THE AFFORDABLE CHOICES

There’s been no shortage of attention-grabbing articles in the motoring press over the years proclaiming that a classic Rolls-Royce can be yours for the same price as a secondhand family hatchback. And it’s true that even with a UK budget of only £5000-6000, you’re likely to find the odd roadworthy Silver Spirit that’s just about within budget. Chances are, however, that such a car will require major work and expenditure at some point, which somewhat negates the idea of it being a ‘bargain’ Rolls-Royce. If you can stretch your budget, however, you’ll find there are far more impressive survivors available – the kind of cars that have been well-maintained and looked after by their previous owners.

There was a time when the most affordable Rolls-Royce was the Silver Shadow, which ten years ago was still available in less-than-perfect condition for seriously low prices. Values of the best examples have been on the rise for some time, however, and even average-condition cars are now no longer the ‘bargains’ they once were. And so it falls to the subsequent SZ generation to offer the best value on today’s