| Production | 1955-1958 |
|---|---|
| Body style | 4-door saloon variations provided by coachbuilders were: 2-door convertible 2-door coupé |
| Engine | 4.9 L I6 |
| Transmission | Four-speed automatic |
| Wheelbase | 123 in (3,124 mm) (short-wheelbase) 127 in (3,226 mm) (long wheelbase, offered for 1957 and 1958 cars) |
| Length | 212 in (5,385 mm) |
| Width | 74.75 in (1,899 mm) |
| Height | 64 in (1,626 mm) |
| Related | Bentley S1 |
The chassis was a simple steel box section, welded together and very rigid. Construction retained the traditional split between chassis and body, which facilitated the provision of special bodied versions though in practice the overwhelming majority of cars were delivered with the standard steel body shell, produced by Pressed Steel, and employing light weight aluminium based alloy for the doors, bonnet/hood and boot/trunk lid. The car was 5.38 m (212 in) long, 1.90 m (75 in) wide, and massed 1.95 tonnes. The engine was a 155 hp / 4000 rpm 4.9 L six-cylinder unit with inlet over exhaust valves: twin SU carburettors were added in September 1957. The standard transmission was a four-speed automatic. The turning circle was 41 feet 8 inches (12.70 m).
Brakes were hydraulic and assisted by the Rolls-Royce mechanical servo with 11 in (279 mm) drums and suspension was independent coils at the front and semi-elliptic springs at the rear. Twin brake master cylinders were incorporated from April 1956.
Power steering became an option in 1956 along with air conditioning.
A long-wheelbase version, lengthened by 4 in (102 mm), was also made available in September 1957, outwardly very similar to the existing car, but offering improved leg space for rear-seat passengers.
The British Motor magazine tested a standard-wheelbase factory-bodied Series I in 1956 recording a top speed of 102.9 mph (165.6 km/h) and acceleration from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 13.5 seconds and a fuel consumption of 14.5 miles per imperial gallon (19.5 L/100 km; 12.1 mpg). The test car cost £5078 including taxes.
Read more about this topic: Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud
Famous quotes containing the words cloud i, silver and/or cloud:
“If you wish --
... I’ll be irreproachably tender;
not a man, but—a cloud in trousers!”
—Vladimir Mayakovsky (1893–1930)
“This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall,
Or as a moat defensive to a house
Against the envy of less happier lands;
This blessèd plot, this earth, this realm, this England.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“Not for no cold did freeze,
Nor any cloud beguile
Th’eternal flowering spring,”
—Torquato Tasso (1544–1595)