1965 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III

Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III (Saloon), 1962-1965

The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III was in production from 1962 to 1965. Styled in house, it is a front-engine, rear wheel drive saloon car seating four adults with standard coachwork.

The Silver Cloud III was the last in the illustrious Cloud line - refreshing the by then seven year old model to last until the introduction of the Shadow. It gave the Cloud a visually lower nose line, incorporating twin headlamps and a 1.5" lower radiator grille - and a revised interior with a little more room. More interestingly, over 100kg was shaved from the weight, and 2" carburettors replaced the previous 1.75" units for an increase in power. A higher compression ratio also added to performance - resulting in a 7% gain over the Cloud II. In 1963 the chrome wheel covers were replaced by stainless steel, and wider front seats and revised headlamp surrounds were fitted for 1964.

Rear inner and outer wings, sills and front wing bottoms are the nastiest places for rust on a Silver Cloud III body, so check thoroughly. Check around where the battery is mounted to the chassis, and the outriggers too. Barring the occasional head gasket the V8 engine is hardy enough, as is the GM Hydramatic gearbox provided it's received basic maintenance. If it thumps into third, it needs its brake bands adjusting - which can be done externally and in situ. The big money is to be spent on trim - all that lovely wood and leather doesn't come cheap, so make sure it's in good order.

Apart from its Bentley S3 sister car, little could touch a Silver Cloud in terms of price new - though a Mercedes 600 was considerably more expensive. The vastly cheaper Jaguar MkX offered similar comfort for less money, and the Lagonda Rapide was a different type of car entirely. Today, a Silver Shadow or a Silver Dawn might make interesting alternatives - though if we had to find a good car to buy instead of a Silver Cloud III, we'd be looking at one of the last six-cylinder Silver Cloud Is.