Fort Lauderdale 2022
1963 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III Conversion
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$176,000 USD | Sold
| Fort Lauderdale, Florida
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- High-quality drophead conversion, said to have made use of parts and jigs from Rolls-Royce
- Finished in Claret over Conolly saddle leather
- 6.2-liter V-8 engine; automatic transmission
- Accompanied by tools and copy of original build sheet
The Silver Cloud III represented a watershed moment for Rolls-Royce. It was still a traditionally crafted luxury automobile, with wood-framed bodywork featuring a library’s worth of burled walnut; the engine was reassuringly silent; and the interior was surpassingly comfortable. The V-8 engine, improved over the previous Silver Cloud II, was the epitome of the Rolls-Royce ideal of gradual refinement of a design. Yet this model also represented the company’s first nods toward contemporary styling, with quad headlamps, a lowered hood and radiator shell, smaller bumpers, and separate front seats.
This example, chassis LSDW251, was originally a four-door saloon and has been converted to a two-door convertible in the style of the exceedingly rare Drophead Coupé Adaptations crafted by Rolls-Royce’s period coachbuilding shop, H.J. Mulliner. A copy of the original chassis card indicates that this Silver Cloud III was originally finished in Pine Green with Beige upholstery and built to U.S. specification. It was equipped from the factory with a radio, electric antenna, power windows, driver’s side mirror, Dunlop whitewall tires, and a rear lambskin rug. The car was dispatched from Bidston Dock in Birkenhead, United Kingdom, on 30 July 1963 to its first owner in Beverly Hills, California, by way of San Francisco.
The conversion to drophead coupé is said to have begun in the 1980s and was completed in 2020 after a period in storage. Undertaken with great attention to detail, the conversion is also said to have made use of parts and jigs from Rolls-Royce. As such, the car features engine-wall braces, reinforced A-pillars, and rear crank windows like those on authentic H.J. Mulliner conversions.
Today, the car is beautifully finished in Claret with a matching red soft top. The interior is lined in sumptuous Connolly saddle leather and features new wood trim. A matching leather top boot completes the elegant, open-top aesthetic.
Included with the sale are a tool kit, spare, jack, service invoices, and various other documents, including copies of the original build sheet and chassis card.
