The Rolls-Royce Cloudesque Phantom Limousine

The Silver Cloud is a classic Rolls-Royce with timeless elegance, great lines and a true product of the 1950s and 1960s.

The 1959 Silver Cloud II marked the introduction of the legendary L-Series V8 engine and had the longest production run of any engine in a production car, where Bentley only stopped making them in 2020 with the conclusion of the Bentley Mulsanne.

Rolls-Royce Cloudesque named this project P240, or Project 240 at Crewe. Later  due to the proportions people thought it was a Phantom, so the car could also be referred to as the The Rolls-Royce Cloudesque Phantom Limousine, or even the Silver Cloud Limousine. However in the Brunei records the car is called the Rolls-Royce Cloudesque.

The Rolls-Royce Cloudesque was styles by Futura Design in Birmingham and but build by Tickfords in Milton Keynes.  It was build as a unibody car, similar to the Rolls-Royce Touring Limousine, and has modern running gear from the 1995 Silver Spirit III.

Initially two were ordered in 1995, then another order was recieved for a fur two in 1997. 

Here are the known details of the cars made.

Marque	Model	Rego	Year	VIN	Exterior
Rolls-Royce	Cloudesque Phantom Limousine	N282AMP	1995	SCAZH00C6SCH00061	Special Grey
Rolls-Royce	Cloudesque Phantom Limousine	KF7899	1995	SCAZH00C6SCH00062	Special Grey
Rolls-Royce	Cloudesque Phantom Limousine	BQ6363	1997	SCAZH13C4VCH00468	Black
Rolls-Royce	Cloudesque Phantom Limousine		1997	SCAZH13C4VCH00469

Marque	Model	Rego	Year	VIN	Exterior
Rolls-Royce	Cloudesque Phantom Limousine	N282AMP	1995	SCAZH00C6SCH00061	Special Grey

The first Rolls-Royce Cloudesque was registered in the UK with number plate N282AMP.

It was registered as a 1996 Rolls-Royce in Grey, and did not list the model.

The date of last V5C (logbook) issued was 19 November 1996 and Tax is due 11 November 1996. so they are a little late with this. It is not known if this car is still in the UK, or if it is in Brunei.

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior
Rolls-Royce	Cloudesque Phantom Limousine	KF7899	1995	SCAZH00C6SCH00062	Special Grey

The second Rolls-Royce Cloudesque is in Brunei, and we have photographs.

Here it is. Certainly a modern interpretation of a Silver Cloud, but larger like a Phantom.

You can see the length in this image.

That is all 1995 Rolls-Royce switch gear!

Interestingly this car does not have occasional seats.

Those chrome bumper bars do not look like a 1995 car, but it is.

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior
Rolls-Royce	Cloudesque Phantom Limousine	BQ6363	1997	SCAZH13C4VCH00468	Black

Here is the tried car made, from the second batch of cars in 1997.

Let's start with the back seat. 

Seatbelts for two - with 6 pleats either side of a central 2 pleat folding arm rest.

Look at the size of the picnic tables - they are very large, more like drawing tables.

Notice the Asprey clock? Yeah, HRH Prince Jefri who order this car also bought Asprey.

Those are standard bullseye aircon vents, as still used today in Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars.

Notice the different centre console between the 1995 car and this 1997 car?

The 1995 car has the centre console that look like a Rolls-Royce, and the 1997 centre console looks more like a Bentley with continuous console to the centre arm rest.

I would presume that by 1997 Rolls-Royce now knew the customers preferences and made it more exacting.

With this image you can see the proportions and the Silver Cloud-esque, hence Cloudesque shape.

It even has the lover under head lamp vents as per the Silver Cloud and Silver Shadow cars/

It does looks large like a Phantom.

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior
Rolls-Royce	Cloudesque Phantom Limousine	unknown	1997	SCAZH13C4VCH00469	unknown

The fourth and final car is not on the Brunei Master VIN list. This implies that it is not in Brunei, or that if it is, it is held in one of the Palaces and there is no record of it. It may also have been delivered to the UK and not registered. 

Or, as it was a 1997 potentially it was not delivered to Brunei as the money stopped around this time.

The Rolls-Royce Cloudesque seems very much like a folly.  It does not have occasional seats to take the children, it's formal enough, but not as much as a Phantom, it's not a car to drive as it has a division, so it's pretty much as car to be taken to the shops in, where people hopefully just think it's a Silver Cloud, and have no idea that it's a 1997 car where the radio is too complex to use. 

The Striking Rolls-Royce Phantom Majestic

The Rolls-Royce Phantom VI came out in 1968.

By 1995 the Royal Family of Brunei wanted something fresher.

Something still imposing, impressive and palatial, where when one parades the roads of Brunei your subjects are in awe at the majestic sight.

How about a Rolls-Royce Phantom Majestic?

Great idea - let's get 4.

Here they are:

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior	Interior
Rolls-Royce	Phantom Majestic	unknown	1995	SCAZH04A6SCH00021
Rolls-Royce	Phantom Majestic	unknown	1995	SCAZH04A6SCH00022
Rolls-Royce	Phantom Majestic	DPD	1995	SCAZH04A6SCH00023	Blue	Blue
Rolls-Royce	Phantom Majestic	BQ7032	1995	SCAZH04A8SCH00024	Maroon	Black

The first two made are not listed on the Master VIN List, which may imply that they are held in individual Palaces and away from the main car garages.

But two are kept at the main garages, and we have pictures!

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior	Interior
Rolls-Royce	Phantom Majestic	DPD	1995	SCAZH04A6SCH00023	Blue	Blue

With an airbag for safe parading, and a front split bench seat for the driver, one aide in the centre and one in the passenger seat - so three abreast in the front seat. This is usual protocol in Brunei for parades.

With two fold up occasional seats, where sons of the main subject often sit.

Now to the rear. Notice it? Yes, they are Roll-Royce Corniche rear tail lamps!

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior	Interior
Rolls-Royce	Phantom Majestic	BQ7032	1995	SCAZH04A8SCH00024	Maroon	Black

Now to the second car. This one is in maroon.

Yes it's not the best quality picture, as I've colour corrected it so you can see the details of the car. Here is the original image.

Now for a close up of the front. I'm getting James Young vibes from the frenching of the head lamps.

This is paired with a black interior.

With occasional seat.

Yes, with the centre arm rest down, it can be confirmed that there is a fridge!

Also included is some mould for the calf muscles.  These pictures were taken in 2001.

For the more technically mined, the 1995 Rolls-Royce Phantom Majestic was designed and made by Abbey Panels from Coventry. 

It used the 1995 Rolls-Royce Flying Spur engine - which is a nice way of saying it used the Bentley Turbo RL engine, the 1995 Rolls-Royce Flying Spur is a Silver Spur with the Bentley Turbo RL engine.

Here is an image from Abbey Panels from Coventry with the body in white and engine.

The Bentley Spectre, not the Rolls-Royce Spectre

The Bentley Spectre. You mean the new electric Rolls-Royce Spectre, yeah?

Umm, no. The Bentley Spectre, the one made along side the Bentley Azure by Pininfarina in 1995 and 1996.

Yeah, narr that's not a thing. 

Well it actually is a thing - a total of 9 cars were coachbuilt by Pininfarina on the Continential R chassis for the Royal Family of Brunei.

In 1995 there were 6 cars made, and a further 3 in 1996.

Here are the cars made, along with the known specs.

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior	Interior	Pictures?
Bentley	Spectre	KF8787	1995	SCBZH04A1SCH00121	Green	Green	Yes
Bentley	Spectre	KF8833	1995	SCBZH04A3SCH00122	Black	Black	Yes
Bentley	Spectre	BN98	1995	SCBZH04A5SCH00123			No
Bentley	Spectre	BN3399	1995	SCBZH04A7SCH00124	Charcoal	Black	No
Bentley	Spectre	DPM	1995	SCBZH04A9SCH00125			No
Bentley	Spectre	BN3322	1995	SCBZH04A0SCH00126	Silver	Black	Yes
Bentley	Spectre	BQ2219	1996	SCBZH04C2TCH00471	Yellow	Red	Yes
Bentley	Spectre	BN1989	1996	SCBZH04COTCH00470	Black	Black	Yes
Bentley	Spectre	BP1828	1996	SCBZH04C4TCH00472			No

Let's take a bow peek in the Black Room.

The Black Rooms is a dramatic car gallery in Jerudong. Brunei.

It features black carpet, a black ceiling, black drapery and black coloured lights that shine out light that is black.

Fully black.

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior	Interior	Pictures?
Bentley	Spectre	KF8787	1995	SCBZH04A1SCH00121	Green	Green	Yes

I do really like the design. Well Pininfarina do know a thing or two about car design and convertible roofs, and this is both.

Oh, look a $20M Mclaren F1 is it's gallery neighbour in the black room.

Here is the rear quater view. That's a lot of rear light, but looks fine, it's nearly a 30 year old car design.

I do really like looking around beyond the specific car. The  F1 and another coachbuilt Aston mARTIN  beyond.

I have actually colour corrected all the photos so you can see the cars in more light.

Here is what the actual un editted image looks like. You just cant see the depth of the collection - but is does give you a better feel of the gallery.

The collection was curated by Prince Jefri's son Hakeem.

More of the rear. I did not do the best job with the colour correction with this image!

It's way too blue and not the Emerald Green that it is actually.

That's a Continental R interior.

It has more speakers to blast out Michael Jackson. 

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior	Interior	Pictures?
Bentley	Spectre	KF8833	1995	SCBZH04A3SCH00122	Black	Black	Yes

Another is the Black Room gallery.

I do really like this car. It does not looks like an odd ball coachbuilt car, it looks like a full production Bentley.

On to the next one.

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior	Interior	Pictures?
Bentley	Spectre	BN98	1995	SCBZH04A5SCH00123			No
Bentley	Spectre	BN3399	1995	SCBZH04A7SCH00124	Charcoal	Black	No
Bentley	Spectre	DPM	1995	SCBZH04A9SCH00125			No

There were no pictures taken of the 3 cars above in the 2001 picture documentary.

We know from the records and the research under taken by Marinus Rijkers that come of the colours included Sandringham Pearl with special green hides, Titanium with slate hides, Rosewood with black hides and Diamond graphite with black hides.

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior	Interior	Pictures?
Bentley	Spectre	BN3322	1995	SCBZH04A0SCH00126	Silver	Black	Yes

Here is the silver car over black car. Well titanium with slate hides to be specific.

Yes, it's parked next to a Black Bentley Spectre in the Black Room gallery as well. The curator must have like this car to include it multiple times.

For the curated black effect, here is the car under the flashlight of a 2001 digital camera.

All those controls are very familiar.

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior	Interior	Pictures?
Bentley	Spectre	BN1989	1996	SCBZH04COTCH00470	Black	Black	Yes

Here is the first of the 1996 car. The model did not change with the year change.

Here is the full un-colour corrected Black Room effect. 

It's a bit like the black room at the Berghain in Berlin.  

You can kind of see and feel it, but you are not completely sure exactly how they look. 

You would be able to feel that it's not feminine thought. 

Then someone turned the lights on - and you are happy that they look good.

Hopefully it felt good.

Now from behind with the lights on.  That Bentley Phoenix next to you in distracting.

Black leather is a good choice for the Berghain Black Room.

And that's powerful - you can just see the extra turbo that that large black air pipe is going to.

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior	Interior	Pictures?
Bentley	Spectre	BQ2219	1996	SCBZH04C2TCH00471	Yellow	Red	Yes

Now after meeting 4 different Bentley Spectres cars in the Black Room gallery you would be spent.

Time to get overwhelmed in the Yellow Room Gallery.

This gallery is amazing.

Surrounded by yellow on red coachbuilt Bentleys. There is a Bentley B2, a Bentley B3 and a Bentley Imperial.

That 4x4 or SUV car next to the Rav 4 in the top of the image above the a Bentley Dominator.

It's not possible to see the Bentley Dominator, without me colour correcting the images.

And yes that's mould in the interior.

Mould was common in the Yellow Room in 2001.

Marque	Model	Numberplate	Year	VIN	Exterior	Interior	Pictures?
Bentley	Spectre	BP1828	1996	SCBZH04C4TCH00472			No

There were not pictures in 2001 of the last Bentley Spectre made.

For context, this collection had not been touched from 1997, so some mould would be expected.