Vehicle Story
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Released in April 1955, the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud banished the formal upright lines of its predecessor the Silver Dawn in favour of a more elegant and modern profile.
As the first model to have its body, as well as the chassis, manufactured by Rolls-Royce it featured a pressed steel body on top of a straightforward box-section chassis. A variety of panels including doors, bonnet and boot lid were constructed in aluminium rather than steel to save weight. Of course, if buyers still wished to go down the coach-built route – and many did – then they could.
The S1 came with the familiar 155bhp straight-six engine but a new aluminium overhead valve, 6230cc V8 arrived – as did power-assisted steering, as standard – for the 1959 S2, raising power to an altogether more satisfactory 200bhp.
The Silver Cloud III followed in October 1962, the designers whipping 100 kilograms off the kerb weight, with more power extracted from the V8 by the adoption of a higher compression ratio and fitting of bigger carburettors.
Styling tweaks including the adoption of imposing twin headlights, a lower grille and lower bonnet line, all of which gave it an even more grown-up aesthetic. Forget their badge-engineered Bentley brethren, for in period all Silver Cloud variants proved themselves the only possible choice of transport for men (and women) of means.
Of course, if you wanted something special that was guaranteed to stand out on her Majesty’s highway then best take a little visit to the ladies and gentlemen over at coachbuilder Mulliner Park Ward. There, they would work their magic to provide you with an altogether more striking body via its ‘Chinese Eye’ Coupe variant.