Rolls-Royce broke from tradition when it introduced its Silver Cloud in 1955, replacing the aging Silver Dawn series with thoroughly modern styling and typical Rolls-Royce over-engineering. Instead of building incomplete cars and delivering chassis to custom coachbuilders, the SC (and corporate sibling Bentley S1) was a complete car clothed in a factory-built body. This allowed Rolls to produce the new car in far greater numbers and with a higher margin than previously, and helped set the stage for future development.
The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud body was a beautifully proportioned, modified razor edge design, and it was a huge hit. The model used a 4,887-cc IOE six-cylinder engine, which dated back to the original Silver Ghost. GM’s four-speed Hydra-Matic transmission was standard from 1956, when power steering and air conditioning became optional. The SCs had adjustable shock absorbers that were operated by a lever on the steering column, and the brakes got a second master cylinder in 1956. Chassis and suspension were operated by a total-loss Bijur system, with an oil tank on the firewall.
This 1957 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud four door sedan carries a 6 cylinder engine and is backed by an automatic transmission. The odometer reads only 67,826 miles. The exterior is Silver over a Green / Tan interior. This Silver Cloud is an appreciating classic that will make a superb tourer as it is a comfortable and welcoming place to whisk away the miles.
