When the Silver Cloud was introduced in 1955, nobody could have imagined the success it would bring for Rolls-Royce – or how close it would push Bentley to the edge of collapse, says Keith Moody

It’s hard to underestimate just how important the Silver Cloud was for both Rolls-Royce and its sister company, Bentley. First of all, it marked the total integration of the two marques – a process that had started with the Silver Dawn and Mk VI series.

This meant that both cars shared the same pressed steel four-door saloon body while retaining the traditional separate chassis. But the impact of this new model, and the integration it heralded, was more far reaching and had huge consequences for both Rolls-Royce and Bentley. For the former, it firmly established them as the maker of well-appointed luxury saloons; for the latter it marked the beginning of a period that nearly ended in the complete collapse of Bentley.

A NEW DAWN
Work began on the project in 1950 under the direction of Henry Grylls, who in the following year became chief engineer of Rolls-Royce’s motor car division. His brief was to create a new car while retaining the tried and tested inlet-over-exhaust engine. This meant creating several different prototypes. The first, an experimental Bentley saloon, was built in 1951, while in October 1952 came Bentley 20-B – its John Blatchley-designed body closely resembling the finished article. It was similar mechanically, too, being built on a box section rather than a channel section chassis – but there was still a way to go. The next experimental Bentley was the 21-B of 1953 and this was followed by the 22-B, which was also the Rolls-Royce version. By April 1955, the Silver Could and S-series were ready to meet their public, albeit a slightly wealthy one. If it was the Rolls that you fancied, you’d be parting with £4796 while the S-series cost £4669 – £127 cheaper.

Outwardly, both cars were very similar, with enthusiasts looking to the radiators and hub caps to tell them apart. At the time, the design was in keeping with Rolls-Royce’s restrained and understated image, which unfortunately meant that both cars left the factory already looking like they belonged to a different decade.

But that did have its benefits – not only did it give the cars an air of grace and distinction, it also meant first-class build quality. The body was made out of 20-gauge steel but, in a bid to save weight, the doors, bonnet and boot lid were aluminium.

Longer and lower than the outgoing R-type, the box section frame was 50 per cent stronger than its predecessor and featured a central cruciform. Coil and wishbone independent front suspension was retained but the design used was a wholly new semi-trailing configuration to increase wheel movement. Steering was by cam and roller. At the rear, traditional leaf springs were still used, with the addition of a Z-shaped anti-roll bar to reduce spring wind-up. The 15-inch disc wheels were an inch smaller than those fitted to the R-type and the drum brakes were smaller but with wider linings. The familiar mechanical servo continued boosting the same front hydraulic and rear mechanical braking.

INCREASED CAPACITY
Under the bonnet, the larger 4887cc capacity of the F-head six-cylinder had been achieved by increasing the bore from 92mm to 95mm, the enlarged unit having powered the Bentley Continental coupe from July 1954. The V8 that this car boasts was new for 1960 and would eventually power the Phantom, which was discontinued in 1982. The engine, however, was bored out and, in an updated form, continues to power certain Bentley models today.

The compact 90-degree V8 was developed by Jack Phillips and his team and was a rare choice for British car makers at the time – despite their popularity in the United States. Contrary to popular belief, Crewe’s V8 wasn’t based on GM’s famous design that ended up in so many other British cars – although the engineers must have studied the American engine during their development phase.

The Rolls-Royce unit is an over-square engine of 104mm bore and 91mm stroke, the shortness of the stroke allowing for higher revs and preventing the unit from being too wide. At its heart is a five-bearing counterbalanced crankshaft with side-by-side connecting rods and oil contained within a pressed steel, rather than aluminium, sump.
Fitting such a controversial engine wasn’t without its problems, though. One Autocar tester complained that once it was up to temperature, it was noisy and unrefined. Worse, it had a tendency to run hot in traffic and stall – not what one would expect from a Rolls.

There was more bad news around the corner, too. In 1961, the Conservative government announced that the capital allowance on business cars was to be limited to £2,000. With the Series II Cloud now on sale for £6,093, Rolls-Royce was particularly vulnerable. Luckily, the ceiling was removed a few years later, allowing Crewe’s executives to breathe a sigh of relief. It seems even the simplest political decisions have always managed to impact on Britain’s motor industry.

NEW GENERATION
Given the rumblings of discontent about the car, the Series III was rushed through, going on sale in 1963. To answer the complaint that the front lights were not powerful enough, fashionable twin headlamps were fitted. The cars were given a more modern appearance with a slightly lower grille, too. Inside, the original bench-type front seat was replaced by individual chairs while rear passengers found themselves with two-inches more legroom and a slightly more upright seating position.

A few engine tweaks meant a slightly higher top speed and a better 0-60mph time and this, added to the ongoing development of the car, means that the Series III is the one to have for many people.

By 1966, it was time for the Silver Cloud to say goodbye. A total of 14,913 had been sold: 7,548 Bentleys and 7,365 Rolls-Royces. The best seller was the Series II Silver Cloud, which had shifted 2,417 units. But the times, they were a changing and Crewe’s finest was looking awfully dated – especially when compared to the competition. Mercedes-Benz, for example, had switched to unitary body construction, all-independent suspension and disc brakes. Jaguar’s Mark X boasted all these features, too. Even the Morris 1100 had disc brakes at the front. The Silver Cloud’s replacement, the Silver Shadow, arrived in the nick of time for Crewe’s loss-making car division.

And it was here that demand for Bentleys started to wane. With the Silver Shadow, Bentley became nothing more than a Rolls-Royce with a cheaper price tag. So while R-R sales remained buoyant, Bentley sales fell and fell, making up just five per cent of production by the start of the Eighties – its high-performance heritage being nothing more than a distant memory by then.

THE LAST REAL ROLLS?
For many enthusiasts, the Silver Cloud is seen as the last of the ‘real’ Rolls-Royces. That’s because the cars that followed were luxurious but lacked the charm and dignity of previous models.

Critics of the Silver Cloud often point to its lack of ingenuity and adventure but why should Rolls-Royce have messed with a tried and tested formula? True it wasn’t revolutionary or mechanically sophisticated, but perhaps it didn’t need to be. Rolls-Royce was, after all, responsible for making the best cars in the world – and the Silver Cloud definitely lives up to that billing.

Published in the January 2010 issue of Classic Car Mart.

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