ROLLS-ROYCE Silver Seraph Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

The Silver Seraph was the first Rolls-Royce that featured a BMW-supplied engine under the hood. With a new design and up to date performances, it was like a Phoenix-car for the British brand.

The car's design started in the late 80s. The parent company, Vickers, decided to replace the aged Silver Spur. At the same time, the bodywork was used by Bentley for the Arnage range. For the engines, Vickers looked for an outsource and the BMW was selected. The German company offered them an exclusive 6.75-liter V12 design for the Silver Seraph and a twin-turbo 4.4-liter for the Arnage. After the trial between Volkswagen and BMW ended, the production of the Silver Seraph was stopped. The bodywork design remained to the other Germans, which were still upset because they paid one billion USD for the factory and Bentley brand, but lost the Rolls-Royce brand to BMW, who paid only USD 60 million.

The classic design of the Silver Spur was aerodynamically enhanced on the Silver Seraph. It was the first Rolls-Royce that featured clear-lens covered headlights. The long and curved lines of the bodywork elegantly described the last Rolls-Royce built in the Crewe factory.

Inside, the car showed no-compromise for the ultimate luxury sedan in the world. A total of eleven Connolly cowhides were masterfully pieced together with double seams to make them extremely durable and hard-wearing. It is precisely this painstaking attention to detail that gave rise to the boast that a single Rolls-Royce will last a lifetime.

The engine was developed upon the 5.5-liter V12 unit from the BMW 750i. It was mated to a 5-speed automatic gearbox and it was the quickest and the fastest Rolls-Royce ever built. Unlike other models, the Silver Seraph was built to offer pleasure for driving, not only for being driven.