2
Time when that was new, I saw it great car, but now I`m over educated for like cars in generally. It seems more like too difficult to maintain and give little benefit compared ordinary cars. But anyway, we Finns say; " To cry in MB is confy, compared to cry in Lada"
What a wonderful car! So good looking in its period colours - inside and out. Particularly like the original number plates, too. It would be amazing to run something like this regularly, although I suspect fuel costs would be challenging!
I have a Bentley T1 1970. I consider the Series 1 a more visually attractive car. The front below the twin headlamps have chrome vents the series 2 looks bare/bland, side markers white at the front red at the rear, reversing lights located on the boot lid, chrome exterior door handles and chrome bumpers that is the reason why I cconsider the series 1 more desirable. My Bentley Masons Black, Magnolia pipped black upholstery,has uprated lights,L.P.G , stainless exhaust, electronic ignition, twin hand painted Magnolia coachlines to match upholstery. Every mile is a pleasure to ride and drive.
I didn't realize the Bentley variant of the Silver Shadow was such a rare car. When I lived in the UK I had a schoolmate whose Dad had a Series 1 version; it had personalized plates but I think it was a 1971 or '72.
Hello Steph, wow, what a lovely car (British engineering at it's best!!) with every drive being so special - such luxuary!! How many MPG ? Best wishes from Lincolnshire.
