1961 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II Drophead Coupe

The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II, introduced in 1959, adopted a light alloy 6.2-liter V-8, replacing the prior version’s six-cylinder engine and was partially a response to the American market’s growing appetite for more horsepower. One of the rarest and most desirable of all Silver Clouds is the Drophead Coupe, with coachwork by H.J. Mulliner. Only 107 were built in total with 74 produced in left-hand drive.

The example offered here is one such model, and the consignor notes that this car was specially built for the Indianapolis Rolls-Royce dealer, where it was sold new. Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club (RROC) documents indicate its US delivery and note its numerous special options. These included an altimeter mounted in the glove box door, high frequency horns in addition to the standard horns, an extra speaker in the rear with volume control, and a rev counter in the left-hand cubby hole. The car was also fitted from new with electric windows, electric aerial, and an electric convertible top.

RROC documents indicate its first recorded owner was John J. Schaler III of Indianapolis. The car then passed through two owners in Illinois before the consignor purchased it in 1974, fulfilling his lifelong dream of owning a Rolls-Royce. In the early 1980s, the Cloud was repainted, reupholstered, and received a new soft top. Since then, it has remained in the consignor’s focused collection and has been shown at three RROC events. The car is desirably fitted with air-conditioning, which was present on the car when the consignor purchased it in 1974, and also currently features a more modern radio, but the original accompanies the sale. This is an extremely elegant Rolls-Royce with stunning coachwork by H.J. Mulliner and a rare opportunity not to be missed.