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£295,000 - £350,000
1962 Rolls-Royce Cloud II Drop-head Coupe Adaptation by H.J.Mulliner
Manufacturer:Rolls-Royce
Model: Cloud II Drop-head Coupe Adaptation by H.J.Mulliner
First Registered:1962
Registration No: YSY 577
Mileometer:59500
Chassis No: LSAE281
MOT:February 2017
Colour: Tudor Grey
The Silver Cloud II was introduced in 1959. Little changed externally from the original, but it now had a 6.2 V8 engine, which pushed the weight to 2.11 tonnes. Performance was greatly improved and top speed was raised but the main improvements were in acceleration and torque. Power steering became standard. Electrically operated windows were now available as an option.
Despite the popularity of Rolls-Royce’s ‘standard steel’ bodywork, discerning customers, in particular those who desired an open car, something not offered by the factory at this time, continued to patronise the handful of coachbuilding firms that remained in business after WW2. Associated exclusively with Rolls-Royce and Bentley after 1945, the London-based firm of H J Mulliner had been purchased by Rolls-Royce in 1959 and merged a few years later with already-owned Park Ward. H J Mulliner had been responsible for the first Bentley Continental, an outstanding design by any standard, and its two-door bodies on both Rolls and Bentley chassis are recognised as among the era’s most elegant.
Available in both Rolls-Royce and Bentley forms, H J Mulliner’s two-door drophead coupé was by far the most popular of these exclusive soft-tops, a total of 107 being built on the Cloud II/S2 standard-wheelbase chassis. Hand crafted style such as this attracted a hefty premium though, H J Mulliner’s convertible being priced some 30% above the standard Silver Cloud II four-door saloon, which was already one of the world’s most expensive cars.
Despatched from the works in August 1962, chassis 281 was purchased by H.R.Owen for the first owner, a Mr. Albert Stevenson of Long Beach, California. The Rolls set sail from London to Los Angeles to be supplied to Mr. Stevenson by Peter Satari Motors of Los Angeles. Mr. Stevenson was clearly a gentleman of distinction, specifying his Silver Cloud in Porcelain White, with his personal monogram signwritten on the driver’s door, a gold coachline the length of the car, twin cocktail cabinets (containing each a flask and two cocktail glasses), electric windows and aerial, and sundym glass.
The car was subsequently sold to the Alhadeff family of Los Angeles. The Alhadeffs owned the Cloud for 36 years in all, during which time it passed from father to mother, and from mother to daughter, who had the car transported to her home in Honolulu, Hawaii. The family looked after the car well, in the file we have a thick sheaf of invoices dating back to the late 1970s.
In the late 1990s the Rolls was repatriated to the UK, where it enjoyed a highly detailed restoration at the hands of well regarded Bentley and Rolls Royce restorer P.J.Fischer of London. The restoration bill ran to ten pages, and totalled c. £30,000. The Cloud was finished in a very stylish and contemporary colour scheme of metallic grey with a biscuit leather interior, which still looks wonderful and complements the beautifully finished wood veneers perfectly.
The Cloud then passed to its final owner, Mr. Felix Dennis, one of the richest men in Britain, making his money in magazine publishing. Although he did not actually possess a driving license, Felix covered around 6,000 miles in the Rolls as a passenger.
Since 2014 the Cloud has benefitted from detailed service and repairs with specialist Michael Hibberd, to the tune of £8,000. Currently showing a mileage of 59,500 miles from new (which is believed to be correct), this glorious Rolls Royce is described as being in excellent condition in all respects. The Cloud will be supplied with its original Rolls Royce owners manuals, copies of build and test sheets, a thick file of invoices from the present day back to the mid 1970s, a total of fourteen UK MoT certificates (including the current MoT), and a UK V5 registration document.
This is an extremely rare and desirable Rolls Royce, with remarkable provenance.
Note: This description is provided by the vendor and unless otherwise stated is 'Not Verified' by Barons or any person employed by Barons. Prospective purchasers are advised to satisfy themselves as to the accuracy of any statements made, whether they be statements of fact or opinion.
Fees apply to the hammer price:
Flat Fee Registration
12.00% inc VAT*
