The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud and its Bentley S-Series sibling were to be the end of both Rolls-Royce and Bentley’s Golden Age. They carried on the elaborate pre-war tradition of coach-building with over 130 different body-styles offered during their production run. As well as the rakish Continental models with their sporting edge, there were also dozens of saloon body-styles with offerings available from HJ Mulliner, James Young, Freestone and Webb, Hooper, Park Ward and numerous others. Despite the many choices available, few designs could truly rival the sheer elegance of John Blatchley’s exceptional Standard Steel design. The factory bodywork made for one of the most beautiful saloons of all time, with its blind rear quarters, subtle swage lines and styling designed to mirror a yacht sailing through the water.
The final iteration of this model was the Silver Cloud III which was launched in 1963 and saw the first major styling changes made to the model, namely the implementation of quad headlamps, redesigned front wings and a lower grille and bonnet line.
There were also some mechanical improvements to the still quite new, V8 power plant. Owing to these changes, the Silver Cloud III has always been one of the most desirable post-war Rolls-Royces and after the Silver Shadow launched in 1965, many owners found themselves choosing to keep their Cloud rather than replace it, finding it not only to be a far superior looking car but also a better car to drive and much more dependable.
This particular example was built on August 28th 1963 to USA Specification. Presented in its original colours of Sand with Beige Connolly hide interior, this Cloud III is a highly specified car, ordered with features such as an electric aerial rather than the standard roof aerial, factory air-conditioning (a particularly expensive option) and a fitted 9-Piece set of light tan suitcases, these sadly no longer accompany the car.
The car was sent aboard the Cunard Line ocean liner, “RMS Sylvania” from Liverpool to New York and was imported via official Rolls-Royce distributors J. S. Inskip of New York. From here, the car was delivered to a Mr. Joe P. Temple at his home: 210 Shadow Valley, Emery Wood Estates, High Point, North Carolina. He seemingly kept the car for around 5 years at which point it was sold to a Mr. J. Olin Austin of 202 Maple Street, Bluefield, West Virginia in March 1968. Certainly a “Country Rolls-Royce!”
In more recent years, the car has been owned by numerous marque experts and collectors before forming part of an extensive private collection until just this year. We are proud to present a truly stunning example of a highly specified LHD Silver Cloud III. The Sand coachwork gleams and the interior is stunning, having been beautifully re-trimmed in Connolly Vaumol hide. The car is more than ready for continental touring or for chauffeuring its next lucky passenger! Perhaps it could even return to its North Carolina home.
