Silver Cloud Drophead Coupes by H.J. Mulliner - Adaptations?
Discussion
Hi All
I've often seen in the description of convertible Silver Clouds the term "adaptation" when talking about versions produced by H.J. Mulliner.
I am curious as to what 'adaptation' means and whether there is a difference between 'adaptation' and 'conversion'.
In the sixties did Mulliner create the whole body of a Mk II Silver Cloud drophead to install on a running rolling chassis or did they take a completed saloon and cut the roof off? Is a Mk II adaptation just a fancy way of saying a conversion?
Thanks
Bob
I've often seen in the description of convertible Silver Clouds the term "adaptation" when talking about versions produced by H.J. Mulliner.
I am curious as to what 'adaptation' means and whether there is a difference between 'adaptation' and 'conversion'.
In the sixties did Mulliner create the whole body of a Mk II Silver Cloud drophead to install on a running rolling chassis or did they take a completed saloon and cut the roof off? Is a Mk II adaptation just a fancy way of saying a conversion?
Thanks
Bob
They weren't really 'conversions' as the factory supplied the rolling chassis, radiator grille and, usually the dash, which tended to keep the general main structural 'dimensions/hard points' on the finished products: that isn't to say that the coachbuilders didn't alter things, however, ie lower the grille.
Mulliners were owned by RR from 1959, so from S2 onwards. I can't say that I've ever really been aware of the use of the term adaptation, people generally just talk about coachbuilt, although I can imagine some smoothy classic car sales-person using it.
Anyway, conversion sounds so, shall we say, downmarket, no?
Mulliners were owned by RR from 1959, so from S2 onwards. I can't say that I've ever really been aware of the use of the term adaptation, people generally just talk about coachbuilt, although I can imagine some smoothy classic car sales-person using it.
Anyway, conversion sounds so, shall we say, downmarket, no?
This is how RM Sotheby's describes the process:
"among the most elegant postwar bodies created for Rolls-Royce was the Silver Cloud II Drophead Coupe by H.J. Mulliner, design number 7504. The car was known as an “Adaptation,” and it was created using a factory standard steel saloon body that had been modified into a convertible by removing the steel top, fitting two doors in place of the usual four, and adding a modified chromed waistline moulding. So extensive were Mulliner’s modifications that the resulting car was, in its every detail, essentially a fully custom body, and indeed, the cars were available with the same range of bespoke options available to any Rolls-Royce client—that is to say, anything the buyer desired."
"among the most elegant postwar bodies created for Rolls-Royce was the Silver Cloud II Drophead Coupe by H.J. Mulliner, design number 7504. The car was known as an “Adaptation,” and it was created using a factory standard steel saloon body that had been modified into a convertible by removing the steel top, fitting two doors in place of the usual four, and adding a modified chromed waistline moulding. So extensive were Mulliner’s modifications that the resulting car was, in its every detail, essentially a fully custom body, and indeed, the cars were available with the same range of bespoke options available to any Rolls-Royce client—that is to say, anything the buyer desired."
And of course I was thinking of the coachbuilt Continentals; so far I've found references to 'modified by Mulliner', 'converted by Radford' and simple 'Park Ward Drophead coupé ' (PW also RR-owned). Re the OP's original question, it's probably fair to say that some of the dropheads, ie those that weren't fully-coachbuilt, were 'modified/converted/adapted' (take your pick) saloons.
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