Amongst the most elegant post-war bodies created for Rolls-Royce was the Silver Cloud II Drophead Coupe by H.J. Mulliner, design number 7504. The car was known as an “Adaptation,” and it was created using a factory standard steel saloon body that had been modified into a convertible by removing the steel top, fitting two doors in place of the usual four, and adding a modified chromed waistline molding. So extensive were Mulliner’s modifications that the resulting car was, in its every detail, essentially a fully custom body, and indeed, the cars were available with the same range of bespoke options available to any Rolls-Royce client—that is to say, anything the buyer desired.

A ROLLS-ROYCE BUILT FOR THE COUNTRY

Of the 107 Drophead Coupe Adaptations built to style number 7504, chassis number SXC465 is the only one known to have been built with London coachbuilder Harold Radford’s special Countryman Touring accoutrements, more often fitted to sedans and the occasional custom-built shooting brake.

These were specified by this car’s first owner, London real estate agent Joseph Levy, who took delivery in June 1961 and registered his new Rolls-Royce by his treasured license number of JL30. Mr. Levy had made his fortune by good fortune: his office was one of the few to survive the Blitz, and he set about acquiring war-torn properties in prime locations throughout London. Rebuilding the properties as offices after the war, by the time that this car was built, DE & J Levy could boast nine-million square feet of usable space on its books and rightfully advertised itself as “Changing the Face of London.” Joseph Levy, in turn, became a very wealthy man, capable of acquiring the best that life had to offer.

Radford’s Countryman package was intended to make Mr. Levy’s Rolls-Royce suitable for extended journeys “into the rough” by providing all of the comforts of home for its well-to-do passengers. The trip began at home by filling the capacious boot, with a specially built, expanded lid, with supplies for the journey. What could not fit into the trunk would be stowed in four pieces of bespoke Antler luggage, stored atop the fold-flat rear seat behind the driver and passenger. Special cubbyholes hidden throughout the interior housed magazine racks, cosmetics for the lady, and a notebook.

Upon arrival at his destination, Mr. Levy could open the trunk and unfold a small table, suitable for cards or dining for two. Naturally, as he and his companion would not be expected to stand, in the trunk were supplied a pair of “toadstool seats,” small stools attachable to the rear bumper overriders. The result was a completely comfortable spot for a gentleman and friend to enjoy the spoils picked up at Harrods’ before leaving London.

The car was acquired by its present owner in 1994 from the estate of Robert “Bob” Barrymore, of LaJolla, California, a past president of the Rolls-Royce Owner’s Club and avid collector who enjoyed many of the finest Rolls-Royces from all eras. It has been much enjoyed by the consignor for two decades, during which time it has been looked after by the Rolls-Royce-trained specialists of Hughes Motor Corporation, of Houston.

More recently, the car has been the recipient of a cosmetic restoration by the respected marque specialists of Vantage Motorworks, of Miami, Florida, including being refinished in Midnight Blue with a Surf Blue (VM 3015) Connolly leather interior and Dark Blue English mohair top. It is complete with a correct owner’s handbook, complete tools, a Continental Spares parts kit (for extended touring), maintenance receipts, the original right-hand-drive servo components, copies of original build sheets, and information from the Rolls-Royce Foundation.

This is a fabulous and distinctive Silver Cloud II, offered from caring long-term ownership and ready for the elegant hunt.