West Coast Classics are proud to present an absolutely stunning and extraordinarily well presented 1965 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III LHD Drophead Coupe conversion recently fully restored and which was obviously converted with no expense spared in a striking and the ultimate classic 'Triple Black' color of 'Masons Black' exterior paint with 'Red' pinstriping, a stunning all new 'Black' Connolly leather interior with matching factory full sheepskin floor rugs and beautifully refinished wood & gauges and equipped with factory power windows, rear folding picnic tables, handbooks, a matching Black leather boot cover, original spare wheel & heavy tools & small toolbox. Unique opportunity for Rolls collector/enthusiast to purchase a superb and beautiful Left Hand Drive example that both looks and drives as good as a new car!
The third and final Silver Cloud was introduced in 1962 and a precious few of these cars were chosen by Rolls to be taken from the standard steel production line and sent to the renown Rolls Royce appointed coachworks of H.J Mulliner of Willesden, London to be adapted by hand into drophead coupes. These were to be the iconic 27 Mulliner Drophead coupes, by far the most expensive and exclusive car of it's day. In the years to come, seeing the desirability and demand of these few Mulliner's, other coachbuilders were to try and emulate what Mulliner had originally achieved with the Silver Cloud, but as any enthusiast will attest, although there are some very fine Silver Cloud non-factory conversions out there, such as this very fine example, none of these will ever prove as desirable as an original Mulliner and all fall short of these original 27 cars in terms of prestige and historic importance. Nevertheless with prices of one of the original 27 soaring in recent years, to in some cases well over $1M for fully restored examples, and with few, if any, in anywhere as close to as good cosmetic or mechanical condition as this particular well converted example; this is a very rare opportunity to own a very prestigious and turn key ready and absolutely immaculate example of a last year 1965 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III Drop Head Coupe at a cost that falls far short of what it would ever cost to build!
The Bentley S3 and the Silver Cloud III were absolutely identical cars 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 but 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 and the inclusion of larger SU carburetors. Separate front seats now replaced the bench seat and there was more legroom in the rear. Power steering had already become standard with the Series II but 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.
We have records from the previous owner showing the car being purchased at the renown 'Symbolic Motor Co' of La Jolla, CA in 6/2001 for $185K & serviced there for years after. This is an absolutely stunning and exceptionally well converted example in truly remarkable condition both mechanically and cosmetically and a fabulous last year example of the legendary Silver Cloud III in the most striking of classic colors! This car has been well maintained by its previous fastidious and was recently inspected prior to sale at the renown Rolls & Bentley independent specialists, 'Independent Rolls Royce' of Los Angeles, California, where the car has received recent maintenance and indeed a recent full service for a clean bill of health and turn key ready for it's new owner with receipts documenting the work. The car is a completely rust and accident free example with the floor boards, rockers, trunk and all the typical rust-prone areas completely solid and rust free!
The beautiful and highly striking 'Triple Black' color combination including 'Masons Black' exterior paint with 'Red' pin stripes is exceptionally well done and extraordinarily striking! The car has matching Rolls Royce hubcaps and as previously stated a completely restored 'Connolly' Black leather interior with new hides and carpeting and stunningly refinished wood and gauges. 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. All the chrome work including the front Rolls Royce grille and bumpers is new and outstanding. The power soft top is factory correct and also matches the paint.
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 Drophead conversion will always prove to be a desirable Cloud internationally with the all aluminum 6.2L V8 engine and the quad head lights. With only some 2,044 Silver Cloud III's built in total, obviously very few remain or are available for either conversions or sale at any time, and you will surely look long and hard to find another such stunning and well sorted conversion like this again. So buy with confidence, this will no doubt prove a fabulous investment for the astute investor, Rolls Royce enthusiast or British Classic Car Collector or simply prove a worthy addition to any serious collection.
