Vehicle Description
West Coast Classics are proud to present an exceptionally rare long
term reportedly one southern California family owned example of
this original 'California Black License Plates' 1959 Rolls Royce
Silver Cloud I 4.9L 6 cyl 4 door saloon, with only 2,238 of these
hand built Cloud I cars ever built and with only very few
remaining! This particular example is finished in its very striking
and believed to be original 'Sterling Silver' factory color paint
with its all original Light Gray Connolly hides and which boasts
its original Mohair headliner and wood dashboard.This particular
example had the optional power steering and electric windows and
factory air conditioning. The car also boasts its original spare
wheel and tire and electric inspection lamp and charging plug,
pressure gauge and tire pump!The car drives phenomenally well and
is a testament to how these extraordinary cars are capable of
driving, an absolute pleasure to drive with the ultimate in both
grace and power. The car has reportedly been owned since new by one
single family owner until we acquired it who obviously always
garaged the car with the car still retaining its rare original
leather Connolly leather seats which have a superb original patina
with only very little signs of wear. The car remains mostly
original throughout including its original 'Smiths' radio, African
burled walnut wood, and the original weather stripping and seals
and rubbers etc are all in very good shape throughout the car
considering their age. An obviously always cherished and garaged
example with no accidents and with the floor boards, trunk and all
the typical rust-prone areas all rust free and its original rare
still leather wrapped rear leaf springs!The car has a beautiful and
highly desirable color combination of seemingly mostly original
'Sterling Silver' exterior paint with matching Rolls Royce hubcaps
and its all original 'Connolly' Light Gray leather interior, which
was exclusively used in Rolls Royce's and Bentley's came from
unfenced cows which produced unblemished hides. All the chrome work
including the front Rolls Royce grille and bumpers is absolutely
and the door panels, dashboard and original mohair headliner
remarkably show only very minimal signs of any wear. The car has
it's original spare wheel with original jack and factory equipment
still located in their rightful place of storage in the trunk
compartment.For those who are unfamiliar, the Bentley 'S' series
and the Rolls Royce Silver Cloud series were absolutely identical,
with both vehicles hand built at the Rolls Royce factory in Crewe,
England from 1955-66, with the only differences being their
nameplates, radiator and mascots. The Silver Cloud models were
introduced in 1955 with a superbly crafted 'Rubenesque' body shell
with the traditional Rolls Royce imposing high grille and
headlights whilst hinting at the separate fenders seen on the
previous coachbuilt models. The all new body was steel with a
simple very rigid steel box section welded together with
lightweight aluminum panels for the doors, hood and trunk lid.
Equipped with a now legendary inline six cylinder engine, four
speed automatic transmission, hydraulic brakes with twin brake
master cylinders and independent front suspension, the car could
reach 60mph in 13.5 seconds and had a top speed of over 100mph.
This 6 cylinder engine was ultimately considered both smoother and
possibly more durable than the later V8 that followed it whilst
being both quieter and easier to maintain and today is recognized
as a virtually bullet proof engine built by the world's finest
mechanical engineers. It remains the quintessential Rolls Royce
with enough power to be used on modern roads with a degree of style
that only this marque could offer. 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 built 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 I,
one of the most desired of the Silver Clouds by enthusiasts with
the virtually bullet proof all aluminum 4.9L 6 cylinder engine and
the single head lights - which of note, Rolls Royce purists were
appalled with at the time when the later Silver Cloud III's
transformation with the dubious redesigned front-end lower hood and
radiator with quad front headlamps mounted in oval nacelles -
considered a shocking violation of RR tradition - one magazine went
so far as to refer to the quad lights as the equivalent to
installing a jukebox in Winchester cathedral!Along with it's tall
grill and tall flying lady the Silver Cloud I 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 2,238 Silver Cloud I'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 buy with confidence, with
original factory Silver Cloud drophead coupe convertibles now
selling well 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 example of a fully
turn key ready example to simply just enjoy and drive for the
discerning luxury classic car owner!