Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, 1959
Chassis No.: LSNH126 • Engine: Inline 6-cylinder • Transmission: Automatic • Exterior: Silver/Black • Interior: Gray • 4.9L/155 HP inline 6-cylinder engine • GM Hydra-Matic 4-speed automatic transmission • Two-tone Silver and Black with Gray interior • Factory air conditioning • Power steering and brakes • Power windows • Parthenon grille and Spirit of Ecstasy ornament • Wide Whitewall tires • Tinted glass • Smiths instrumentation • Pushbutton radio • Burl wood-grain dashboard At nearly twice the price of a top-range Cadillac, the 1955 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud had to deliver, and it did. Powered by the final development of the dependable and extremely smooth 4.9L inline-6, the company proclaimed that “at 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock.” With its genuine 100 MPH maximum, The Autocar praised “a degree of safety, comfort and performance that is beyond the experience and perhaps even the imagination of the majority of the world’s motorists.” These last 6-cylinder Rolls-Royces have a distinct appeal, as the motor was notably quieter and smoother than the V-8 introduced with the Silver Cloud II. Along with its exceptional refinement, the inline-6 is more frugal and easier to maintain. The Silver Cloud was larger and roomier than the preceding Silver Dawn, with a longer all-new chassis and front suspension setup. The new five- to six-seater also washed away any prewar influences, with fully integrated front fenders and a tapering profile that satisfied modern tastes without offending traditionalists. So admired was this factory-issue “Standard Steel” bodywork that of 2,238 Clouds produced, only 121 were ordered with special bodies. This 1959 example is clothed in the Standard Steel body, which is something of a misnomer, as all closing panels were of aluminium for lightness. Neither was there anything standard about the unrivaled refinement of the interior appointments, with the finest leather and wool upholstery, copious hand-finished burl-wood veneers, and picnic tables in the rear. The transmission was a General Motors 4-speed Hydra-Matic. Along with electrically adjustable suspension damping, another improvement over earlier models was a hydraulic power braking system. With so much standard, there was little in the way of factory options, but there were three key ones that enhanced life aboard: power steering, power windows and air conditioning. This Cloud has all three. To complement its gray leather interior and contrasting dark blue carpets, the two-tone silver over black exterior livery is enhanced with a discrete red coach stripe and wide whitewall tires, along with the signature motifs of the Parthenon grille and Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament. The Silver Cloud makes a statement that is as quietly self-assured as its whisper-quiet ride. https://www.mecum.com/lots/1175409/1959-rolls-royce-silver-cloud
