Here’s a Rolls-Royce Silver Spur Springfield Edition, seen at a local car market in northern Beijing in the winter of 2019. It was cold, freezing, with snow on the endless hood of the luxury British limousine.
The Springfield Edition
In 1996, Rolls-Royce launched the Springfield Edition of the Silver Spur to commemorate the 75th anniversary of its Springfield, Massachusetts, factory, which opened in 1921.
Originally intended as a limited run of 21 cars, production ultimately reached 27 examples. The manufacturer was Rolls-Royce’s coachbuilding subsidiary, Mulliner Park Ward. Every Springfield Edition was sold exclusively in North America.
Rolls-Royce offered five dual-tone paint options. The color of the car in the photos is “Mayfair”, a combination of black and maroon.
The Springfield Edition also came with extra chrome in the bumpers, a smaller rear window, and beautiful multi-spoke wheels.
The interior of the Rolls-Royce Silver Spur Springfield Edition
But, as always with these special editions, the interior was the most important part of the Silver Spur Springfield Edition. It had a special interior based on a Chesterfield seating design, complemented by chromed bezels around the instruments and cherry wood trim.
But the best part was this pretty wooden plaque in the center tunnel. It says: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars of North America, Springfield, Massachusetts, Factory Opening 1921. 75Years, Rolls-Royce Silver Spur – Springfield Edition 1996. It sure is one of the coolest plagues in automotive history.
The rear cabin was probably the best place to sit in this Rolls-Royce. Endless space and luxury, with a fancy clock in the rear center console. Rolls-Royce experdtly integrated the seat belt buckles into the seats.
Specifications of the Rolls-Royce Silver Spur
The Rolls-Royce Silver Spur Springfield Edition was based on the Mark IV Rolls-Royce Silver Spur, which, in turn, was a long-wheelbase version of the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit.
Dimensions: 5295/1887/1486, 3162. Power came from the famous turbocharged 6,75-liter Rolls-Royce L410 V8 engine. While Rolls-Royce historically described output as “adequate,” the actual output was about 300 hp and 738 Nm.
In China
How this US-spec Rols-Royce ended up in China is a mystery. In the 1990s, Rolls-Royce didn’t officialy sell cars in China, and at that time, there weren’t many Chinese entrepeneurs who could affort such a vehicle. But even so, some 1990s Rolls-Royces made in to China in period.
It can also be a later import, but that ain’t easy in China, as the import of “second-hand cars” is forbidden. There’s one exception: museums can import older cars, and rich collectors often creatively use this loophole to assemble large collections in “museums” that are not really open to the public. The strange Sichuan license plate is likely a fake.
As far as I know, this car hasn’t been seen anywhere in China since, so it likely hides somewhere in a secured garage, which is a shame, because this Rolls-Royce is such a rare, special, and beautiful car.