Property of a titled gentleman
1965 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III 'Continental' Coupé

• Ultra-rare coachbuilt 'Continental' model
• Present ownership since 2013
• Serviced in March 2026 by Jack Barclay Bentley

Launched in 1962, the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III and its Bentley S3 equivalent employed the 6.2-litre V8 engine introduced on the 'Cloud II/S2 - though with larger carburettors, a new distributor and raised compression ratio - and came with a four-speed GM-derived automatic transmission as standard equipment. Most obvious among many changes from the preceding models was the adoption of four-headlamp lighting.

As well as the factory-bodied cars, bespoke creations from James Young and the recently merged firm of H J Mulliner, Park Ward Ltd (by this time Rolls-Royce-owned) continued to be available on the 'Cloud III chassis for those discerning enthusiasts wealthy enough to afford them. Indeed, as the factory did not offer a convertible or drophead coupé, a coachbuilt car was the only option if one's preference was Rolls-Royce-style fresh air motoring. With the 'Cloud III's introduction, it was decided to allow Bentley Continental-style bodies to be built on its chassis, which was altered to incorporate the lower-raked Bentley Continental steering column and other minor Continental features. However, it should be noted that Rolls-Royce never referred to these models as 'Continentals', this term being adopted subsequently by the motor trade.

First introduced in 1958, H J Mulliner's was the most successful of its type, lasting into 1963; more modern 'straight-through wing' designs became the preferred style thereafter. Of the latter, by far the most striking were those bodied in a style originated by Park Ward. This design by Norwegian Vilhelm Koren, with its influential continuous front-to-rear wing line, first appeared in 1959 on the Bentley S2 Continental but did not become available on non-Continental models (both Bentley and Rolls-Royce) until after the arrival of the Silver Cloud III and S3 in 1962. These models constituted the majority of coachbuilt variants completed between 1962 and 1966.

Finished in Gunmetal, this ultra-rare coachbuilt Silver Cloud III has been owned since October 2013 by a member of the House of Lords and used sparingly as a part of their car collection. Indeed the cars MOT history, noting circa 79,000 miles in 2013 through to the 81,714 recorded at the time of cataloguing show evidence of the cars limited use. The car has been regularly serviced regularly by English Automotive Services Ltd while in the vendor's ownership and was recently serviced by Jack Barclay.