Silver Cloud II Brochure
by Rolls-Royce Limited
Publications that exude quiet elegance can offer a keener pleasure than one bright and glossy—and so many, many automotive brochures, especially those distributed in the 1960s, are bright and glossy enough. But here we have a brochure from Rolls-Royce Limited for the Silver Cloud II, a model spanning 1959 to 1962. And there is something appealing, and even a bit droll, to find, on the first page, that “for the Bentley cars” you must “please turn the brochure the other way and start at the other end of the book.” Or, if you had picked it up with the green cover showing face up, you would, of course, turn the brochure “the other way” to view the Rolls-Royce motorcars. In between these two marques, stapled in the center, are two pages of specifications for both marques. Another page illustrates, introduces, and details the new Rolls-Royce V8 engine. As was the tradition, the horsepower rating is not shown.
Along with the Silver Cloud II Standard Saloon, our brochure also describes and illustrates the LWB model; the Rolls-Royce SC II “coupé convertible”—the H.J. Mulliner adaptation; two Rolls-Royce Phantoms V, the large limousines, one by Park Ward and one by H.J. Mulliner; the Bentley S2 Standard Saloon, the LWB model, and the Bentley Continentals with coachwork by H.J. Mulliner, Park Ward and James Young.
It is the illustrations that prompted us to present this automotive artifact to you: Ink and wash drawings of the cars, the cars parked on a straight, four-point-font, black line with only a clean white background. These illustrations are sharp, precise and with subtle shading and highlights. The Flying Lady and the Flying B mascots appear tiny but accurate. The colors sometimes trick the eye just as the actual cars might do. The Phantom V touring limousine (below), with H.J. Mulliner coachwork, is shown in “Dark Blue.” At first glance, the car in this livery, both in the illustration and in life, looks black, but on closer inspection, the deep, deep blue is delightfully apparent. The Bentley S II saloon is liveried in Sage Green over Smoke Green, and, once again the eye is initially fooled—the Bentley is not light grey over dark grey and the true colors are eventually perceived. The other finishes shown, Alice Blue and Regal Red, for two, are also masterfully rendered.
Many automotive enthusiasts collect brochures; perhaps you are among them. Or you are the lucky, proud owner of a Silver Cloud II or a Park Ward Bentley Continental and would be pleased to add this one to your car’s archives. Perhaps you have a fancy for collecting automotive memorabilia. This one pops up on eBay now and again, so keep an eye out for it, beautiful and understated as, well, as a Rolls-Royce.
Copyright 2022 Bill Wolf (speedreaders.info)
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