Silver Seraph and Arnage - The Last of the Classics
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 มิ.ย. 2024
- Hello again! :D
Touching on Rolls-Royce and Bentley once again, we now look back at the last two models from the classic era of these brands, the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph and the Bentley Arnage.
Built to be the flagship of their respective companies for at least a decade, the Silver Seraph and Arnage found themselves mired in the political turmoil of the corporate divorce between Rolls-Royce and Bentley during 1998, though while the Seraph ultimately disappeared into obscurity, the Arnage would go on to become a much-revered motoring icon, and keep the general underpinnings of these cars alive until as late as 2009.
Written permission allowing me to discuss the Silver Seraph and the Rolls-Royce brand has been generously granted by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, and I greatly appreciate their candour in presenting me the opportunity to discuss one of my personal favourite cars.
Chapters:
0:00 - Preamble
0:42 - Bringing the Brands Together
5:15 - The Rolls for the 1990s
8:12 - Enter BMW
10:24 - Into Sales
12:09 - German Warfare
14:04 - The Long Goodbye
16:20 - A Fresh Face for a Dying Breed
18:33 - End of an Era
21:23 - The Bentley Rolls On
25:19 - Conclusion
All video content and images in this production have been provided with permission wherever possible. While I endeavour to ensure that all accreditations properly name the original creator, some of my sources do not list them as they are usually provided by other, unrelated TH-camrs. Therefore, if I have mistakenly put the accreditation of 'Unknown', and you are aware of the original creator, please send me a personal message at my Gmail (this is more effective than comments as I am often unable to read all of them): rorymacveigh@gmail.com
The views and opinions expressed in this video are my personal appraisal and are not the views and opinions of any of these individuals or bodies who have kindly supplied me with footage and images.
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References:
- Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
- Car and Classic (and their respective sources)
- Wikipedia (and its respective references) - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
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Having owned both a 6.75 and a 4.4 Arnage I can attest to what incredible cars these are. Sublime design by Graham Hull, they are so 'differently shaped' they don't age (IOM). Hideously unreliable, or faultless. I've experienced both. Would I have another one? OH YES....
I've always owned American cars with pushrod engines, I bet the 6.75 engine must be a dream to drive. There's nothing like a big pushrod when it comes to low end torque.
"Hideously unreliable or faultless ive experienced both" made me chuckle 😅
Been looking at them both which would you
The 4.4 all day long. Indeed I am currently looking for a 4.4@@dixon296
@connolly875 In Newton Meters it sounds way more powerful lol.
From Sydney , Australia. YES. the LAST REAL Rolls Royce. Back a quarter century ago my Great Uncle ordered a 1998 Seraph in navy blue with magnolia hide, lovely Dark blue enamel paint with creamy-white leather. Uncle Len's car was beautiful, I feel privileged to have driven it, he had owned multiple RR's however his two favorites being his original metallic red with magnolia leather 1965 Shadow that he had kept & still owned plus the Seraph. Both sides of my mum's family were VERY tall, slim and fit Norwegians. Len lived and drove until 99 yrs old, both fit and with it mentally he enjoyed the Seraph and wished that it had been made when he was a bit younger. He swam daily and in the last 10years of life moved to the Gold Coast in Queensland, where he collapsed one morning after his daily swim & jog on the beach. He used the 2 cars daily the '65 metallic red Shadow & the '98 Navy Seraph these two cars were as well known to the fit beach fraternity as he was himself. On his passing I sold one car to each of his younger surf and swimming mates, that was in 2012, now 11 years later both those 2 guys still own his 2 cars. With X'mas just moments away I had just spoken with both those 2 guys and both said that they will never, never ever sell either of Len's cars, ever, even if petrol is no longer available they will be kept as works of art !!
Gramps sounded like a good dude, may he rest in peace.
Cheers from Chile.
I got something in my eye 😢
Are there many Labradors in Australia?
Grandpa's a legend
Yes but did it do burnouts and donuts?
My dream car is a Rolls-Royce.
Amongst many. Always happsy to see them on this channel.
The Silver Seraph is one of my favorite Rolls and the last of the Rolls I would even be interested in.
Great video as always!
My Dad owns a Silver Ghost from 1925, still driving. Even RR wanted to buy it back for the price of a today`s Rolls which would have meant tey would have paid like 6 times more than the Silver Ghost had cost.
The more of your videos I watch the more I understand that “historical” brands often exist in name only, but owned by a few much larger companies.
I had no idea that an even luxury brands also raid the parts bin from time to time, BMW motor, ford gear box. That just wild.
It takes time and money (Also government certification) to develope light switches, headlights, taillights.
So smaller companies bypass all that and end up buying some parts from bigger manufacturers.
Thats why you see a McLaren F1 with taillights from a bus, a Lamborghini Diablo with headlights from a Nissan, in this case the Rolls-Royce and Bentley having a transmission from General Motors.
I've got a 1996 Bentley Turbo R, so the direct predecessor of the Arnage. It has a GM transmission, though GM used it for small trucks rather than cars, it needs to be pretty industrial strength to handle all the torque. It's also used in a load of Jaguars (XJS, Daimler Double-Six) and the Aston Martin DB7. The suspension and braking system is licensed from Citroen (as in all Rolls-Royce and Bentley models from the mid 60s to the late 90s). The wheels were made by the Italian company Speedline, who also made OEM wheels for Ferrari amongst others, as well as wheels for F1. It takes money and time to develop these sorts of things and RR and Bentley back then were extremely low volume producers, so they also miss out on the economies of scale the bigger players have.
At least with mine the engine is designed and built by Rolls-Royce/Bentley, and almost everything you can see in the passenger compartment is specific to RR/Bentley with a few exceptions like the stalks. It was only very late on they started putting the BMW switchgear everywhere, mine has these lovely chrome knobs for a lot of things.
RR and Bentley were/are relatively small brands, and transmissions are insanely expensive to design and engineer for "regular" cars. Imagine how much more R&D has to be done to get it to their standards of smoothness AND durability when bolted up to a very torquey 6.75l V8 and the massive weight of the car.
Re-engineered GM Turbo 400's were used by them for a looooong time.
If you're interested in exactly how torquey they are, mine apparently generates 553 ft-lb. It's not got the Turbo 400 but it's the later 4L80-E.
@benofbrown 4L80e is the updated 4 speed electronically controlled Turbo 400. Again, already excellent transmissions that required some "smoothing over" for RR/Bentley back in the day. And yes, why not? The company was barely surviving, and that transmission was readily available for their use. It was a very smart decision to use them.
I'm glad they were picked up by 2 huge corporate entities that were willing to bring these brands into the 21st century. Bentley sales exploded. Although the Continental W12, while a masterpiece, is somewhat cheaply made with PLASTIC everywhere, the transmissions are excellent. RR uses the somewhat more reliable and easier to service BMW V12, and their sales have been excellent, all around. Scottsdale Arizona is a fantastic place for Bentely and RR car spotters.
I really believe that a big reason their sales grew so much was due to the fact that the brands were backed by their corporate owners and one could count on the brands being there, tomorrow and beyond vs maybe they'll be around tomorrow, maybe not.
Lovely to see your own work included in the video.
As crazy as it sounds, I am glad the BMW V12 was picked over the Northstar! Imagine the embarrassment and tarnshing of reputation once the Northstars started to pop their head gaskets!
Im a big fan of the BMW V12, a glorious engine. Interestingly the reworked old 6.75 V8 subsequently used in the Arnage are also prone to blow head gaskets.
I'm sure that the Northstar engine would be less expensive to repair !
"I have only one regret … that I have not worked harder." - Henry Royce
Thank you Rory dear, superb. Favourite channel.
Aunt Barbara adores you! 😚
Ah yes Bentley. A once prestigious brand that is now synonymous with footballers, rappers, and owners of the largest chain of carpet warehouses in the area.
Yes I agree with what you say 100 percent.
It was prestigious and you knew that whoever was driving such marque was a proper gentleman.
Now it's just bourgeois with too much money and absolutely no class no culture and no pedigree.
This has happened to a number of top marques so much so that you want to keep away from these previously prestige cars so you are not tarnished with the bourgeoisie label.
Sad times too much money with the wrong people.
Something they have in common with RR.
Serfs talking about their squires 😂
Bentley is struggling to identify its self. Average earnings of Continental driver £100,000. Average earnings of Arnarge driver, £100,000,000. This was the feedback or so it is said of the sales force.
But in any case, my red label is by far the best and worst car I’ve owned. Best, RR POWERED 6.75 with hand made detailing. Worst in terms of ongoing support from Bentley. It’s clear they do not wish to sell me a new car by the simply appalling support they give genuine Bentley owners.
Very elegant looking motor cars. Much better than the bling mobiles RR has become.
Fabulously detailed report on these wonderful vehicles, fabulous driving and amazing just to look at and admire. Thank you for this, brilliant!
Prices now in 2023 for these cars are extremely tempting but the biggest snag is maintaining them,
Would recommend them to the enthusiast without a hint of hesitation, just beware of running cost's!
Excellent video, very informative. Lots of great clips. Thank you!
This story Of RR and Bentley was so nostalgic and very informative about the veterans of British Automotive Industry
Thanks. Very informative and well presented.
Fascinating as always, thank you and Happy Holidays to you.
I still don't get why for many the 2003 Phantom and newer models are not "true Rolls Royce". I have been very lucky to drive the Silver Seraph and also get to know closely and being driven aboard the Phantom and Ghost. Not only the new models keep the wonderful allure of the brand, they are simply 100 times better products. When driving the Seraph, back in 2006/7, the feeling was of time travelling to a previous century. Nothing was precise, and despite the size the car didn't feel particularly large in the rear seats, with some odd seating posture. All non-BMW controls felt to be doing whatever they wanted and not what you wanted and overall, while the quality was undoubtful, the whole feeling was of "old car". When I first saw the new Continental GT, learning it was half the price of the old Continental was a relief, and initially I thought with the new Phantom it would feel similar in some aspects, which it definitely didn't. Apart from being much larger, everything worked perfectly. The Ghost, which in size could be comparable to the Seraph, always felt like a modern product. Not a "real Rolls Royce"? Come on...
Just an aside, when I visited Edinburgh as a child around 1973, I was drawn to the curved windows of the Bentley showroom on Shandwick place. Sadly I can't find an image of the windows, but now occupied by specsavers 14 - 16 Shandwick Place (can't be 100% sure about exact address). Vauxhall had a showroom on Lothian Road, nearby at a similar timeframe, maybe 1974 (used to be a well-visited HMSO but now a "Nandos") where I saw a silver droop-snoot Firenza in the front window. Ergo, take your mobile camera with you everywhere, everyday you step out of the house, as specific memories like Bentley curved windows and Droop-snoot have no record now, just in my memory. Look and see and curate - so easy now - it's surprising what's not documented still. All in the detail.
1998 was a great year for cars with the Jag S-Type, Rover 75, and this Rolls Royce Silver Sereph. I still have all my Autocar magazines from back then - what a time to be 16 years old. Also that year, my parents bought the then-new Volvo C70 T5 coupe. Great times! So therefore I also have a fond affection for all of the cars mentioned above, along too with things like the 406 Coupe, Saab 9-5, Merc CLK/SLK. I really have not the slightest bit of interest in anything built after about 2008, when the credit crunch decimated the engineering in cars entirely in favour of the accountants.
It seems the Continental R was barely discussed in this video, pity because it was such an important car for Bentley. Good then that I've got one in my garage.
Beautiful video as always ❤❤❤
Great choice of topic, I'm glad that you were finally able to get permission from RR to talk about it!
😂 Absolutely gorgeous. The Silver Seraph 1998 -2002 ,is engine aside the last real Rolls_Royce ever made. Only around l600 were built. Very rare and highly collectable modern classic vehicles..😅
To me, the corniche 5, is a surprisingly pretty looking thing. The Serph and the arnage always looked like jelly moulds, though at least the stance of the arnage gave it some purpose. Great cars, thanks for the video.
The thought of a Cadillac NorthStar engine under the hood of a Rolls-Royce… I almost choked on my morning coffee!!!! 😱 (I’m an American, and even I know how poorly the NorthStar engine helped in completely destroying the Cadillac brand AND reputation.)
Over 70% of the US luxury market in the in the ‘80’s was Cadillac, which is now less than 6% in 2023… because they’re ‘just’… more expensive Chevys.
You can find a cheap, fully-loaded late 90’s ~ early 2000’s NorthStar Cadillac, for $1,800, because it costs $3,800 to fix their class-action-lawsuit-riddled NorthStar engines that were prone to blowing head gaskets due to cost-cutting on the bolts that attached the valve bodies…
The U.S. government should have never bailed out GM. 😡
Lovely video, well put together with great visuals, Thanks for documenting :)
Can't praise your historical references enough, each and every upload is chokka block with your gifts and superb grasp of #OurHistory Best wishes for 2024 ☃️
The newer Rolls cars are HIDEOUS. These examples, too me, are gorgeous, tasteful, and refined. Their prices have reached a point where just about anyone that wants one can have one. Servicing costs can spoil those plans.
The worst thing possible is that the prices of the Silver Seraph and the Arnage are so low ! That means broke Peasants can now get their grubby hands on them and run them into the ground !
And they wear Peasant clothes while driving the cars... Instead of a proper suit !
Would YOU wear a suit while driving yours ? Of course not... You'll probably wear jeans or shorts and a T shirt while behind the wheel !
Gorgeous.
Happy Xmas Rory ty for the videos
The last of the Arnage with the 6.75 V8 twin turbo along with Brooklands and subsequent Mulsanne are my favourite Bentleys. So much class but with an absolute brute of an engine. 2008 Brooklands in Barnato Green with Linen interior and walnut burl paneling is perfect.
I would not say no to Continental GT3-R or Continental Supersports, though.
I really liked the RR Corniche V and not unconnected Bentley Brooklands. Both underrated style landmarks in my opinion
The two door Bentley Brooklands has something of the look of the later Mulsanne.
Two beautiful cars that once were one family.
I owned an Austin Maxi with Picnic Tables in the rear. Just as good.
I had an Aston Martin hatch back. . . Bloody lovely car . . . . oh . . hang on . . . I mean Austin Maestro . . ha ha ha ha ha
I love driving my '99 Silver Seraph. I get a lot of thumbs ups.
Ooooh😯. Just imagine if Rolls and Bentley used a Northstar engine. That would’ve been a disaster
Lovely stuff, such elegant cars.
I used to be a driver for them, Arnage red label press the pedal the world went backward. Silver Seraph just fabulous effortless soothing smooth comfort serenity.
What made me like the Arnage more than the Seraph was very simple. It was the Arnage’s almond colored gauges! I really hope high end car makers eventually go back to mechanical speed, tach, fuel, temperature, etc. gauges. And with higher end brands like these, to make bespoke colors available. A set of powder blue gauges would look great in a blue interior, for example.
They all need to go back to transmission handles ! Instead of today's dials and buttons !
Toyota and Lexus are some of the very few companies who haven't switched to Transmission buttons... Like Lincoln, Aston Martin and Genesis !
@@bobgrayson6220 I totally agree! Car makers are excellent at solving problems that don’t exist but yet certain things that make cars easy to live with on a daily basis are way too frequently lacking.
Ford’s dual split sunvisor design is an example of that. You put one sun visor in the side window and the other one in the windscreen. That way you don’t have to continually flip your sunvisor from windshield to side window when you take turns or go around the bends in the highways that change your orientation to the sun. This is more than convenience, it’s a safety issue. I think it should be required for all makes/models.
Another example is Ford’s B-pillar electronic keypad. Locked out of your car? No problem, just input the code and wa-la, the doors come unlocked! This way you can leave your key fob in your car when you don’t want to have to carry it with you at the gym, beach, etc. And if a thief sees the key fob in your interior and thinks they’re going to score an easy theft then not so much! If you lock the car with the electronic keypad then the correct code must be entered into the keypad in order to electronically unlock the ignition. Instead, car makers want to put this stuff on a smart phone app that you have to pay a subscription for. What if I locked it smart phone into my car? How now brown cow?!?
Wonderful history lesson. Thank you.
Excellent! 👍👍
Great Episode.
Do one that covers the models made for Sultan of Brunei.
Arnage Green Label for me. The 4.4 v8 twin turbo ✅
I haven’t seen them before but my Grandad once drive them and he did actually like them. My Grandad also has a BMW M3.
Lovely elegant cars.
Great video. Thanks 🙏
These things made so much torque, they had to use a tranny GM uses on their diesel Suburbans and big block V8 engines lol.
Merry Christmas from Australia.
They may have not suffered the same faith as BL, but there were so many silly, stupid and ridiculous decisions made that it hurts. Even if Rolls and Bentley had continued to build the 70's Silver Shadow, it would still sell to this day. Always rubber necking to all tiny little insignificant trends from insignificant people. Doubt that? Example: Beechcraft Bonanza. 1947 to date, basically the same shape with changes only serious fans can spot.
Instead of trying to hold onto their Criminal Colonial Empire in Africa, those damn British should have been building cars that actually work ! No country in the world has a worse reputation for building lousy cars than the British !
Even the Italians laugh at British cars' Reliability !
Thank You!
To me it's a bitter sweet story that ends in both of them still doing fairly well in their own right
A friend of mine had opportunities to drive Rolls and Bentleys occasionally. He also said he didn't like the V12 because the torque just wasn't instantly there all the time. You had to wait for the turbo to spool up or for the revs to rise.
This is an excellent history of the great Rolls Royce cars and how they got to be owned by VW and BMW !
Peak college for me was rambling through ALL of the bodys in white at Crewe. If your car was made in '84 I was in there first. Sorry :)
The Phantom 7 looked like a real Rolls Royce again. Majestic
the last good looking Rolls Royce.
Do you change the indicator globe or buy a new car....
Hey Bentley had GT3 Racing Version too
That was based on the later Continental GT, not the Arnage
Will there ever be an electric RR or Bentley?
There already is, the Sceptre.
Outmodded must be the upmarket outmoded.
👍💖👍
No joke. Yesterday i found a Rolls Royce in a bush in Wanstead
Send me a pic pls 😂
They were so beautiful, not just chubby squared big boxes like RRs today. 🤮
"Hand built just means the doors will fall off" - J Clarkson
It's said "six and three-quarter"
The German cars look better, and are undoubtedly of a higher quality. But there's still something not quite right about such emblems of Britain being owned by two companies who can draw a direct line back to Hitler and The Nazis.
The latter part of your post I agree with Completely.
Ferdinand "peach" 😂
I came to comment on that
A RR with a BMW engine is definitely not a genuine RR, as the engine, especially the powerful RR engine is the life of the car. The RR engine has a virtually unlimited life, while BMW is designed for planned obsolescence just like the BMW/RR fake from 2003.
RR cars meant only for Aristocrats or Blue Blood
25:10 "Pidgets Rider", oh my gosh. Is it really necessary to pronounce German names the English way?!
Out-MOHD-ed
Pischets-REED-er
The Mercedes M120 V120 would have made this truly awesome but THANK GOD they didn’t use that hunk of junk of a northstar😂
Pitschetsrieder is still pronounced Pitchets-reeder and Piech is not Pitch but Pee-eck. Babble. Just saying.
Funny how RR cars has managed to always sell itself as refined when in reality they have always been less reliable than even Land Rover. 🤣
🤫 Nonsense !. These cars, including this very rare Silver Seraph model. Are very well made, and reliable if well maintained and serviced as instructed !!..
Over 60% of the Rolls Royce ever built are still on the road.
@@markotrieste 🤔👍 Excatly, but let's not let the truth get in the way of a good story !. Especially by people who have clearly never driven, or owned a Rolls_Royce.......
@@alancrisp1582 Goodo Alan. Here's the deal then. I'll buy a log book serviced Silver Seraph and will continue to service it by the book however YOU pay for genuine parts and labour at an RR dealer for everything that goes bang, stops working, leaks and fails with it. Do we have a deal? Put your money where your mouth is if you're so certain.
@@markotrieste That's interesting. Where did you get this fact from? That is an awful lot of cars since 1906.
Meanwhile, children are starving to death.
Love to hate.
The allure of beautiful design, sumptuous interiors, combined with hideous reliability.
A car to never own off warranty.
Sorry - this was like watching a video produced by ChatGbt...
RIP ROLLS-ROYCE 1904-1998…..Now just a BMW with a massive price tag and pathetic interior and exterior designs. Not to mention parts availability only after 7 years production run for each model. I know several people cursing BMW because they couldn’t get parts for their Fake RR which 90 % of the parts are German, and 10 % US. The car is only assembled in the UK.
Would have been something if they had went down the Northstar route 🫣🇺🇸
Mind you despite their faults I'm still a fan and all, but I can't help but think that this would have really put a slight dent in their image 🔧
RR had used GM auto gearboxes for years, so it could be argued that it would have been a logical choice.