1964' Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud Iii Flying Spur

1964 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III 'Flying Spur'
1 of only 54 examples with coachwork by H. J. Mulliner
Estimate
£120, 000 - £150, 000
Lot details
Registration No: IOM Registered
Chassis No: SFU261
MOT: Exempt
1 of just thirty-five RHD Cloud IIIs chassis bodied by H. J. Mulliner Park Ward to its revered 'Flying Spur' Design Number 2042
Four owners from new with the previous being rock band T-Rex’s accountant, Sam Alder
Subject to extensive restoration work while residing in current ownership
The most sporting of the Clouds
Pleasingly presents in its original colour combination
The price of four Jaguar E-Type 4. 2 Coupes when new or a Ferrari 330GT 2+2 plus three Minis!
The Silver Cloud II unveiled in 1959 brought a redesigned ventilation system and standardised power steering. The biggest change, however, was the replacement of the six-cylinder engine with an all-alloy 6. 2-litre V8 unit. The unquoted output was sufficient to whisk the model to 60mph in under 11 seconds and on to a top speed of 112mph. The final iteration of the Cloud family, the Silver Cloud III, brought the option of rakish Drophead and Fixed Head Coupes in addition to the standard and coachbuilt-bodied Limousines. The exterior dimensions were subtly altered, the interior remodelled and the weight reduced by some 220 lbs. Engine improvements included replacing the 1. 75 inch SU carburettors with 2. 0 inch ones and raising the compression ratio to 9:1 in recognition of the improving quality of fuel. The resulting extra performance was reflected in Motor magazine's 1964 test, which returned a time of just 10. 1 seconds for the 0-60mph dash and a mean top speed of 114. 3mph. The obvious visual change was the adoption of four headlamps. Less noticeable were the slightly increased slope of the bonnet and the shorter (by 1. 5 inches) radiator grille.
Introduced on the S1 Continental and known as the 'Flying Spur', this design was a collaborative effort by Rolls-Royce's in-house styling department and H J Mulliner, and bore a strong resemblance both to the two-door Continental and to existing coachbuilt four-door styles on Rolls-Royce and (non-Continental) Bentley chassis. To the Continental's existing qualities of pace and elegance, the Flying Spur added four-door practicality, a more spacious interior, and a generously proportioned trunk. The Flying Spur body style continued on the V8-engined S2 Continental and was revised to incorporate the S3's four-headlamp front end following the latter's introduction in 1962. Owner of Park Ward since 1939, Rolls-Royce had taken over H J Mulliner in 1959, and by the time chassis number ' SFU261' was completed in 1964, the pair had been merged as H J Mulliner Park Ward Ltd, thus securing the future of Britain's two largest surviving coachbuilders. By the time the last chassis had been built, a total of 2, 809 Cloud IIIs had entered the automotive world, but only 54 of those carried the distinctive so-called 'Flying Spur' bodywork; more officially known as Mulliner Park Ward design No. 2042.
Full information and photography following shortly.
Please note: We have been advised that vehicles registered on, and imported from, the Isle of Man are not subject to Import Duty. Nor is a NOVA application required for their re-registration in the United Kingdom.
For more information, please contact:
Paul Cheetham

Viewing available at 30th Anniversary Sale at The Imperial War Museum | Duxford, Cambridgeshire
Tuesday 19th September 2023 from 12pm to 8pm
Wednesday 20th September 2023 from 9am