I went to a Bentley, Rolls-Royce dealer, on a Sunday just to look. It appears the two cars are almost identical. Is there any significant difference between the two?
Anyone here ever own or work on these cars?
Also, how much better quality are they than Lincoln, Cadillac, Accura etc?
Do you think a Rolls or Bentley would last for 500,000 miles with original engine and transmission etc? Better paint? Wont rust? Just what are you getting besides a prestige name?
They share a lot of parts. But remember, the big deal about these vehicles has to do with the body and layout, not the drive train.
I have worked on older RR cars, though not any of the newer ones.
They are different vehicles for different applications. They are not designed to make the driver happy, they are designed to make the passenger happy.
Yes, they'll last for 500,000 miles with original engine and transmission, BECAUSE the maintenance schedule on them is so extended. Hell, some of the older RR vehicles specify chassis lube every 500 miles. If you put that kind of PM and attention into a Toyota it would last for 500,000 miles too. It's expected that if you have one of these vehicles that you have a driver and mechanic to take care of them, so they are designed to actually be maintained, unlike most cars today.
But what you REALLY get is a driver/passenger configuration that is intended to make the passenger in the back seat comfortable while his driver does all the work. This is something that isn't very common, and any time you want something that not everyone else wants, you pay more money because you don't get the benefits of mass-production.
--scott
The image of the Bentley is somewhat sportier than the Rolls. Volkswagen actually bought both names from their prior owner, although BMW now has the right to produce Rolls Royce cars. Are they BMW Royce and Volksentley cars now?
Not me.
Are they half a million bucks better quality than say a Lexus or a Toyota? Probably not. But they do have really nice looking interiors.
Beyond a prestige name you get a lot of bragging rights and the right to enjoy the heads that will inevitably turn as you silently and quickly motor past. And you will take pleasure in knowing you will be immediately identified as either having the balance sheet and income statement to support such an Automotive Investment or an American Express Card that will support a short term luxury car rental.
I went to a Bentley, Rolls-Royce dealer, on a Sunday just to look. It appears the two cars are almost identical. Is there any significant difference between the two? ______________________________________________________
Many years ago they were identical except for the Grille and the nameplate. The Bentley cost slightly less. People who wanted Rolls quality bought the Bentley because they felt the Rolls was too pretentious. This was a situation where you could be one-up by buying a cheaper car.
Rodan.
Back in the 1930's or 1940's,Rolls Royce had a factory in Springfield,Massachusetts.One of my books I have here about antique cars says the American built Rolls Royce cars were of better quality than the cars built in England and some parts of the drive train and the wiring and some other parts were manufactured in America.The article in my book says Rolls Royce pulled out of making Rolls Royce because America was building them better than they were built in England.A few years ago,I read on the internet Rolls Royce pulled out because they weren't selling as many Rolls Royce cars in America as they had expected to sell.I have a lady friend who lives near the Rolls Royce factory at Goodwood. cuhulin
A friend let me drive her fathers Rolls once. Its the only car i was nervous to drive. I noticed when I closed the door it seems to have some sort of vacuum that helped close the door very easily and silently. (Possibly the passenger compartment received a slight vacuum to pull the door closed.) No slamming of door needed.
When I started it, motor was so quiet with no vibration, i couldn't tell if it was running.
When I put it in drive there was no lurch or creeping forward like on other automatic cars. It just stayed in place until I pushed the gas pedal.
I felt like the seat was mounted high like i was sitting high up and kind of looking down. I was so nervous that I might damage or wreck the car my foot was shaking. But it was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me.
I think the Rolls uses 7 quarts of oil and comes with Michelin tires. Since they spare no expense its a feather in their cap to be the tire of choice.
In 1927 or 1928,BMW was buildiing Austin cars under license from British car maker Austin.If you want to google it and check out something about that, History of BMW
When I was in the Army,I spent ten months at Scott Air Force Base,Illinois in 1963.I bought a 1958 BMW Isetta car from an Air Force Officer at Scott.That little car was dangerous to drive,especially driving across the old Eads Bridge between East Saint Louis to Saint Louis in wet weather.I sold the car to an Army Officer.
I still have the owners manual of that car.The car was originally purchased by a woman in Germany.At Scott,sometimes some guys would pick my little car up and hide it behind one of those evergreen bushes.I would step outside and have to look around for my little car. cuhulin
It was in the 20's. One of the last cars produced there was the Silver Shadow. They didn't stick around in Mass too long after the depression, since the market for Roll's (and cars in general) fell right out.
IIRC, the last year of production was '32, but it may have been '34. Too bad...I could just see myself working for Rolls-Royce!
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