Marking the end of a long, proud era of independent British coachbuilding, chassis number LCFL39 was the last long-wheelbase Silver Cloud III built with custom coachwork and one of the final custom bodies produced by the UK’s last extant private coachbuilding firm, James Young Ltd., of Bromley, Kent.
It is one of two long-wheelbase Silver Cloud IIIs built to unique designs — in this case, James Young’s style number SC179, a variant of their popular SCT100, the touring limousine known as the “Baby Phantom” for its resemblance to a scaled-down Phantom V. This design incorporates the SCT100’s distinctive features — such as a “turtleback” semi-fastback trunk lid and a sweeping fender line — while adding Hooper-style rear quarter windows, with their distinctive curved trailing edge. The result, accented by a two-tone finish in Honey Beige and Coffee Bean Brown, was subtle and elegant. It was also well-optioned, with accessories including factory air conditioning, picnic tables, a rear compartment radio, and a division window.
The 1966 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III Touring Limousine was originally delivered to Robert F. Carney. Carney was, at the time, the chairman of the board of the world’s third-largest advertising agency, Foote, Cone & Belding, with offices in the newly completed Pan Am Building at 200 Park Avenue in Manhattan. The car was sent to Mr. Carney’s weekend home on Captains Neck Lane in Southampton, an area in which he was a prominent resident and philanthropist. Eventually ending up in the collection of multi-Pebble-Beach-winning collector Bob Lee for nearly 20 years, the car is documented with original build information, including detailed copies of its chassis and engine cards, the original invoice to Mr. Carney, correspondence between various owners, and Rolls-Royce Foundation ownership records.
This is a beautiful, one-off 1966 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III Touring Limousine in highly original condition, deserving of a place in any connoisseur’s collection. I personally believe the investment potential of this rolling work of art will grow beyond your imagination. We are proud to offer what is certainly the most important and desirable Rolls-Royce to come to the market in years to the most astute collector or investor who understands and appreciates the investment potential of this spectacular motorcar.
