Our CAR OF THE MONTH for June 2009 is the

Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud (1959 - 65)

The Cloud had everything the traditional Rolls Royce buyer

could have wanted - except perhaps ultimate power in

Series I form. This is a rare H.J. Mulliner convertible.

The Rolls-Royce Siler Cloud and the virtually identical Bentley S-Type were revealed in 1955. Beautifully proportioned, exquisitely constructed and near-silent in operation, they were everything the traditional Rolls buyer could have hoped for.

This was Crewe's second "standard steel" car after the post-war Dawn and R-Type, with an off-the peg factory body rather than a made-to-measure, hand-crafted aluminium item in the pre-war tradition. Mulliner Park Ward, James Young and others all built exquisite special bodies on this chassis, and there was a long-wheelbase version of the standard body with an extra four inches (10cm) of rear leg room and a division.

Park Ward's famous Chinese Eye Continental, here in convertible form - the ultimate in open car luxury.

The traditional Rolls and Bentley radiator grilles were retained - these and a few badges and items on insignia were the only differences between the two otherwise identical cars. They rode on a substantial, and resolutely separate, traditional box-section chassis with independent front suspension and rear damper rates that could be altered from the driving seat to suit whatever type of road you were thinking of taking your Bentley or Rolls down.

The interior was nothing if not luxurious, with superbly crafted leather seats and a magnificent walnut dashboard.

The engine in the Cloud and S1 was basically the same 4.9-litre power unit carried over from the previous R-Type (and Silver Dawn). except that it had a new aluminium cylinder head and twin SU carburettors.

The Cloud as it appeared in 1955 with single headlights

and a six-cylinder engine. The V-eight Cloud II looked identical.

Transmission at the start offered a choice of either four-speed synchromeshed manual or four-speed Hydramatic automatic, manufactured under licence by Rolls from General Motors in the U.S.A. In fact, after just 18 months, the manual option was dropped and Rolls never encouraged owners to order it anyway. While the engine was incredibly refined, it wasn't really that powerful - the maximum speed was 106mph (170kph). It was Rolls-Royce's policy never to reveal specific power outputs, but the estimated 178bhp had 40cwt (2032kg) to pull along.

For lightness, the body of the Continental models was

finished in aluminium; the factory saloon came in steel only.

To own and drive a Rolls is a satisfying and ethereal experience as long as you don't want blistering performance and can afford the expensive maintenance. These days, it's cheaper to buy, but costly to restore.

The HJ Mulliner convertible, heavier, but just as beautiful as the Continental versions.