Description
West Coast Classics are proud to present an absolutely stunning and extraordinarily rare 1963 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III Drophead Coupe factory LHD & coachbuilt by H. J. Mulliner - a very rare original southern California 'Black License Plate ' car and the very collectible LHD model with factory coachwork by H. J Mulliner - 1 of only 27 true Mulliner's ever built!
In a striking 'Regal Royal Burgundy' color with all new reupholstered leather interior - 32K original miles & equipped with factory power windows & original air conditioning equipment & rare altimeter & dashboard mounted tachometer by Mulliner to replace the left side cubby box, original AM radio, rear folding picnic tables, white wall tires and rare 'Kneeling Lady' mascot.
The car had one southern California owner from 1968-2010 - original sales & delivery documents, handbooks, boot cover, spare wheel & heavy tools & small toolbox. Unique opportunity for Rolls collector/ enthusiast to purchase not only 1 of the 27 factory LHD true coachbuilt H. J. Mulliner cars, but also a superb southern California car since new that still drives as good as when new and boasting only 32K original miles!
This is an absolutely stunning and exceptionally rare example in truly remarkable condition, both mechanically and cosmetically, a true 1963 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III V8 Drophead Coupe by Mulliner. Only 27 of these original left hand drive coachbuilt cars were ever built by H. J Mulliner of Willesden, London, with very few of any of these cars now known to still exist today. These completely hand built, factory left hand drive Mulliner's are not to be confused with one of the RHD Silver Cloud non-factory or later Silver Cloud conversions by a multitude of entities!
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, none of these will ever prove as desirable or as well built as an original hand built Mulliner, and all fall short of these original 27 cars in terms of value, prestige and historic importance.
This particular example was owned by it's long time southern California owner from 1968-2010 and is an original 'Black Plate' California car since new. It was purchased by only its second owner on 6/ 3/ 1968 from 'Peter Satori Co Ltd' of Pasadena, CA with documentation available, and owned until sold by his estate to only it's third southern California owner in 2010. It was serviced and maintained throughout the years at the renown independent Rolls Royce specialists 'Vanderploeg Motors' and later at 'Scott Motors' of West Los Angeles.
It has rare options of the altimeter and tachometer, air conditioning, 'Sundym' reflective tinted glass, White sided tubeless tires, power brakes and power windows. Finished in an exceptionally striking color of 'Regal Burgundy' with a newly upholstered 'Tan' color Connolly hides interior. The original seats are truly still as comfortable as the day they were new, firm and supportive and recently reupholstered. The carpeting and the car's original convertible top and mohair headliner have also been restored with no expense spared and the car show superb maintenance and care from its three long time owners.
For those who are unfamiliar, the Bentley S3 and the Silver Cloud III were absolutely identical 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.
This car boasts many surprisingly still all original components which are a testament to its low mileage and fastidiously kept and obviously climate controlled storage and garaging. The features still intact include its original leather wrapped rear leaf springs, small tool box and spare wheel with all it's original heavy tools; inspection lamp, spare wheel inflation trap & clamp, tire pump, wheel brace & jack, still unused and in their rightful place in the trunk.
The car has been maintained in recent years at the renown independent Rolls Royce & Bentley specialists 'Independent Rolls Royce' of Beverly Hills, California, where the car received a recent full service and this long time southern California family owned and cherished and always garaged car has obviously had no accidents and is a completely rust free example - the floor boards, trunk and all the typical rust-prone areas are completely solid and rust free having always been kept in climate controlled southern California storage!
The beautiful and highly striking paint color of 'Regal Burgundy' exterior paint is in exceptional condition and extraordinarily striking with only very minor imperfections only noticeable upon very close inspection! The car has matching Rolls Royce hubcaps and as previously stated all new leather hides, top and carpeting. 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 absolutely outstanding. The original burlwood dashboard and the original mohair headliner have also been restored.
Obviously always garaged with no accidents or damage history and owned by only obviously very careful long time southern California owner's/ custodian's for over 60 years - never abused! The car drives exactly like a well maintained and serviced Rolls Royce Silver Cloud should and must be both seen and driven to be fully appreciated, honestly we have rarely driven a finer driving Silver Cloud, this car drives exactly as it is supposed to and as it would have when new; the engine is extremely strong and purrs like a sewing machine, the transmission shifts smooth as butter with Rolls Royce's legendary almost imperceptible shift and the engine temperature always remains cool. The car drives straight as an arrow with no strange road wobbles, shakes or rattles and is a truly remarkable and responsive daily driver! A truly remarkable example both mechanically and cosmetically.
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 hand-built 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 also a rare opportunity to own a coachbuilt version 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 coupe; coachbuilt by H. J. Mulliner, is the most desired of the Silver Clouds internationally with the all aluminum 6. 2L V8 engine and the quad head lights; and this is one of the actual 27 LHD coachbuilt H. J. Mulliner cars!
Along with it's tall grill and rare 'Kneeling Flying Lady' mascot, this particular Silver Cloud III Drophead coupe is an absolute moving work of art from a time when Rolls-Royce and Bentley were unarguably building the "Best Cars in the World" at the time of it's production; the craftsmanship and quality of these cars obviously speak for themselves - with only some 2, 044 Silver Cloud III's built in total and only 27 LHD factory to coachbuilder drophead coupes, obviously few remain or are available for sale at any time, and you will surely look long and hard to find another example 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.
