Pick of the Day: 1962 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud

The original Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, launched in 1955, was a major milestone for the ultra-luxury automaker. According to Rolls-Royce, it had a significantly stiffer chassis, a longer wheelbase, and a larger cabin than its predecessor, the Silver Dawn. It was also the first Rolls that came standard with an automatic gearbox and power steering. Things got even better with the second series of the model, such as our Pick of the Day, a right-hand-drive 1962 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Carey, Illinois. (Click here or any of the pictures below to view the listing.)

In 1959, Rolls-Royce introduced an updated model known as the Silver Cloud II. Its biggest change from its predecessor was under the hood: a 6.2-liter V8 that was 20 percent more powerful than the previous 4.9-liter straight-six.

This particular 1962 Silver Cloud II was purchased in Scotland by its previous owner in 1982, driven a few hundred miles, then air-freighted back to Chicago. Until the selling dealer purchased the car from that owner’s estate, it was stored in a “very large factory premises.” Perhaps preserved is a more fitting word. This Rolls has only 37,200 miles on it, so the striking Tudor Gray and Pacific Green two-tone paint job is original.

The same goes for the RHD interior, which offers “light sage-blue/grey Connolly” leather seating surrounded by glossy wood veneers. In addition to power steering and an automatic transmission with a column-mounted shifter, conveniences include air conditioning and power windows. (If there’s any inconvenience, it’s probably people rolling up at a stoplight and asking for Grey Poupon.)

Previous owners and time itself have been kind to the body and interior, but did they treat the mechanical hardware the same way? According to the dealer, yes. “If the overall presentation wasn’t enough, this Silver Cloud II drives amazingly nice as well. Very tight in the suspension, steering and gear-change. In fact, when we purchased the car, I was able to drive her home some 50 miles effortlessly and enjoyably. The car was clearly well maintained these last 40-odd years. She fires up on the first crank every time.”