Silver Cloud (Silver Cloud) was the main model of Rolls Royce from April 1955 to March 1966. The car replaced the Silver Dawn. Although by the mid-50s many manufacturers began to use carrier bodies widely, Rolls-Royce engineers showed conservatism and chose to use the frame structure for the production of this classic automobile. A completely new body design immediately attracted attention for its harmony and elegant sleek lines. The press did not stint on praise and called the Silver Cloud "the most beautiful car ever built." He became the basis for the style of post-war Rolls-Royce models and one of the classic cars of the brand. The main designer of Silver Cloud was John P.
Blatchley (JP Blatchley). For the model developed a completely new body of pressed steel. Elegant smooth exterior lines often underlined two-tone color. The hood was decorated with the famous branded statuette "Flying Lady". The car had a length of 5.38 m, a width of 1.9 m and a weight of 1.95 tons. The six-cylinder engine with a volume of 4.887 cm³, was inherited from the Silver Dawn.
Of course, he has undergone modernization - he had an aluminum cylinder head and a dual carburetor. Two transmission options were offered: a manual gearbox with four-speed synchronization and a four-speed automatic transmission created by Rolls Royce Hydromantic. As a result, after a year and a half, it was decided to abandon the manual box altogether. The maximum speed of 170 km / h. It is also worth mentioning the drum brakes on all wheels with a mechanical amplifier in the drive and the dependent suspension of the rear wheels.
In the interior, every detail was designed to highlight the atmosphere of luxury and comfort. The salon traditionally had a finish of genuine leather and the most valuable types of wood: walnut, mahogany and rosewood. Special attention was paid even to such trifles as a folding center armrest, sliding tables, ashtrays and mirrors. In 1956, the car received power steering, air conditioning and an extended wheelbase.
In four years 2238 Silver Cloud was built. In October 1959, more comfortable second-generation cars appeared - the Silver Cloud II. From its predecessor, the car differed enhanced engine power. The model received an eight-cylinder engine with a volume of 6230 cm³ and a power of 185 horsepower. As standard was offered an automatic transmission. Vehicle weight increased to 2019 kg.
Despite the appearance of disc brakes on expensive cars, Rolls-Royce experts still preferred drum drums, which, for reasons of greater safety, had a complex structure and were equipped with a unique branded hydromechanical servo amplifier. By the way, Silver Cloud II appeared in one of the Bond series - “View on the kill” / A View to a kill. In the US, the car had a truly amazing success. Advertising for this model was made by David Ogilvy himself.
In 1962, the world saw the Silver Cloud III, which received a redesigned exterior design with a lower body line and twin headlights. The modernized, elegant and perfectly proportional look of this car made it successful immediately after the appearance. It should be noted that three versions of the body were installed on the same frame: a sedan, a coupe and a limousine. There were also released models with extended wheelbase and a more spacious interior. The traditional four-door version was not much different from its predecessors, the Silver Cloud I / II - the same smoothly flowing body lines and stylish pseudo-wings stamped on rounded bochin.
But the two-door Silver Cloud (convertible and coupe) got twin slanted headlamps, which received the ironic nickname "Chinese Eye". The stern was crowned with straight keels, completely uncharacteristic of this British mark, with “dimensions” embedded in them. Technically, both versions were almost identical. Inside, every detail was a luxury: a wide leather sofa with swan's down, which repeats every curve of the body, a soundproof electric glass partition that provides complete comfort and privacy of the passenger. Engine power was increased to 200 hp, the maximum speed increased to 188 km / h.
The average fuel consumption, which the rich owners did not think about, was more than 23 l / 100 km. The car was equipped with an automatic transmission. Rear brakes combined with hydraulic and mechanical drive. The front suspension has levers of unequal length and coil springs with rear semi-elliptical electric shock absorbers, so the car is very smooth on the go.
The model enjoyed a well-deserved popularity, so the Rolls Royce Silver Cloud I (with an open body in red and white) of 1956 was a wedding gift from Rainier III Grimaldi and Grace Kelly from Aristotle Onassis. The snow-white Silver Cloud of 1960 was in the garage of George Harrison. Silver Cloud, in three series, from 1955 to 1966 was produced in the amount of 7868 copies.
