1960 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II 1960 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II 1960 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II 1960 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II
1960 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II

Mulliner Two-Door Convertible
Coachwork: Mulliner
 
Adoption of an all-aluminum 6.23-liter V8 engine replacing the straight six of the Silver Cloud I was the most remarkable innovation when Rolls-Royce introduced the Silver Cloud II in 1959. This engine was still being utilized in Rolls-Royce motorcars some 40 years later. Rolls believing that evolutionary design improvement, rather than innovation, was the key to success. Of the 2,418 Silver Cloud IIs which were produced from 1959 to 1962, 107 were fitted with H.J. Mulliner drophead coupe bodies, as this example displays. The Silver Cloud II was enormously successful in the United States, and the slogan coined by David Ogilvy's advertising agency, 'At 60 mph, the loudest noise in the new Rolls-Royce is the ticking of the electric clock,' became a classic of its own.
The next major model change took place in 1955 with the introductions of the Silver Cloud. It was fitted with the current 4,887cc engine, but a totally new pressed-steel body was designed and the streamlined, elegant and perfectly balanced look of this car made it an instant success. Most cars were fitted with an automatic gearbox although a few were manual.

The rear brakes were combined hydraulic and mechanical with the usual Rolls-Royce gearbox-driven servo. Front suspension was by unequal length wishbones and coil springs with rear semi-elliptic electrically controlled dampers. A top speed of 106 mph was possible.

The press called the new Silver Cloud the 'finest car in the world' and said, 'There is little doubt that these find new cars will carry on the maker's tradition and reputation.' They were right: orders came from all around the world, with an unprecedented number from America, where it proved to be extremely popular in Hollywood.

The Silver Cloud II, launched in 1959, retained the same body as the Silver Cloud I, but was powered by a completely new V8 engine of 6,230cc. Coupled with automatic transmission as standard, the Silver Cloud II set new standards of refinement and performance. The 'Autocar' wrote: 'Only by adopting advanced production methods and thereby increasing yearly output can a superlative machine like this be made today at a price its clientele can afford. The Rolls-Royce is one of very few surviving top quality cars; the maintained standard of overall excellence is rewarded by full order books, and a world reputation which has never stood higher.'

In 1962, a lower bonnet line and twin headlamps were introduced and the Cloud III was born. Engine power was upped by 15% and the top speed rose to 117 mph. The compression ratio was increased and the 1-inch SU carburetors replaced by 2-inch units.

A 1963 road test stated: 'It is a pity that a connoisseur's car like the Rolls-Royce remains far beyond the dreams of the vast majority of the World's motorists, but good to know that cars of this quality can be built still and that there is a healthy market for them. They set a standard that is really appreciated best when one returns to driving lesser cars.'

The Silver Cloud range prompted the immortal line used in its advertising, 'At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock.'

Source - Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
The last of the Rolls-Royce separate-chassis cars from Crewe, the Silver Cloud was the main vehicle manufactured by Rolls-Royce from April 1955 until March 1966. The Silver Cloud replaced the Silver Dawn and was eventually replaced by the Silver Shadow. A major update from the pre-war models, the main design work was accomplished by J.P. Blatchley.

With a simple steel box section, the chassis was welded together and was very rigid while construction was still split into chassis and pressed steel and aluminum coachwork. It wasn't until the Silver Shadow that the uni-body construction arrived.

Weighing a total of 1.95 ton's, the Silver Cloud measured 5.38 m long and 1.90 m wide. Transmission was a four-speed automatic with an engine that was a 4.9 L six-cylinder unit. Suspension was independent coils at the front and semi-elliptic springs at the rear while the brakes were servo-assisted hydraulic drums.

In 1959 the Silver Cloud II was introduced with minor changes externally, but with the addition of a 6.2 L V8 engine with now pushed the vehicles weight to 2.11 tons. The top speed jumped to 183 km/h while the biggest improvements were showcased in acceleration and torque. Essentially the Silver Cloud with a different engine, the Rolls-Royce new 6.2-liter light-alloy V8 has been said to have been inspired by Cadillac's 1949 OHV unit.

Identical in everything but the nameplate, and of course, the Rolls-Royce radiator and mascot, the Silver Cloud II favored the companion Bentley S-Type Series II. 229 units of this model were long-wheelbase limo's with division window and handcrafted coachwork, though most of these vehicles had the ‘standard steel' sedan body. Though falling behind the rising standard of chassis refinement, the 1959-1962 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II was still the ‘Best Car in the World'.

In 1963 the Silver Cloud III was unveiled with slightly updated external tweaks and a remodeled interior. The weight of this newest model was reduced by almost 100 kg which resulted in boosted engine speed and slight performance. Very similar to the later Silver Shadow, the headlights were updated to a four-headlamp layout.

A total of 2,238 units of the Silver Cloud were produced during its production time.

Elizabeth Johnson

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1960 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II

Year1960
MakeRolls-Royce
ModelSilver Cloud II
Engine LocationFront
Drive TypeRear Wheel
Body / ChassisSteel body on steel frame
Production Years for Series1950 - 1965
Coach WorkMulliner
Price$15,655.00
Weight4420 lbs | 2004.9 kg
Combined MPG0.00

Engine  
Engine ConfigurationV
90-degree
Vee-Type
Cylinders8
Hydraulic valve lifters
Aspiration/InductionNormal
Displacement6230.00 cc | 380.2 cu in. | 6.2 L.
ValvetrainOHV
Horsepower185.00 BHP (136.2 KW) @ 4500.00 RPM
HP to Weight Ratio23.9 LB / HP (Vehicles with similar ratio)
HP / Liter29.8 BHP / Liter
Compression Ratio8.0:1
Main Bearings5
Engine Electronics12 volt electric system
Fuel TypeGasoline - Petrol
BlockCast-Aluminum
HeadCast-Aluminum
Ignition System2 SU diaphragm-type carbs
Vehicles with similar horsepower and weight

Standard Transmission
Gears4
TransmissionAutomatic


 
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Other Model Years
1965 Silver Cloud III
1964 Silver Cloud III
1963 Silver Cloud III
1963 Silver Cloud III SCT 100 James Young Touring Limo
1961 Silver Cloud II
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