1966 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III Drophead Coupé

Footnotes

'The size and grandeur of the car... deceive one about the performance which would do justice to many a car of more sporting pretensions. The finish, both in detail and the broader sense of equipment and trim, is superb.' - Motor magazine on the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III.

Launched in 1962, the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III and its Bentley S3 equivalent employed the 6.2-litre V8 engine introduced on the 'Cloud II/S2 - though with larger carburettors, new distributor, and raised compression ratio - and came with a four-speed GM-derived automatic transmission as standard equipment. Most obvious among many changes from the preceding models was the adoption of four-headlamp lighting, the absence of sidelights from the wing tops, and a slightly lower radiator shell. Inside there was improved accommodation with separate front seats and increased room for rear passengers. Notable as the last mainstream Rolls-Royce to employ a separate chassis, the Silver Cloud III proved immensely successful both at home and abroad, remaining in production until the autumn of 1965.

As well as the factory-bodied cars, bespoke creations from James Young and the recently merged firm of H J Mulliner, Park Ward Ltd (by this time Rolls-Royce-owned) continued to be available on the 'Cloud III chassis for those discerning enthusiasts wealthy enough to afford them. Indeed, as the factory did not offer a convertible or drophead coupé, a coachbuilt car was the only option if one's preference was Rolls-Royce-style fresh air motoring. First introduced in 1958, H J Mulliner's was the most successful of its type, lasting into 1963; more modern 'straight-through wing' designs became the preferred style thereafter. Of the latter, by far the most striking were those bodied in a style originated by Park Ward. This design by Norwegian Vilhelm Koren, with its influential continuous front-to-rear wing line, first appeared, on the Bentley S2 Continental, in 1959 but did not become available on non-Continental models (both Bentley and Rolls-Royce) until after the arrival of the Silver Cloud III and S3 in 1962. These 'Chinese Eye' models - so called because of their slanting headlamp nacelles - constituted the majority of coachbuilt variants completed between 1962 and 1966. It is estimated that over the 11 years of Silver Cloud production, fewer than 130 were completed with special coachwork like this example.

The car offered here, chassis number 'CSC81C', is the penultimate Silver Cloud III drophead coupé built and the last to be registered. A landmark in Rolls-Royce history, it was supplied new to the Malaysian royal family in June 1966 and remained abroad until its return to this country in the 2000s. The car was brought back to its homeland by the managing director of the official Bentley dealership in Exeter. Bentley Exeter's skilled technicians were entrusted with restoring the Silver Cloud, which joined the then owner's private collection of classic cars. It was first registered in the UK on 12th June 2009.

'CSC81C' has seen only limited use since the restoration's completion, which included appearing in the 2010 motion picture 'London Boulevard' starring Colin Farrell and Keira Knightley. Finished in Midnight Blue with contrasting grey leather interior, this beautiful Silver Cloud represents the zenith of bespoke coachbuilding in the post-war era, and as such would enhance any important private collection. Accompanying documentation consists of a current MoT, V5C Registration Certificate, and a history file.