Vehicle Description
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CAR IS CURRENTLY CONSIGNED TO BE SOLD AT THE
"MECUM" AUCTION IN GLENDALE, CA West Coast Classics are proud to
present an absolutely stunning and extraordinarily well presented
1965 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III LHD Drophead Coupe conversion
recently fully restored and which was obviously converted with no
expense spared in a striking and the ultimate classic 'Triple
Black' color of 'Masons Black' exterior paint with 'Red'
pinstriping, a stunning all new 'Black' Connolly leather interior
with matching factory full sheepskin floor rugs and beautifully
refinished wood amp; gauges and equipped with factory power
windows, rear folding picnic tables, handbooks, a matching Black
leather boot cover, original spare wheel amp; heavy tools amp;
small toolbox. Unique opportunity for Rolls collector/enthusiast to
purchase a superb and beautiful Left Hand Drive example that both
looks and drives as good as a new car! The third and final Silver
Cloud was introduced in 1962 and a precious few of these cars were
chosen by Rolls to be taken from the standard steel production line
and sent to the renown Rolls Royce appointed coachworks of H.J
Mulliner of Willesden, London to be adapted by hand into drophead
coupes. These were to be the iconic 27 Mulliner Drophead coupes, by
far the most expensive and exclusive car of it's day. In the years
to come, seeing the desirability and demand of these few
Mulliner's, other coachbuilders were to try and emulate what
Mulliner had originally achieved with the Silver Cloud, but as any
enthusiast will attest, although there are some very fine Silver
Cloud non-factory conversions out there, such as this very fine
example, none of these will ever prove as desirable as an original
Mulliner and all fall short of these original 27 cars in terms of
prestige and historic importance. Nevertheless with prices of one
of the original 27 soaring in recent years, to in some cases well
over $1M for fully restored examples, and with few, if any, in
anywhere as close to as good cosmetic or mechanical condition as
this particular well converted example; this is a very rare
opportunity to own a very prestigious and turn key ready and
absolutely immaculate example of a last year 1965 Rolls Royce
Silver Cloud III Drop Head Coupe at a cost that falls far short of
what it would ever cost to build!The Bentley S3 and the Silver
Cloud III were absolutely identical cars 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.We have records from the previous owner showing the
car being purchased at the renown 'Symbolic Motor Co' of La Jolla,
CA in 6/2001 for $185K amp; serviced there for years after. This is
an absolutely stunning and exceptionally well converted example in
truly remarkable condition both mechanically and cosmetically and a
fabulous last year example of the legendary Silver Cloud III in the
most striking of classic colors! This car has been well maintained
by its previous fastidious and was recently inspected prior to sale
at the renown Rolls amp; Bentley independent specialists,
'Independent Rolls Royce' of Los Angeles, California, where the car
has received recent maintenance and indeed a recent full service
for a clean bill of health and turn key ready for it's new owner
with receipts documenting the work. The car is a completely rust
and accident free example with the floor boards, rockers, trunk and
all the typical rust-prone areas completely solid and rust free!The
beautiful and highly striking 'Triple Black' color combination
including 'Masons Black' exterior paint with 'Red' pin stripes is
exceptionally well done and extraordinarily striking! The car has
matching Rolls Royce hubcaps and as previously stated a completely
restored 'Connolly' Black leather interior with new hides and
carpeting and stunningly refinished wood and gauges. 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 new and outstanding. The power
soft top is factory correct and also matches the paint.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 Drophead
conversion will always prove to be a desirable Cloud
internationally with the all aluminum 6.2L V8 engine and the quad
head lights. With only some 2,044 Silver Cloud III's built in
total, obviously very few remain or are available for either
conversions or sale at any time, and you will surely look long and
hard to find another such stunning and well sorted conversion like
this again. So buy with confidence, this will no doubt prove a
fabulous investment for the astute investor, Rolls Royce enthusiast
or British Classic Car Collector or simply prove a worthy addition
to any serious collection.
