In general, there is a timeless elegance to Rolls-Royce and Bentley models that means they look good no matter what the automotive fashions around them. It’s the reason that a Bentley R-Type Continental is still absolutely drop-dead gorgeous 70 years after its first appearance, or that the Silver Shadow could survive from 1965 through to 1995, at least in Corniche form, with few changes to its overall shape.
However, the magic doesn’t always work. There was the Camargue, of course; Pininfarina’s distinctive 1970s and 1980s flagship which divided opinions when it was current and continues to do so today. And in 1980, Rolls-Royce replaced the much-loved Silver Shadow and Bentley T-series models with the first of the SZ series; an angular update of the previous generation that was very of its era and thus showcased a more straight-edged style that reflected the square-rigged trends of the time. Over the years, the razor lines haven’t aged as well as those of the more curvaceous cars from Crewe, with the result that the Silver Spirit and its Bentley derivatives – at least the normally-aspirated versions – aren’t nearly as valued as some of their predecessors and successors.
Now, the SZ models are not unattractive machines – they are, as with all Rolls-Royces and Bentleys, handsome, imposing, dignified and prestigious vehicles. But as with many cars with finely chiselled looks, when motoring tastes turn back towards
