Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud: Phantom V, VI and Bentley S series, Continental (Osprey autohistory)

Graham Robson tells how and why the Silver Cloud bridged that most difficult of post war recovery periods to emerge as one of the most respected models of them all. For close on fifteen years the motor car division of Rolls-Royce held their head above water and captured the fast changing world with these majestic cars. The Silver Cloud series as it can be loosely termed was the best possible transitional car -- from the immediate late forties 'coachbuilt' Silver Wraith and (Dawn and Mk VI Bentley) through to the monocoque 'productionized' Silver Shadow (and BentleyT) of 1965. It must have been a capable chassis, taking first a straight six cylinder engine and then making room for the smooth V8. Remember too that it could still be coachbuilt when the need arose. If nothing else it was versatile and in the nineteen-fifties that was only good. Here are all the models whether they had Rolls-Royce (SCI, II and III) or Bentley radiators (S series and Continental) were two door or four door,