1963 Rolls-Royce SILVER CLOUD S3

We are delighted to be able to offer this gorgeous Silver Cloud III. Featuring the desirable V8 engine and twin headlamps, it has been in the care of the same owner for the past half-century.

Only the car’s second owner, Joe Peters owned a repair and restoration garage in Osmondthorpe near Leeds. His business had a very good reputation in the area for its workmanship, so it won’t surprise you to learn that the Silver Cloud was Joe’s pride and joy, so much so that he serviced and maintained it himself throughout its life.

This work included having four new original equipment wings fitted in the late 70s or early 80s although, like all experts, he wasn’t afraid to call in someone who was better equipped than him when necessary, which explains the specialist rebuild of the gearbox.

Sadly, Joe passed away and with no-one to love and cherish the car in the family, the vendors bought it from his estate. Quickly falling for its charms, they had the leather re-trimmed and the wood and carpets refurbished or replaced as necessary.

With a recorded mileage of just 78,000 miles, all the Silver Cloud needs now is someone fresh to take it into their care, someone who will continue to look after it in the manner to which it has become accustomed. Could that be you?

The Silver Cloud’s structure is strong and free from the sort of rot and corrosion that plagues the breed. This includes the floorpan and the base of the windscreen, both of which are areas that enthusiasts will recognise as being especially vulnerable.

The coachwork also looks terrific from ten yards, being shiny and glossy and still featuring great shutlines and near perfect panel alignment. There are no ripples along the flanks either, or significant dents or other damage.

Obviously having had some paint work many years ago when the four new OE wings were fitted, we are told that the paintwork has remained untouched since then.

And it shows. There are multiple stonechips and scratches, plus the odd minor ding and small patch of rust starting to make its presence felt. But, we reckon that a decent machine polish followed by some localised paintwork – and red is one of the easier colours to match, of course – would bring it up to a satisfactory standard. The most important thing is that it’s solid and original, and we’d always rather buy a car like this than one that has been cheaply and quickly tarted up in order to turn a quick profit.

The Spirit of Ecstasy sits on top of the Silver Cloud’s trademark radiator grille, and the rest of the chromework is pretty good too. The steel wheels, fitted with chromed and painted hubcaps, are shod with matching tyres, all of which have good tread.

As we will never tyre of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but do give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

But, the car does need some attention to its paintwork and we’d prefer potential bidders to pop along to see it for themselves in order to check that they are comfortable with the work that needs doing.

The interior is largely new thanks to the ministrations of the vendors who have spent a considerable nigh-on five-figure sum bringing it to the condition you see today. That means retrimmed seats in some of the softest, most tactile leather we’ve ever experienced.

Great carpets too; held in place with press-studs, they lift to reveal rock-solid floors. There’s a terrific headlining in there as well, one that is taut and firm and looking glorious.

Oh, and speaking of glorious, the retrimmed door cards even have a little sliding door behind which the speakers lurk. That’s a terrific touch and one that goes to the very heart of the care and quality that lies behind the car’s retrimming.

As does the red piping on the cream leather seats and door cards, put there to echo the gold pinstripe that runs along the car’s flanks and around the hubcaps.

But, while the leather interior is magnificent, it is the dashboard that takes both literal and metaphorical centre stage. A huge Bakelite steering wheel, pencil thin and all the better for being so, sits in front of a slab of genuine wood that is peppered with dials and chromed switches and levers – and the whole bloomin’ lot is in a fantastic condition.

Say what you like about modern Rolls-Royces, they can’t touch the older models for sheer decadence. It really is an elegant thing, reeking of old money and class. Yes, the dashboard will need removing at some point to be re-lacquered, but even that patination just adds to its already considerable charm.

Fitted with a Velleman electronic ignition system (complete with the original instructions, no less) and an adjustable Kenlowe electric cooling fan, the engine starts on the button and runs and drives beautifully. It ‘lopes along’ according to the chap in the office who test drove it. It was hard to get much else out of him due to the silly grin on his face.

The vendors tell us that it doesn’t overheat and changes gear smartly too, including the kickdown mechanism.

The engine bay, with that wonderfully evocative centrally hinged bonnet, is clean and tidy. An extra ignition coil has been fitted at some point, and we’d be tempted to relocate it to the original position to tidy things up a bit.

A slightly rusty toolkit sits in the boot but that could be easily restored, a job that would make a lovely project for those long winter nights. The boot is also home to the spare wheel and jack as well as an auxiliary electrical cut-off switch to stop the battery draining when the Silver Cloud is in storage.

The underside looks to be solid, and has been neatly protected with underseal.

The Silver Cloud doesn’t have a current MOT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have the car re-MOT’d at the earliest. The cost of an MOT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic car, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

The online MOT history shows nothing of concern whatsoever and confirms the car’s low mileage. It also comes with the original buff logbook and owner’s handbook, and a guide to using the period Motorola radio.

The car comes with a number of expired MOT certificates. However, as Joe did much of the work himself over the 48 years he owned it, there isn’t a great wad of paperwork bar a large number of invoices from Flying Spares, the Rolls-Royce and Bentley parts specialists; this isn’t surprising and, to be honest, we’d rather buy a car like this than one that has an amazing paper history but one that has been shunted from owner to owner, and garage to garage.

So, please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork but we’d love to welcome you here in person to take a look at it yourself so you can gauge its condition prior to setting your bid.

Having led a pampered life and wanted for nothing, this is a rare opportunity to get your hands on a low mileage Silver Cloud that has been in the hands of an enthusiast and skilled owner for the best part of half-a-century.

And yet, we must acknowledge that the paintwork needs some attention, and the absence of a comprehensive servicing and maintenance paper trail will deter some and affect its value.

So, at a time when cars in this condition and a full service history are reaching £50,000+, we expect this one to fetch between £30,000 and £40,000, but with an even lower reserve, which leaves plenty of headroom for the new owner to add value as they sort the paintwork.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment 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, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.