PennSilverTaco's European vehicle photo montage and rant/rave thread!

I've always had a thing for cars, and most recently I developed an interested in older (1998-older) Rolls-Royce and Bentley automobiles. An acquaintance of mine who abroad REALLY got me into Rolls-Royce, but unfortunately we (or I should say he) had a difference of opinion (politically, entirely on his part). As such, we no longer talk (his choice).

My primary reason for doing this is because I think the general Rolls-Royce community in North America is a bunch of bullshit (as are the various forums and their contents).

The U.K.-based RREC (Rolls-Royce Enthusiast's Club) is the undisputed hallmark. Unfortunately, this organization not only requires a substantial entrance fee (and I think annual dues as well; not sure), but also requires a recommendation/endorsement from an existing member...

Despite this, the RREC is the benchmark of all Rolls-Royce and Bentley communities.

A guy I know, considered to be one of the foremost experts on postwar Rolls-Royce and Bentley Motorcars, informed me that the only forum that comes even close is an Australian website...

The bottom line is that the vast majority of so-called enthusiasts in the United States are ignorant and don't know what the hell they are talking about.

In the 1970s and 1980s, many first time Rolls-Royce buyers were buying these cars as a replacement for their Cadillacs. As such, they expected both unscheduled repairs and routine preventive maintenance to be only slightly more expensive than it would be for a Cadillac.

Many owners were shocked when they got their first bill, and a few immediately sold their Rolls-Royces and went back to Cadillac, or got something somewhat cheaper like a Benz or a BMW.

Unfortunately, some kept their Rolls-Royces, but took them to regular mechanics. Any ASE certified mechanic can do even the most advanced work on a Caddy. However, while anyone can do basic stuff to a Rolls like change the oil, recharge the air-conditioner, replace a fuse, or change a tire...

Doing something like a complete tuneup, a radiator or transmission flush, or a brake job, is something best left to a trained Rolls-Royce specialist. Becoming a certified Rolls-Royce mechanic is not something that can be done in a matter of weeks or months at a vocational school! This requires YEARS of training!

A perfect example would be the braking system in Rolls-Royces...

Many owners and mechanics wrongfully assumed that it was okay to use generic brake fluid in these cars. Rolls-Royces and Bentleys require a specialized brake fluid, and using anything but this fluid...

Well, to say it would screw up the system is an understatement...

Using anything but the special Rolls-Royce brake fluid will totally destroy the system and result in a repair bill of $10,000-$12,000!

Many owners also ordered their cars in colors that many European or Asian buyers would find boring, most notably white.

It also took six months or more to build a new Rolls-Royce from the time the order was received. Many American buyers were impatient and bought whatever was in the showroom because they just had to have it right then!

I am curious to know if there are any Rolls-Royce and Bentley owners or enthusiasts on TW!

One thing I'd like to make clear is that I don't consider any Rolls-Royce manufactured after 2002 to be a real Rolls-Royce. I consider the 2004-2017 Phantom to be a BMW in drag, and the new 2018 models are just... UGH! The aforementioned former acquaintance from Hong Kong says the 2013-present Wraith looks like a dog taking a poo. He has owned numerous Rolls-Royces and Bentleys ranging from early 1950s to about 1996, and he has driven all of the post-2002 BMW era Rolls-Royces. He described them as "fine motorcars, but not worthy of the Rolls-Royce name" or something like that.

All current Rolls-Royce models have BMW engines, and there are cheap cost-cutting measures everywhere you look (especially in the interior).

My "Rolls-Royce guy" in Hong Kong really instilled in me a greater appreciation and respect for the marque, and partially because of him I really desire to own a Rolls-Royce or Bentley someday. One TW member who says he used to work on Rolls-Royces and Bentleys says that I should "try one out" to "see if it's really for me." I know that a Rolls-Royce or Bentley is for me, but first I've got to get a good job and save my money, and then it's just a matter of which specific is for me. I especially have a soft spot for the 1975-1986 Camargue, which in terms of looks really is an acquired taste and is very "color-sensitive."

My acquaintance told me in no uncertain terms that the North American Rolls-Royce and Bentley community is basically a bunch of idiots who have no idea what they're doing or saying, and that the only truly good Rolls-Royce forums are in Australia and the UK, respectively. The Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts' Club is not at all like Tacoma World in that you can simply create an account and join. One has to apply (being sponsored by a respected member/owner helps a lot), and it costs £107 (more than $140 in US dollars) to join. On top of that, the aforementioned acquaintance is a prominent RREC member, with more than 40 years in the club. I could afford the membership fee, but I'm afraid negative feelings on his part might cause issues if I just try to join out of the blue.

That said, I am hoping to find somebody in the United States (Northeast/Mid-Atlantic strongly preferred) who is not only a Rolls-Royce and Bentley enthusiast, but sees both marques the way I do. My former acquaintance can easily be considered one of the foremost experts on postwar Rolls-Royces and Bentleys in the world, and it would literally take 40-50 years for ANYONE to develop the level of expertise that he has. He just turned 63 this year, and he's been studying Rolls-Royce since he first fell in love with the brand at the tender age of 5. I really miss chatting with this acquaintance and I am hoping to find someone in America who has expertise close to his and won't judge me as a person based entirely on petty political differences.

Also, as I said before, I would really like to get behind the wheel of a Rolls-Royce or Bentley in the very near future. I've never even ridden in one! About 6 years ago, I did ride in a 2010 or 2011 Bentley Continental Flying Spur belonging to my friend's dad, but that in my opinion is not a real Bentley. No real Bentley has a Volkswagen engine under the hood!

 

Do you have any Gray Poupon?

 

LOL!


And FYI, the Rolls-Royces in that commercial are what I would classify as real Rolls-Royces.

 

But does a real Rolls-Royces have a BMW engine under the hood?

 

No, it does not...

My former acquaintance said that Rolls-Royce should have died a dignified death instead of being turned into a whore by BMW...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL9VaX34asM

 

1988? Hell, I'm old enough to remember the one from way back!

 

This one?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwOCOm9Z0YE

 

@Plain Jane Taco

Have you ever driven a Rolls-Royce or Bentley?

 

New ones are still a big upgrade from the 760

 

760?

 

Sat in a couple.....but never driven one. They were from the 6.75 V8 days with power listed as "sufficient".

 

Yup, that's what all of the brochures said; My old acquaintance's 1980 Rolls-Royce Camargue had a 6.75L V8 with either an SU or a Solex 4bbl carburetor if I remember correctly. He bought it sometime it in the UK sometime in 2015 or 2016, from the late original's owner's estate, and then had it shipped to Hong Kong. It served as his daily driver for about a year and half, but it proved too cumbersome to park. He sold it at a profit to a new owner in Japan, and that's where it is now. Like all Rolls-Royces of that era, the 1980 Camargue had a TH400 3-speed automatic transmission, as in the same bulletproof transmission used in many GM trucks until about 1990. It was built by GM, but to RR's precise specifications, so technically it was the same tranny as the TH400 found in Suburbans and CKs, but it was built different and shifted much smoother. The top speed of a Camargue is listed as 120 MPH. Gas mileage is 10-12 MPG on a good day; In Hong Kong, where nonstop A/C use is pretty much obligatory, my old friend reported about 9 MPG, and also said that in US dollars its often cost more than $200 to fill up the tank!

I once took a picture of the sign at a Shell station near me and texted it to him, along with a picture of the receipt for filling up the Tacoma (about $30 for just under half a tank at that particular time). He stated that "he would kill for petrol prices that low," and was amused that he shared the pictures I'd sent him with his friend, another British expat residing in Hong Kong who also happened to be named Charlie...

 

BMW 7 series v12

 

@Plain Jane Taco

This is a Rolls-Royce Camargue...



To be more specific, it is a Canadian-spec 1986 Camargue. The Camargue was manufactured was 1975 to 1986, with just 531 built for the whole world. Critics regard it as one of the ugliest postwar Rolls-Royces ever made, but it is a very misunderstood car; As my former acquaintance said, the car is very "color-sensitive." His 1980 Camargue was a reddish color called Paprika, with a brick leather interior. His Camargue, being a UK-spec model, had the steering wheel on the right. Aside from that and the difference in exterior color, his 1980 was virtually identical to this 1986. The biggest differences are the radio and the engine.

 

@Plain Jane Taco

The Camargue also holds the distinction of being the first model to feature Rolls-Royce's amazing new "split-level" climate control system. The Camargue was first introduced as a 1975 model. The split-level climate control system became standard across the board for all Bentley and RR models for 1976.

The only Rolls-Royce model produced after 1975 that did not feature the split-level A/C system was the ultra-exclusive Phantom VI (1968-1990; 374 produced). The last example, a 1990 model that took about 2 years to complete, was sold in 1992 at a cost of about $500K. The Phantom VI, according to my old friend, was truly the last no-expense-spared vehicle in terms of engineering and overall quality. People who don't know Rolls-Royce might consider this car to be outdated for an early 1990s model, especially a European luxury car; After all, it had 4-wheel drum brakes (and of course no ABS), and also no airbags. It was sold as a rolling chassis (Drivetrain, frame, front clip, but no other bodywork). The body and interior were handcrafted by independent coachbuilders to the buyer's exacting specifications, and no two were alike...

Below is a 1992 Phantom VI Laundaulette...

 

You sir, know your shit.

 

Debatable... LOL

The production figures I got online...

The little tidbits about the mechanicals and body styles came from my old friend in Hong Kong.

 

Correction.....you appear to know your shit.

 

But I probably do know more about Rolls-Royces and Bentleys than most people my age in this country...