Vehicle Description
West Coast Classics are proud to present a very rare example of
this mostly unrestored 1963 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III V8 4 door
saloon, with only 2,044 of these completely hand built cars ever
built (1962-65) and with very few fine examples remaining anywhere!
This particular example boasts only two known registered owners
since new with reportedly original ownership to have been in the
service of the British Royal Family with original 'ER' (Elizabeth
Reigns) painted initials still visible on the body. The car was
then sold by 'Laurence Kayne amp; Company Ltd', renown Rolls Royce
amp; Bentley dealers and purveyors of Queensgate, London where is
was sold to its most recent long time San Diego, California owner
on 10/13/1976. Finished in an exceptionally striking color of
'Silver' with 'Red' pin-stripes matching the 'Dark Red' color
Connolly hides interior with matching carpeting and its original
mohair headliner.For those who are unfamiliar, the Bentley S3 and
the Silver Cloud III were absolutely identical with both vehicles
hand built at the Rolls Royce factory in Crewe, England with the
only differences being their nameplates, radiator and mascots. The
Silver Cloud III was introduced in 1962 and lasted until 1965.
Little changed externally from the Silver Cloud II with the same
improved 6.2 L V8 Series II engine from the original Series I but
performance was greatly improved though in the new upgraded Series
III models with the top speed raised to 183 km/h (114 mph), with
the main improvements being in acceleration and torque and the
inclusion of larger SU carburetors. Separate front seats now
replaced the bench seat and there was more legroom in the rear.
Power steering had already become standard with the Series II but
electrically operated windows and air conditioning were now
available as an option.In autumn 1962 the Series II production cars
were given a facelift and the Silver Cloud III and Bentley S3 were
introduced. The most obvious visual feature was the twin headlamp
arrangement in what was virtually an unchanged body style. Four
headlamps provided more illumination and made it easier for
Rolls-Royce to pass the latest North American lighting regulations.
Also this layout had been chosen for the next generation Silver
Shadow and this provided a convenient way of bridging the visual
gap between the old and the new. The side lamps and flashers were
combined and mounted in the noses of the front mudguards: the
earlier cars had separate side lamps on the top of the mudguards
and used the fog lamps also as flashers. Internally, individual
front seats became standard and there was some reshaping of the
rear seats. The heating/ ventilation system was upgraded, there
were extra radio controls and a number of other such details were
improved. The engine had a new compression ratio of 9.0:1; the
crankshaft was hardened and there was extra power assistance for
the steering.This particular original RHD (Right Hand Drive) model
was imported to the U.S. from England in 1976 to only it's second
owner who lived in southern California and who has owned the car
ever since. The car shows an odometer reading of 36,970 miles which
is believed and reported to be original and boasts a virtually all
original Connolly leather and wood interior and has many
surprisingly still all original components including its original
leather wrapped rear leaf springs. The car is rust free with the
floor boards, trunk and all the typical rust-prone areas are
completely solid and rust free!The beautiful and highly striking
paint color of 'Silver' exterior paint with red pin stripes and
original 'ER' insignias is in very good condition with only very
minor imperfections. The car has matching Rolls Royce hubcaps and
as previously stated a mostly all original full 'Connolly' 'Dark
Red' color leather hides interior showing obvious patina for its
over 55 years of service but still as comfortable as your favorite
leather sofa. Connolly leather is legendary for being exclusively
used in Rolls Royce and other high end British cars and came from
unfenced cows which produced unblemished hides. All the chrome work
including the front Rolls Royce grille and bumpers is in very good
shape and the door panels, carpets, dashboard and the original
mohair headliner remarkably show very little signs of any wear. The
car has it's original spare wheel with original jack and both small
and heavy tools still located in their rightful place of storage in
the trunk compartment.Obviously always garaged with no signs of any
accidents or damage history and owned by only obviously two very
careful owner's/custodian's for over fifty-five years! The car
drives exactly like a well maintained and serviced Rolls Royce
should with the engine being extremely strong, the transmission
shifts smooth as butter with Rolls Royce's legendary almost
imperceptible shift and the engine temperature always remains
cool.For those who are unfamiliar, Rolls Royce no longer exists as
it had for over one hundred years - this is one of the last in the
original line of cars handbuilt in the legendary Rolls Royce
factory in Crewe, England with a quality and craftsmanship that far
surpasses that of today's mass produced models with many BMW parts
- this is a rare opportunity to own a piece of automobile history,
from a time when Rolls Royce was truly building the world's finest
motor cars. This increasingly desirable and collectible Silver
Cloud III, one of the most desired of the Silver Clouds by
enthusiasts with the all aluminum 6.2L V8 engine and the quad head
lights!Along with it's tall grill and tall flying lady the Silver
Cloud III is an absolute moving work of art from a time when
Rolls-Royce and Bentley were arguably building the "Best Cars in
the World" at the time of it's production; the craftsmanship and
quality of these cars obviously speak for themselves and it is
becoming increasingly hard to find any examples at all, let alone
any such unabused and rust free examples - with only some 2,044
Silver Cloud III's built, and very few remaining or available for
sale, you will surely look long and hard to find another in such
fine condition. So bid with confidence, with fine Silver Cloud
drophead coupe convertibles now selling in excess of $1M, this will
no doubt prove a fabulous investment for the astute investor, Rolls
Royce enthusiast or British Classic Car Collector or simply a great
weekend toy for the discerning luxury classic car owner!