I remember it to this day: It was like seeing a glamorous new Hollywood star promenade down the boulevard. It was a brilliant summer’s day in New York – perfect for The City in that there was no humidity, a mild breeze, and a blue sky that had only the seldom puffy white cloud. All the windows were open from my vantage point on the third floor of a small rococo building on 76th street between Fifth and Madison Avenues. I remember gazing out onto the tree lined lane and all at once…there it was!
White on silver, it seemed to glide where other cars merely drove. This was the new Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph.
There was much hype around the time of the car’s introduction. Empowered by a new BMW V-12 engine (the same powerplant from the fleet and fabulous 750iL) and entirely redesigned stem to stern; this was the first totally new Rolls-Royce in decades. The Silver Seraph would replace the stately (but dated) Silver Spur and reintroduced some very classic lines to the Rolls-Royce line.
Fast forward to the Summer of 2005, I saw yet another Silver Seraph in New York- this one much less loved; dirty, rained on, and parked next to a rubbish bin on Greenwich Avenue in the Village. I could not help but feel a little sad for this fine car. It was as though it were a worn 1970s Silver Shadow on its umpteenth owner.
The current Bentley Arnage is based on the Silver Seraph. The Arnage has enjoyed much greater success than its Rolls sibling. On the Red Label’s debut, the Arnage was significantly faster, braked in shorter distances, and handled more adeptly than the land yacht Rolls while having all the same comforts. Critics of the Silver Seraph noted the smaller, more rounded grille, with a smaller Spirit of Ecstasy.
To the point: the Arnage was the better car and it justly stole the Silver Seraph’s thunder. This is not to take away from the Silver Seraph’s benefits, however. The car remains sublime to behold and hugely comfortable. Its classic lines are easier on the eye than those of the imposing Phantom – though the Phantom is the superior car in most every other respect.
I cannot help but think of the Eugene O’Neill play, A Moon for the Misbegotten and as car nut associate that story with the quiet tenure of the Silver Seraph. By the time the car had rolled onto the streets, BMW was already on to bigger and better things for Rolls, and the VW was doing the same for Bentley. Both companies had … well … parted company.
Still, it was a lovely day in New York. And the Silver Seraph was quite the star.
White on silver, it seemed to glide where other cars merely drove. This was the new Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph.
There was much hype around the time of the car’s introduction. Empowered by a new BMW V-12 engine (the same powerplant from the fleet and fabulous 750iL) and entirely redesigned stem to stern; this was the first totally new Rolls-Royce in decades. The Silver Seraph would replace the stately (but dated) Silver Spur and reintroduced some very classic lines to the Rolls-Royce line.
Fast forward to the Summer of 2005, I saw yet another Silver Seraph in New York- this one much less loved; dirty, rained on, and parked next to a rubbish bin on Greenwich Avenue in the Village. I could not help but feel a little sad for this fine car. It was as though it were a worn 1970s Silver Shadow on its umpteenth owner.
The current Bentley Arnage is based on the Silver Seraph. The Arnage has enjoyed much greater success than its Rolls sibling. On the Red Label’s debut, the Arnage was significantly faster, braked in shorter distances, and handled more adeptly than the land yacht Rolls while having all the same comforts. Critics of the Silver Seraph noted the smaller, more rounded grille, with a smaller Spirit of Ecstasy.
To the point: the Arnage was the better car and it justly stole the Silver Seraph’s thunder. This is not to take away from the Silver Seraph’s benefits, however. The car remains sublime to behold and hugely comfortable. Its classic lines are easier on the eye than those of the imposing Phantom – though the Phantom is the superior car in most every other respect.
I cannot help but think of the Eugene O’Neill play, A Moon for the Misbegotten and as car nut associate that story with the quiet tenure of the Silver Seraph. By the time the car had rolled onto the streets, BMW was already on to bigger and better things for Rolls, and the VW was doing the same for Bentley. Both companies had … well … parted company.
Still, it was a lovely day in New York. And the Silver Seraph was quite the star.
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