1959 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I Convertible by H.J. Mulliner

1959 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I Convertible by H.J. Mulliner - The last Silver Cloud I built - Extremely rare and prestigious model - Ten cars built with this body, seven with LHD - Excellently preserved condition, rich history file The Silver Cloud perfectly embodies the golden age of Rolls-Royce. Introduced in 1955, it combined the company’s traditional refinement with more modern styling and exceptional comfort. The convertible versions produced by the leading British coachbuilders are among the most sought after today, especially those from H.J. Mulliner. Officially named the ‘Convertible Drophead Coupé’ by H.J. Mulliner, this example is particularly exceptional, as it was the very last first-series Silver Cloud, known retrospectively as the Silver Cloud I, to be fitted with this body. Of the ten examples built, only seven had left-hand drive. This car left the Rolls-Royce workshops on 18 March 1959 and was delivered in its elegant shade of Steel Blue, complemented by a beige interior with blue piping. Destined for the American market, it had several specific items of equipment, including whitewall tyres, a different control for the automatic gearbox from the European models and a summer/winter thermostat. Its history is especially well documented, beginning with its delivery to the Drug Research Corporation, in Westhampton. In 1974, it went to Carriage House Motor Cars, a major dealer in New York, then in 1976, it was acquired by a Mr. Lorentzen, a businessman who had made his fortune in Venetian blinds. In 1979, it was entrusted to Vantage Motorworks, a Rolls-Royce specialist in Florida. They undertook a high-quality restoration of the car and fitted it with an air-conditioning system, making it even more pleasant to travel in, without spoiling its original character. The car was bought back by Lorentzen in 1993 and two years later, it went to P.J. Fischer Classic Automobiles, who continued the work and brought its appearance up to the remarkable standard it boasts today. It had then several other enthusiastic owners, among them René Froger, the famous Dutch singer, and then a Mr. Hehenkamp, from Geel in Belgium. On 3 March 2017, it was bought by Thierry Dehaeck as a splendid addition to complete the line-up of Silver Cloud convertibles he already owned. The car comes with extensive documentation, including its factory build sheet and a certificate from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation confirming its original engine and colour scheme. Several catalogues and brochures for H.J. Mulliner, Rolls-Royce and the company’s engines and automatic gearbox, as well as the car’s owner’s manual and FIVA passport, complete the set of documents. A 1/20 scale model, a faithful reproduction of this example, is also included. At the time it was sold new, the Silver Cloud Drophead Coupé was one of the most exclusive and expensive cars on the market. Today, the combination of a limited production of ten cars, left-hand drive, a consistent provenance, remarkable appearance and comprehensive documentation makes it a particularly desirable motorcar. Elegant but not ostentatious, luxurious but not excessive, this H.J. Mulliner-bodied Silver Cloud I illustrates in exemplary fashion the expertise of the great British coachbuilders and the art of grand touring as defined by Rolls-Royce. An exceptionally rare car, which will naturally take its place in the most demanding of collections.

Estimate:£210,797

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