The Early Days of the V8

The book written by Davide Bassoli describes the full history of the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II and the Bentley S 2, including the long wheelbase and Continental versions.

The book consists of two volumes, which are only sold together. The first volume ‘The Early Days of the V8’ is based on newly unearthed material and period photographs, and describes the launch of the second series fitted with a completely new engine, the 1959 London Motor Show, the development of the V8 engine and the launch on the American market. Dedicated chapters are reserved for the coachbuilt, the long wheelbase and the Continental versions. The stories of some important cars are detailed, including those for owners or passengers such as H.M. Queen Elizabeth II, American President John F. Kennedy, Yuri Gagarin, British actress Elizabeth Taylor or Armenian millionaire Nubar Gulbenkian. The volume is inserted in a folding slipcase with envelopes containing reproductions of the Silver Cloud II and S 2 introduction booklets.

The second volume ‘Second Series Chassis Register’ is a list of every Silver Cloud II and S 2 built in the original order of build by chassis number, including the long wheelbase and Continental versions, for a total of 5,025 cars. The register provides information about the first owner, the delivery date, the country of delivery, the British registration number where known, the coachwork and design number for coachbuilt versions, the body number, the paintwork and interior colours.