Vehicle Description
West Coast Classics are proud to present and absolutely stunning
and exceptionally rare example of this unrestored and virtually all
original 1964 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 only very few remaining! This particular example boasts
recent long time southern California ownership has rare factory
options of air conditioning, 'Sundym' reflective tinted glass,
White sided tubeless tires, power steering, power brakes and power
windows. Finished in its original and classic striking factory
color of 'Antique White' with 'Gold' painted pin-stripes' with its
all original 'Beige' color Connolly hides and original lambswool
rugs over beautiful original factory carpeting showing superb
maintenance and care from its long time owners with only very
minimal and quite desirable patina for its age. 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, which had also pushed the weight to 2.11 tonnes.
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. Power
steering had become standard with the Series II and 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 U.S specification example (Left Hand Drive
Model) was imported to the U.S. from England with the car factory
ordered and optioned with:Cash Price of Car: approximately
$15,655Electric Windows $220'Sundym' Glass: $45Air Conditioning:
$795The car still retains many original items including quite
amazingly its rare original wood and leather wrapped rear leaf
springs and original Connolly leather. The car has been
extraordinarily well maintained over the years with recent work
including a rebuilt power steering gearbox, a new radiator core and
hoses, a rebuilt carburetor, a new starter, a new air conditioning
compressor, a rebuilt master brake cyclinder, new valve cover
gaskets and a new exhaust pipe. The car has been family owned by
its most recent southern California owners since 1998 and is
undoubtedly a cherished and always garaged car which has had no
accidents and which is a completely rust free example - the floor
boards, trunk and all the typical rust-prone areas are completely
solid and rust free - see below undercarriage photos for probably
the finest shots of an all original Rolls Royce Silver Cloud
undercarriage anywhere in existence! The beautiful and highly
desirable classic 'Antique White' exterior color paint is in
exceptional condition and the car has its original matching Rolls
Royce hubcaps and it's original full 'Connolly' Beige color leather
interior. 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. The hides are in
phenomenal condition throughout with only very minor patina for its
age, and which we chose to leave unblemished rather than dye over
as we feel it respects the cars age nicely. All the chrome work
including the front Rolls Royce grille and bumpers is absolutely
outstanding. The door panels, carpets, dashboard and the original
mohair headliner remarkably show virtually no signs of any wear.
The car has it's original spare wheel with original jack still
located in their rightful place of storage in the trunk
compartment. The car also boasts its original owners handbook and a
full set of lambswool rugs. Obviously always garaged with no
accidents or damage history and owned by only obviously very
careful owners for over fifty-five years - never abused! The car
drives exactly like a well maintained and serviced Rolls Royce
should and must be driven to be fully appreciated and seen to be
believed! This car drives very well - the engine is extremely
strong and purrs like a sewing machine, the transmission shifts
smooth as butter with Rolls Royce's legendary almost imperceptible
shift and the engine temperature always remains cool. The car
drives straight as an arrow with no strange road wobbles, shakes or
rattles and is a truly remarkable and responsive daily driver! The
factory air conditioning blows cold air and the power windows work
smooth and fast. A truly remarkable example both mechanically and
cosmetically. This particular model truly must be driven and seen
to be fully appreciated. 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
unrestored stock 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 Silver Cloud drophead coupe
convertibles now selling well in excess of $600K +, 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! VIN:
LSDW587
