1987 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 379 MOT tests, the 1987 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit recorded an 85.5% pass rate. That is 6.1 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 20.6%. Failures cluster in brakes, visibility and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (9.2%) and visibility (6.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are washers, rbt (sp) and position lamp — washers alone was recorded 19 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 10.1% in the 30-60k band and 16.7% in the 120-150k band, a 6.6-point spread.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 16.6% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 16.5% in 2021 to 12.3% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 9.2% | 35 |
| 2 | Visibility | 6.3% | 24 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 6.1% | 23 |
| 4 | Suspension | 3.7% | 14 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 3.2% | 12 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.9% | 11 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washers | 19 |
| 2 | Rbt (sp) | 18 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 12 |
| 4 | Non catalyst emissions | 11 |
| 5 | Wipers | 9 |
| 6 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 9 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 16.6% | 63 |
| 2 | Emissions & environmental | 15.8% | 60 |
| 3 | Tyres | 15.8% | 60 |
| 4 | Brakes | 12.9% | 49 |
| 5 | Steering | 11.1% | 42 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 8.7% | 33 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 30-60k | 89 | 10.1% |
| 60-90k | 135 | 12.6% |
| 90-120k | 98 | 22.4% |
| 120-150k | 30 | 16.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 91 | 16.5% |
| 2022 | 70 | 10.0% |
| 2023 | 88 | 15.9% |
| 2024 | 65 | 16.9% |
| 2025 | 65 | 12.3% |
What to check before buying a 1987 Silver Spirit
On a 1987 Silver Spirit, brakes is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 9.2% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Brakes (9.2% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
- Visibility (6.3% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
- Lighting & signalling (6.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 1987 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirits pass their MOT?
85.5% of the 379 1987 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 14.5% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 1987 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit?
Brakes, recorded in 9.2% of tests, followed by visibility (6.3%).
Does the 1987 Silver Spirit get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.1% in the 30-60k band to 16.7% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 379 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.