1957 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud

The all-new Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud and Bentley S-Type were introduced in April of 1955, and built as a replacement for the ageing Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn and Bentley R-Type. Both wore sleeker bodywork on a new box-section separate chassis, replacing the unitary construction setup for the first time on a Rolls-Royce. The brakes and suspension were improved, with the latter featuring electrically controlled damping. The engine displacement rose to 4,887cc and adopted a six-port cylinder head which helped boost power on the dependable inlet-over-exhaust six-cylinder engine. An automatic (4-speed GM Hydramatic) transmission was now standard with power-assisted steering offered as optional equipment.

Rolls-Royce offered 'standard steel' factory bodwork, while coachbuilders continued to offer bespoke creations to discerning customers' unique specifications. The factory did not offer a convertible or drophead coupe, so a coachbuilt car was the only option if one's preference was an open-top Rolls-Royce. The soon-to-be-merged firms of H.J. Mulliner and Park Ward Ltd. (the latter already owned by Rolls-Royce) were by far the most successful of this type, lasting into 1963. These hand crafted styles fetched a hefty premium, with H.J. Mulliner's drophead coupe being priced some 50% above the standard Silver Cloud four-door sedan, which was already among the world's most expensive cars. Mulliner would complete 21 (possibly 22) aluminum-bodied drophead coupes (style number 7410) on the Silver Cloud I chassis.

The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud and its Bentley S1 stablemate were the last models powered by the venerable straight six in its most developed form. The Silver Cloud I would remain in production through 1958, with a total of 2,238 examples produced. The Silver Cloud II was introduced in 1959 and came equipped with a new Rolls-Royce developed 6.2-liter V8, which greatly improved the vehicle's performance. Electrically operated windows were now optional and power steering became standard. After 2,417 examples had been produced, Rolls-Royce introduced the Silver Cloud III, which would remain in production through 1966 with 2,044 produced. Improvements included a slight weight reduction, interior changes, and slightly altered external dimensions. The engine received a 2-inch SU carburetor, nitride hardened crankshaft, and the compression ratio increased to 9:1. External changes included slightly increased slope of the bonnet, reduction i the radiator grille height, and a four-headlamp layout.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2019

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