TAKE A BRAKE

After the last issue of Rolls-Royce & Bentley Driver went to print, and in an attempt to break away from the doom and gloom of recent months, I celebrated two personal Rolls-Royce and Bentley ownership anniversaries. The first occurred mid-December and marked six years since I acquired Pandora, my Silver Shadow II. Bought as something of a ‘doer-upper’ and mechanically restored following a lengthy spell in a state of suspended animation, the Silver Mink survivor still puts a huge smile on my face when I lay eyes on it and whenever I get the opportunity to find myself behind the wheel, adding to the not insignificant number of miles the car has covered since being first registered for the road on 11th November 1980.

This date is significant, because it means Pandora (as she’s affectionately known) has finally turned forty and is, therefore, eligible for free-of-charge Vehicle Excise Duty. Not that