Chassis number LSGT657C, offered here, was one of 52 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud IIIs delivered as the very modern Drophead Coupé by Mulliner Park Ward. It was ordered by the aptly named Saudi Arabian Markets, Ltd., of Jeddah for the use of Sheikh Mohamed Ashmawi, as noted on its factory build card, a copy of which is on the file. Sheikh Mohamed was the chairman of SAM, a powerful corporation which served as the Saudi representatives for Shell, BP, and numerous luxury automobile manufacturers, including, of course, Rolls-Royce.

The car was to be finished in Shell Grey with Black leather interior and striping, power-operated Grey Everflex hood and windows, Sundym glass throughout, and Irvin lap belts to both front seats. Highly detailed specifications included a standard ¾-inch chrome molding ‘as used on enclosed limousine and standard saloon’ and full Jetstar air conditioning. Bespoke instructions were included for the commission of a top headliner in Ivory Millium insulated fabric to repel the Saudi sun; a Bakelite knob with letter “C” in white at its centre; a prominent console-mounted Sestral Minor marine compass; and the owner’s monogram “M.A.” in small block capitals, applied to both doors by G.C. Francis, Rolls-Royce’s preferred heraldic artist for decades.

Delivered to Sheikh Mohamed in November 1964, the car had by 1970 made its way to the United States, and that year was recorded in the care of Elliott Fischer of Garden City, New York, who would retain ownership of it into the early 1990s. It was then owned by the noted philanthropists and enthusiasts Leo and Ivy Chu of Beverly Hills, California, and finally acquired in the early 2000s for The 20th Century Collection, where it has remained in storage. Refinished some years ago, it would benefit from restoration to its unique original specifications, after which it would once again be the striking example of an iconic design that it was when new – a special Silver Cloud III for an important figure.