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Car of the Month - October 2019 |
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#LBLC 22 is a left hand drive Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I. Delivered as "Chassis only" via Franco Britannic Automobiles, Paris, this long wheelbase chassis was bodied by French coachbuilder Chapron. This is the one and only coachwork ever erected by Chapron on a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I chassis. The body in the form of a special limousine with division was built to the order of a French aristocrat. Extra wide front doors are a particular design feature resulting from the fact that the client was physically impaired. This might be an explanation why front and rear doors are opening to an extremely wide angle of 90 degrees. The baron preferred to occupy the front passengers' seat when chauffered; no bench type front seats but separate, comfortably adjustable front seats were fitted.
The car was ordered in 1957, chassis delivery date was 30th April 1958 and the car's delivery with body finished by Chapron is noted on the chassis card as per 9th November 1958. However first registration wasn't prior to 23st January 1959. The body was painted in Medium Metallic Green. After a period of 10 years the Silver Cloud I was traded in by Franco Britannic Automobiles on a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow.
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The second owner was Brigitte Bardot, one of France's most famous movie stars. She commissioned Chapron to repaint the car white. Brigitte Bardot kept the car until 1976 when she decided to replace the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I by a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. Reportedly the car then served as transport for another celebrity, French chansonnier the late Charles Aznavour. The car was repainted in grey and blue before the car then received a Monaco registration for Madame Jacqueline Warin-Cohen. In 1989 a five year restoration by an English specialist started. This having been executed with tremendous care the car was exhibited at Techno Classica, Essen, Germany. A German classic car collector acquired the Chapron-bodied Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I and it remained in his collection – rarely ever driven - from the 1990 onwards for more than 20 years. In 2017 the car – after careful re-commissioning at a noted workshop (inter alia new petrol pumps, new exhaust, brake overhaul with new brake-hoses etc.) – has been acquired by another collector from Germany. The gentleman considers re-arranging his collection and decided to offer #LBLC22 for sale at a price of 185,000 EURO. For a unique classic Rolls-Royce motor car in perfect condition and the added bonus of very prominent previous owners such an amount is almost 'bargain'.
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