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.We had the car serviced in October 2022 prior to sale
at the renown 'Independent Rolls Royce Service' of Hollywood, CA
where it had all new upper amp; lower brake master cylinders
replaced and otherwise received a clean bill of health.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!