1958 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I

Produced from April 1955 until March 1966, the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud was the company's primary model during that time. It replaced the Silver Dawn and was, in turn, replaced by the Silver Shadow. Other models in Rolls-Royce's arsenal at the time included the Phantom V limousine and the Silver Wraith. The latter initially rested on a 127-inch wheelbase with a 133-inch option arriving in 1951 and would be the sole platform from 1953 forward. The Silver Cloud was slightly shorter at 123-inches (plus a 127-inch long wheelbase platform offered for 1957 and 1958). A total of 2,238 examples of the Silver Cloud I were built from 1955 through 1958.

The Silver Cloud II was produced from 1959 to 1962 with 2,417 examples built. The largest improvement introduced with the Silver Cloud II was the new wet-lined 6.2-liter V8 engine. The Silver Cloud III arrived in 1963 and was produced for three years with 2,044 units built. They brought a remodeled interior, engine modifications that resulted in higher engine output, slightly altered external dimensions, and minor exterior styling improvements.

Coachwork
The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud used body-on-frame construction with most of the coachwork built with the standard Pressed Steel Company-manufactured steel body shell. Though the name implies 'steel,' all of the doors, bonnet, and boot were constructed of aluminum. Designed by John Blatchley, they were very rigid, and yet, very simple and elegant in design. A small number received coachwork from independent coachbuilders. In comparison, the Silver Wraith was also built using body-on-frame construction and was suitable for a variety of bespoke coachwork from specialist coachbuilders. Most of the bodies were 'formal' limousine four-door saloons. From 1949 through 1955, customers who desired a smaller standard steel body could purchase the Silver Dawn, the predecessor to the Silver Cloud. The coachwork on the Silver Dawn was nearly identical to Rolls-Royce's Bentley Standard Steel saloon.

Along with the 'standard' four-door saloon coachwork, approximately two hundred examples featured coach built bodies. James Young of Bromley, Kent was a South London coachbuilder known for its distinctive detailing, which included unique door handles and graceful body moldings. J. Young offered a four-door saloon and Sedanca Coupe (style number SC20 - only two examples were built and both were for American clients) on the Silver Cloud chassis, Park Ward a four-door long-wheelbase saloon, and Mulliner a two-door coupe. Harold Radford offered conversions of the four-door saloon into an estate car. It is believed that fewer than twenty-five examples wore Drophead Coupe coachwork (style number 7410) by H.J. Mulliner and two by Freestone & Webb (Honeymoon Express). Between 1957 and 1959, it is believed that 122 customers opted for the LWB chassis.

Engine
The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud 1 was powered by a 300 cubic inch (4.9 liter) inline six-cylinder engine paired with a four-speed GM Hydramatic automatic transmission. The engine received twin SU carburetors after September of 1957.

The Silver Cloud's predecessor, the Silver Dawn, initially used a 4.2-liter inline-6 which grew to 4.6-liters in 1951. The Silver Wraith also employed this engine under its bonnet. It had overhead inlet and side exhaust valves (F-Head) and the single double downdraught Stromberg type AAV 26 carburetor setup was used until 1952 when it was replaced by a Zenith DBVC42. The engine's displacement grew to 4,887cc (298.2 cubic inches / 4.9 liters) in 1955 after the introduction of the Silver Cloud. A few of the remaining Silver Wraiths received this powerplant.

Mechanical Specification
The 11-inch drum brakes were hydraulic and assisted by the Rolls-Royce mechanical servo. Twin brake master cylinders were incorporated from April 1956, the same year that power steering and air conditioning became available. 1957 brought a larger cylinder head and larger carburetor, which increased power by an estimated ten percent. The suspension was independent at the front with coil springs while the rear used semi-elliptic springs. The 123-inch wheelbase was the sole platform until it was joined by a 4-inch longer version in September of 1957. The exterior styling of both the 'short' and 'long' wheelbase cars was similar, the most noticeable difference was the improved leg space for the rear-seat passengers.

Weighing in at nearly two tones and powered by a 155 horsepower (power was never officially quoted by Rolls-Royce and was simply referred to as 'adequate'), 4.9-liter six-cylinder engine, the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud was by no means a sportscar, but it had the performance to compliment the supple luxury. It was capable of achieving top speeds of over 100 mph, however, most of the clients were more interested in the experience of the journey as they were immersed in opulent comfort.

The six-cylinder Silver Cloud I was replaced by the eight-cylinder Silver Cloud II, but the inline-6 was considered smoother than the V8 that followed. The Silver Cloud enjoyed greater production and a longer lifespan than any model that preceded it. It was eventually replaced by the Silver Shadow in 1967.

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2022