1961 | Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II

6,320 cm³ OHV V8 aluminum engine, four-speed automatic transmission, independent front suspension with coil springs, live rear axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs, and hydraulic drum brakes with brake booster on all four wheels. Wheelbase: 123 inches

One of only 75 left-hand drive examples built

Very well equipped, including air conditioning

Left-hand drive

Introduced in April 1955, the Silver Cloud marked a turning point for Rolls-Royce. Traditionally, all of the brand’s vehicles were delivered as bare chassis, which were then custom-bodied by independent coachbuilders. But times were changing—especially in post-war Britain, where the market for bespoke vehicles was shrinking. Additionally, the increasingly streamlined automotive designs were difficult to reconcile with handcrafted coachwork, particularly when using the manufacturer’s front-end styling.

Rolls-Royce's sister brand Bentley had already offered a factory-made “Standard Steel Saloon” body since 1946, which was well received. In fact, from 1949, this body style was also made available on the Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn—initially only for export. Chief designer John Blatchley designed the new Silver Cloud Saloon, a compact sedan intended for owner-drivers, based on a new box-section chassis with a 123-inch wheelbase. In 1957, a long-wheelbase version (127 inches) was introduced.

The Silver Cloud was powered by the same inlet-over-exhaust (F-head) inline six-cylinder engine used in the final Silver Wraith. A four-speed automatic transmission came as standard, while a four-speed manual was available as an option—unlike the Wraith. The drum brakes were equipped with a servo booster. A total of 2,360 units of the first Silver Cloud series were produced, including 122 long-wheelbase models, some of which featured custom coachwork.

In September 1959, the Silver Cloud II was introduced—now with a completely new OHV V8 aluminum engine with 6,230 cm³ displacement. Like its predecessor, the Silver Cloud II was available in two wheelbase versions and was produced until 1962, with a total of 2,717 units built. For clarity, the earlier models are now retrospectively referred to as the “Silver Cloud I.”

This vehicle is one of only 107 Drophead Coupés built by Mulliner Park Ward on the short-wheelbase Silver Cloud II chassis—and one of just 75 left-hand drive examples. The London-based coachbuilders H.J. Mulliner and Park Ward & Co. had a long-standing partnership with Rolls-Royce Ltd. In the late 1950s, as the custom coachbuilding business declined, Rolls-Royce first acquired H.J. Mulliner and two years later also integrated Park Ward into the newly formed subsidiary. This gave rise to Mulliner Park Ward Ltd., which from then on served as the in-house specialist coachbuilder—as this Drophead Coupé strikingly demonstrates.

This particular car was built as a left-hand drive and delivered through J.S. Inskip to a Mr. H. Reedman in Trenton, New Jersey. It comes with the standard automatic transmission and air conditioning, and is additionally equipped with whitewall tires, power windows, power antenna, altimeter, sheepskin carpets, and an additional rear speaker with volume control. The vehicle remains unrestored but has been partially refurbished and presents itself in very good condition, showing only minor signs of wear. The mileage is under 80,000 miles. The owner previous to us acquired the car and has consistently maintained and driven it since, enjoying it in and around Las Vegas.

We subsequently acquired the vehicle and imported it to Germany, where it has been cherished and driven ever since. Naturally, the car has only been driven in fair weather. Oil changes and all servicing have always been carried out promptly and professionally. In 2021, the transmission and drum brakes were meticulously overhauled and rebuilt, sparing no expense, and have functioned flawlessly ever since. The car shows age-appropriate signs of use and patina, and is currently rated as a solid 2- (on the classic car condition scale). Mechanically, the car is in excellent shape and ready to drive immediately.