1962 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II Drophead Coupe For Sale

Filed under: Auctions,Classic News |
1962 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II Drophead CoupeOne of the undoubted stars of Historics major spring sale this coming Saturday, March 12th is a superb example of British motoring classicism, the greatly revered and exquisitely crafted 1962 Rolls-Royce II Drophead Coupe Adaptation by H.J. Mulliner. Reflecting it’s stature, this hugely desirable and rare coachbuilt Rolls-Royce – one of only 106 of ‘Design Number 7504’ - will most certainly find favour with the discerning international collector, and is offered at an estimate of £340,000-£370,000. Introduced in 1959, the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II established a new standard for luxury motorcars but, surprisingly, it was not offered in convertible form and hence the birth of this model by the distinguished West London coachbuilder, H.J. Mulliner. The car, known as an 'Adaptation', was created from a factory-standard Silver Cloud II steel saloon body. So extensive were Mulliner's modifications that the resulting car, in its every detail, was essentially a fully-coachbuilt body. Indeed, the cars were available with the same range of bespoke options available to any Rolls-Royce client - that is to say, anything the buyer desired… This very fine example - specified with an electrically-operated hood, windows and aerial, Sundym glass, seat belts and, most unusually, twin cocktail cabinets in the rear - was delivered new to its owner in Long Beach, California on 3rd August 1962. Sadly, the owner had little time to enjoy his sumptuous new possession before he passed away, at which point the car was acquired by the second owner, within whose family it remained until 1995, the last 15 years spent in Honolulu, during which time it covered just 12,000 miles. 1962 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II Drophead Coupe by H.J.MullinerIn 1997, the car returned to the UK where it was registered and underwent a £26,000 restoration by Rolls-Royce specialists, P.J. Fischer Classic Automobiles of Putney, South West London. More recently, a further £7,500 was spent at fellow marque specialists, Michael Hibberd. Understandably, the flowing lines of this stunning car then attracted the gaze of its first UK owner, publishing magnate, Felix Dennis, whose flair was also reflected in his ascendancy as one of the wealthiest Britons of his day. This much-enjoyed car now comes to sale at Historics on Saturday, March 12th, together with a V5 document, 13 MoT certificates – the current one with no advisories – a file of receipts from its restoration period, plus a service booklet, handbook, build sheets and a typed history that provides a glimpse at its elegant 54-year life to date. Indeed, it seems the only absent items are the contents of the two cocktail cabinets, doubtless much enjoyed during the car’s ownership… This statuesque and eminently collectible example of perhaps the pinnacle of the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II genre is one of 169 fine classic motor cars, across a wide range of values, eras and marques, on sale this coming Saturday, March 12th at Historics at Brooklands, Surrey, where all consignments can be viewed on the Thursday and Friday prior.Tags:,