1964 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III

The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud was produced from April 1955 to March 1966. It served as a replacement for the Silver Dawn which had replaced the Silver Shadow. It wore a design by J.P. Blatchley that is considerably different from the prior pre-war models and its Silver Dawn sibling. Built alongside the Bentley S1, both were similar in design, apart from the radiator grills.

Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I used a 4.9-liter six-cylinder engine. Competition from its rivals prompted the development of a V8 powerplant to replace the aging six-cylinder unit. The Crewe firm turned to Chrysler and Cadillac-built engines for inspiration. Introduced in the autumn of 1959, the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II and Bentley S2 were visually indistinguishable from their Cloud and S-Type predecessors, however, the performance was considerably enhanced due to the new 6,230cc aluminum-alloy V8 engine. The engine was mated to Rolls-Royce's own four-speed automatic transmission which was now the only unit offered, and power steering was standardized.

In October of 1962, the third versions, the Silver Cloud III and the Bentley S3 were introduced to the public. Changes over the prior Silver Cloud II included a weight reduction by over 100 kg, changes to the interior and external dimensions, and improvements to the engine which included larger 2-inch SU carburetors. Due to the higher octane levels of premium fuel in many markets, the compression ratio was increased to 9:1, with a lower 8:1 compression ratio still optionally available where high-octane fuels might not be available. To cope with the increase in horsepower, the engine was given a nitride-hardened crankshaft and the transmission was a GM Hydramatic which Rolls-Royce used under license.

The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III had a four-headlamp layout, devoid of sidelights from the wing tops, a slightly lower radiator grille height, and a hood with a slightly increased slope. In April of 1963, the chrome-plated wheels were replaced by stainless steel units. In January of 1964, wider front seats were installed, followed a few months later by a revised headlamp surround with a small RR monogram. Many of the European and UK-delivered examples received a chrome badge that displayed 'Silver Cloud III' in italic font on the bottom right side of the rear trunk. The U.S.-delivered versions often do not have this badge.

Body styles included a 2-door convertible and a 2-door coupe. Various coachbuilders continued to provide custom coachwork to discerning customers. The list included James Young, H.J. Mulliner, and Park Ward & Company (now Rolls-Royce owned).

The Silver Cloud II was the last mainstream Rolls-Royce to use a separate chassis; they were superseded by the Silver Shadow in late 1965 which had unitary construction.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2019