1956 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud by Freestone & Webb

This charming Silver Cloud (retrospectively known as a series I) is one of that notable minority that went on to be bestowed with a coach-built body. The rolling chassis was completed at Crewe in 1955 before going on Freestone & Webb’s Unity Works in Willesden, North London. Freestone & Webb had been founded in 1923 and had built a reputation for building bodies of distinction for Rolls-Royces and Bentleys (and a few Alfa Romeos, Mercedes Benz and Packards). Freestone & Webb had popularised and become associated with a style known as “Razor Edge.”

The body fitted to our car was indeed in that style but officially known as “4 Door, 6 Light Sports Saloon.” This example is known to be the first of only eight built in this style and the only one remaining in the UK. The interior fitting and finishing were undertaken by Harold Radford Limited, who would eventually acquire Freestone & Webb. The car was completed in 1956 at a total cost to the customer of £7,741.3s.3d. – in excess of £240,000 in today’s money. The Silver Cloud bears the chassis number SWA 56, engine number SA28, body number 1782 and design number 3206.

Not too much is known about our car’s early life other than a spell overseas featured. The Rolls-Royce was re-imported to the UK in 1989, going on to be registered here in January 1992. The current owner, a long-standing Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club member, acquired the Silver Cloud later that year to become just the second, post re-import owner.

In 1956 the Silver Cloud left Willesden in a Burgundy over Light Metallic Bronze, two-tone livery. Today, the characterful two-tone arrangement remains but the car returned from its travels in Burgundy over Masons Black. The Freestone & Webb 16-gauge aluminium over ash frame saloon body lends the car a rakish and aerodynamic persona but remains highly evocative of its time.

The front profile of the car is standard Silver Cloud fare with the iconic grill looking especially tall and prominent in this iteration. The twin headlamps, auxiliary driving lamps, badge bar and curvaceous wings give the car enormous road presence. The Burgundy paintwork looks quite lustrous from this angle but exhibits some stone chipping and some fading to the nearside.

In side profile the Burgundy and Masons Black sections look faded and dulled. Some dents and dings are noted as are a number of roughly repaired paint cracks, bubbles and blisters. The rear of the Cloud is dominated by the huge boot lid and a similar level of paint fade and deterioration is present here. In comparison the car’s brightwork looks mostly fresh and shiny.

The Silver Cloud sits on a set of 15-inch steel wheels finished with chromed and body coloured hub caps and accompanying beauty rings. The 4-ply radial tyres feature a deep white-wall detail, and the rear pair are mostly hidden behind full spats. The whole ensemble further underlines the Silver Cloud’s archetypal 1950’s luxury limousine look.

Burgundy and chocolate may sound like a delicious desert combination worthy of a Michelin starred establishment, but it is also the palette that predominates in the Silver Cloud’s cabin. In the front there are a pair of generously stuffed seats that meet in the middle and offer twin fold down armrests. These function as commodious, separate perches but can also be aligned, and the rests stowed, to create a three-seater, full-width bench. The finish here is courtesy of gently creased Burgundy leather. The rear bench is finished in nicely patinaed Chocolate leather arranged into vertical box pleats. A concealed fold down central arm rest is present. The rear seat passengers also benefit from the provision of walnut veneered, glass topped picnic tables complete with vanity mirrors. Recessed, built in passenger footrests also feature.

Door cards front and rear are finished in Chocolate leather with contrasting piping, chromed door furniture, walnut cappings and carpeted kick panels. The leather edge-bound carpets are finished in a light hue and appear quite threadbare in the front. The headlining is courtesy of tightly fitted, beige West of England cloth. A fascinating feature is the orange tinted, Perspex sunroof with solid sliding West of England cloth under-panel. The veneered and inlaid dashboard is scattered with white on black Smiths gauges and chromed switches and buttons. The original, slender bronze coloured Bakelite steering wheel is present. To ensure the driver and front passenger don’t feel neglected, a small sliding picnic table features here, too. This is just below the contemporary CD head unit.

The deep boot is trimmed with a scarlet fitted carpet. The spare wheel is housed under the boot floor and tools and a jack are in evidence. The overall condition of the cabin could be considered somewhat of a curate’s egg, and we encourage you to study the photographic package to assess it for yourself.

The first series of Silver Cloud featured Rolls-Royce’s familiar six-cylinder inlet-over-exhaust engine in 4887cc. At this stage, of course, power output was simply described as “adequate” by Crewe. Whatever the magic number was (probably somewhere around the 150 – 170 bhp mark) it was “adequate” enough to propel the 2-tonne car past the 100mph benchmark. Power is relayed via the smooth four-speed General Motors Hydramatic automatic gearbox to the rear wheels. The brakes are drums all round and are powered by a semi-hydraulic and semi-mechanical system to ensure redundancy in case of a loss of hydraulic pressure.

Suspension is configured for cosseting comfort and consists of a live axle on leaf springs at the back and a very good independent coil system at the front, copied from a 1930s Packard. The shocks are lever-arm, adjustable at the back between a smoother ride or sharper handling. 

The under-bonnet presentation is very original looking, overall, but retains potential for further improvement and general tidying up. There are some nice bits of detail in here, such as the various labelling of parts, mechanics’ instruction plates and deeply embossed chassis number plate. The underside looks to be in very good shape for the car’s age and mileage. Plenty of preserving underseal still seems to be present.

The Silver Cloud comes compete with a very impressive document archive with over 170 images present in our document section. The V5 registration document is present which classifies the Silver Cloud as an Historic Vehicle. This renders the Rolls-Royce MoT exempt and zero rated for VED in the UK. Despite this the car holds a current advisory free test which is valid until February 2025. A great many earlier MoTs are also present.

There are some fascinating build records present from both Rolls-Royce and Freestone & Webb documenting the original specifications of the Rolls. The bulk of the remainder of the archive consists of many, many invoices recording work undertaken, and parts procured for the car. It’s well worth taking time to study this impressive history to fully appreciate its cared for history.

The Silver Cloud represents a key juncture in Rolls-Royce history, considered by some as the last of the “real” Rolls-Royces with the traditional “body on chassis” arrangement. By today’s anodyne standards they certainly showcase the much-admired craft of, arguably, the world’s greatest luxury car manufacturer.

Our example has a lot going for it. It is a very rare example, being just one of eight ever produced in this configuration and part of a very exclusive group of coach-built Silver Clouds. It offers its next owner a high degree of honesty and originality as well as the enticing potential to further improve this stately Freestone & Webb bodied beauty. 

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £25,000 - £35,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am- 12pm or 2pm-4pm. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.