Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud

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"Silver Cloud" redirects here. For other uses, see Silver Cloud (disambiguation).
Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud
1959 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud
Manufacturer Rolls-Royce Ltd
Production 1955–1966
7,372 produced
Predecessor Silver Dawn
Successor Silver Shadow
Engine(s) 4.9 L I6
6.2 L V8
Transmission(s) 4 speed automatic
Wheelbase 123 in (3124.2 mm) (short wheel base) [1]
Length 212 in (5384.8 mm) [1]
Width 74.75 in (1898.7 mm) [1]
Height 64 in (1625.6 mm) [1]
Related Bentley S1
Bentley S2
Bentley S3
1965 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III James Young Saloon
1965 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III James Young Saloon
1964 Mulliner Park Ward "Chinese Eye"
1964 Mulliner Park Ward "Chinese Eye"

The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud was the main car manufactured by Rolls-Royce from April 1955 until March 1966. It replaced the Silver Dawn and was, in turn, replaced by the Silver Shadow.

The design was a major change from the pre-war models and the highly derivative Silver Dawn. The main design work was by J. P. Blatchley.

The chassis was a simple steel box section, welded together and very rigid. Construction was still split into chassis and pressed steel and aluminium coachwork (unibody construction did not arrive until the Silver Shadow). The car was 5.38 m long, 1.90 m wide, and massed 1.95 tonnes. The engine was a 4.9 L six-cylinder unit with twin SU carburettors, the transmission a four-speed automatic. Brakes were hydraulic and assisted by the Rolls-Royce mechanical servo with 11 in (279.4 mm) drums and suspension was independent coils at the front and semi-elliptic springs at the rear. Power steering became an option in 1956 along with air conditioning.

Contents

[edit] Silver Cloud II

The Silver Cloud II was introduced in 1959. Little changed externally but it now had a 6.2 L V8 engine, which pushed the weight to 2.11 tonnes. Performance was greatly improved and top speed was raised to 183 km/h, but the main improvements were in acceleration and torque. Power steering became standard.

[edit] Silver Cloud III

The Silver Cloud III arrived in 1963. External dimensions were slightly tweaked, the interior remodelled, the weight reduced by a little over 100 kg (220 lb) and improvements to the engine boosted speed and performance slightly. The headlights were changed to a four-headlamp layout remarkably similar to that of the later Silver Shadow, a model which the company had been brainstorming since the late-1950s. Official Rolls-Royce documents indeed state the four-headlamp layout was introduced to prepare customers for the radically new, then-forthcoming Shadow.

A notable, but not particularly favoured among classic car circles, version is the "Chinese Eye", featured on the Mulliner Park Ward coachbuilt cars, of which only about 100 were made and one drop-head coupé was owned by Peter Sellers for four years, and another by Lucille Ball, among others.

[edit] Performance

The British Motor magazine tested a standard wheel base factory bodied Series I in 1956 recording a top speed of 102.9 mph (165.6 km/h) and acceleration from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 13.5 seconds and a fuel consumption of 14.5 miles per imperial gallon (19.5 L/100 km/12.1 mpg US). The test car cost £5078 including taxes. [1]

[edit] Production

  • Silver Cloud: 2,238
  • Silver Cloud Long Wheelbase: 85
  • Silver Cloud special coachbuilder styles (convertibles, hearses, etc): 121
  • Silver Cloud II: 2,417
  • Silver Cloud II Long Wheelbase: 258
  • Silver Cloud II coachbuilder styles (convertibles, hearses, etc): 107
  • Sliver Cloud III: 2,044
  • Silver Cloud III Long Wheelbase: 206
  • Silver Cloud III coachbuilder styles (convertibles, hearses, etc): 328

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e "The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud" (January 18 19565). The Motor. 

[edit] External links

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Rolls-Royce road car timeline
1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
Independent Vickers plc VW Group BMW
Standard 10 hp
15 hp		 V-8
20 hp		 Twenty 20/25 25/30
Wraith		 WWII Silver Dawn Silver Cloud Silver Shadow/Silver Wraith II Silver Spirit/Silver Spur
Premium 30 hp 40/50 hp (Silver Ghost) Phantom I II III Silver Wraith Camargue Silver Seraph Phantom
Phantom IV/V/VI
Convertible Corniche/II/III/IV Corniche V Drophead