1966 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III Drophead Coupé

For sale by auction on Saturday 28 November 2015 with Historics at Brooklands. Brooklands Motor Racing Circuit. Weybridge. Surrey. Call 01753 639170
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 but with larger carburettors. revised
distributor. increased compression ratio and a four-speed. br/>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 Silver 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. This design by Norwegian Vilhelm Koren. br/>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 constituted the majority of coachbuilt
variants completed between 1962 and 1966.

This is the penultimate Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III Drophead
Coupé commissioned and the last one ever registered. hence it is a
very important part of Rolls-Royce's history. Originally supplied
to the Malaysian royal family. chassis number CSC 81C was delivered
in June 1966 and was repatriated to the UK around ten years ago by
the Managing Director of the Bentley dealer in Exeter. The car was
restored by their skilled craftsman and added to his own private
collection of classic cars. Since restoration. the car has covered
minimal mileage. although this incredibly handsome Silver Cloud III
Drophead Coupé did appear in the film 'London Boulevard' and was
driven by the Hollywood star Colin Farrell. Finished in midnight
blue with grey leather interior. this Rolls-Royce epitomises the
first-class quality of such a prestigious marque and iconic
vehicle. The comfort of the sumptuous armchair style seats and the
dark rich walnut dash combine to make this coachbuilt Rolls-Royce a
delightful car to look and an even better one to drive. Supplied
with a history file. V5 registration document and an MoT test
certificate valid until 17th August 2016. this Mulliner Park Ward
Drophead Coupé is one of only 100 manufactured of which 51 were
righthand drive examples such as this. 

Also published at eBay.co.uk

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