Condition: EXCELLENT, Looks fantastic.
NOT a Silver Shadow mascot - these Silver Seraph mascots are smaller.
The Silver Shadow mascot is 4 1/2" tall, this limited Spur mascot is just 3 1/2" tall, it is 5.2cm across the arms at the top at its widest and the dome at the base is just about 4cm in diameter, (the correct size).
Made of highly polished, solid Stainless Steel, as it should be.
Comes mounted on a very nice, solid hardwood, display plinth with soft baize underneath that has a small "RR" badge on the front (not perfectly straight!).
This 1996 Rolls Royce Silver Spur IV is a very-limited production "Springfield Edition" Spur of which only 27 were ever built.
The "Springfield Edition" Silver Spur was produced to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Rolls Royce's Springfield, Massachusetts plant, which operated from 1921-1931, producing over 3,000 Silver Ghosts and Phantoms before closing in the wake of the Great Depression. 21 Springfield Editions were originally commissioned by Rolls Royce -- a reference to the year Springfield opened -- but an extra 6 were built, bringing the total to a scant 27. Including these special editions, only 360 Silver Spurs were built worldwide in 1996.
The Springfield Edition Spurs were offered in five different liveries, with heated power-adjustable front seats, chrome bezeling, AM/FM radio, Veneer picnic tables and a "Formal-Style" small rear window.
The Silver Spur IV rides on a luxurious 124" wheelbase and is motived by a 6.75L V8 engine. The V8, which was somewhat comically rated by Rolls Royce as "adequate", is backed by a 4-speed automatic transmission.
In 1911 Royce became gravely ill, he was a workaholic and hardly ever ate properly. The company almost collapsed. He took an extended holiday in Europe and Egypt. He never returned to full time work in Derby, but lived in the South of France during the winters and the south of England. Fortunately for Rolls-Royce this allowed him to concentrate on designing for the future.
At about this time it became fashionable to put a mascot on the radiator of your car. Royce wanted a mascot befitting the style of The Best Car in The World.
Artist Charles Sykes was commissioned to design a suitable mascot and came up with the Spirit of Ecstasy (The Flying Lady). Its design was patented on February 6th 1911.
The model is thought to have been Eleanor Thornton, secretary of Lord Montague.
From 1911 this mascot was the suggested and officially approved mascot.
Throughout the years, there have been two main versions of the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot, a kneeling version, and a standing version. Although reduced to a mere 3 inches today, the standing version of the mascot still adorns Rolls-Royce motorcars.
The "SPIRIT OF ECSTASY" mascot celebrated 100 years old on February 6th 2011.
Note: The number/s at the end of the title is my own personal reference and nothing to do with the item.
H1233B #0059 700g