1959 Rolls-Royce Other for sale $125,000

The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I was built between 1955 and 1959with a total of 2360 units, of which 122 were long wheelbasemodels, which first came available in 1957. There were only 121short wheelbase chassis that were fitted with special coach-builtbodies and of the long wheelbase versions only 36 were everbodied. The Silver Cloud andamp; quot;Empress andamp; quot; was one of these rare longwheelbase coach models.Eighteen examples of the Silver Cloud I Empress LWB weremade by Hooper and it is one of the last creations made by therenowned Hooper Coachbuilding Company before they ceasedcoach building in 1959.This is Design # 8546, a Two Door 4 Light Saloon Coupe thatis the only one ever produced by Hooper. It incorporates along sweeping line and very pretty and distinctive, swirlingspats at the rear.Rolls-Royce records show that this car was originally purchasedby The Daily Telegraph Newspaper/Lady Camrose, the long-timecompanion and eventual wife of John Seymour Berry, 2ndViscount Camrose (12 July 1909 15 February 1995). Berry wasa British nobleman, politician, and owner of the Daily Telegraph. Itis widely published that John Seymour Berry s father, WilliamBerry, 1 st Viscount Camrose was a close personal friend ofWinston Churchill, making it easy to imagine that many ofEnglands elite upper class at some point may have ridden in thisunique and prestigious automobile.There is a fascinating link in that Lady Camrose was once marriedto Aly Kahn, son of the Aga Kahn. Within just a few years, bothfather and son (or daughter in law) purchased extraordinarilydistinctive coachwork from Hooper, with the father ordering a verystylish and unique Hooper body on a Phantom IV, one of the mostimportant cars produced by Rolls-Royce since 1945 and winner ofits class at Pebble Beach in 2015.

The chain of ownership since Lady Camrose is well recorded.The noted Rolls-Royce London dealers, Frank Dale andamp; Stepsonhave extensive records, including many early invoices, from thetime they sold the car in 1974 and, after reviewing their files, haveeven found the spare key which would be made available to thenew owner!There is a less gilded period in the cars history when it wasowned by Herb Wetanson who owned the Wetsons hamburger(the Big W was the signature burger) restaurant chain in thegreater New York area. During this time or soon after, work wasdone by John Dennison, the noted Rolls-Royce mechanic in PA,USA. This is reported by Paul Bier, son of the party who boughtthe car from Wetanson in about 1980.In March 2016 the car underwent extensive mechanicalrestoration to rebuild the entire braking system and to return thecar to running order. There is full documentation showing all thework that has been performed. Over $20,000 has been spent onthe mechanical overhaul. The engine is now blissfully quiet andbalanced. Outside a new Rolls-Royce, BLC35 is quieter thanalmost any other Rolls-Royce, amongst hundreds, ever heard bythe writer.The hydraulically operated rear passenger seat, installed byHooper, allows for a handicapped person to easily sit on therotated and elevated rear seat at the front passenger door.

Then,once activated, it will automatically return to the rear passengercompartment. Currently the seat can only be operated manuallyand will require a flushing of the hydraulic lines and pump. Oncereturned to its rear positon, the seat is beautifully integrated withthe other rear seat and the whole arrangement is barely visible. Itis an extraordinary testament to the technical and aestheticgenius of Hooper at the time. The writer believes that even in2016, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars could not match this in creativityand imagination.The leather is original. Unless for Concours, it would bepreferable to arrange a skilled repair and refurbishment to retainits immense appeal.The wood finish is largely original and usable but would