1965 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III
Quad headlights flanking the iconic radiator shell marked the final evolution of Rolls-Royce’s separate chassis design, introduced in 1963 after nearly a decade of Cloud production.
The styling revision included a lower hood line and reduced radiator height, while the interior gained individual front seats replacing the earlier bench configuration. Factory-built steel bodies dominated production, though the company continued to supply bare chassis to independent coachbuilders.
Power came from the 380 cubic inch aluminum alloy V8 featuring twin 2-inch S.U. carburetors and a 9:1 compression ratio, representing an improvement over the Cloud II specification.
The engine drove through a GM-sourced four-speed Hydramatic automatic transmission, with independent front suspension and a live rear axle forming the chassis foundation.
Rolls-Royce produced 2,044 standard-wheelbase examples between 1963 and 1966, with an additional 253 long-wheelbase variants.
Production ended in 1966 when the Silver Shadow’s monocoque construction replaced the traditional body-on-frame approach, marking the conclusion of Crewe’s separate chassis era. The model represented luxury motoring’s transition from coachbuilt tradition to standardized factory production.
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