Until not long ago, thinking about classic cars converted into electric cars could seem like a totally out of place alternative, practically unnatural seen from a purist point of view. However, times change and issues that seemed immovable are no longer so. And the car restoration and customization sector, with many decades behind it, is opening new avenues of business.
In the case of classic cars with components that have been very damaged over the years, technically speaking it may be easier to “resurrect” them and return them to the road by converting them into electric vehicles. Some customization specialists seem to be aware of this and are already developing eye-catching projects that are arousing considerable interest.
Among the most recent proposals is the impressive 1960 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II that you can see in the photographs. The inherent exclusivity of this unit is also added to the fact that it was formerly owned by Italian actress Sofía Loren, one of the most acclaimed names in film history.
The vehicle currently belongs to a Portuguese hotel called The Largo. Located in the city of Porto, the establishment will use the aforementioned Rolls-Royce to transport its VIP clients to and from the airport. The British car was considered the ideal option for that task but it seems that, in the state in which the chosen unit was, it could not offer the best results.
It was for this reason that The Largo hotel turned to an English electric vehicle conversion specialist called Lunaz, not only to give the car a new “heart”, but also to restore and generally rejuvenate it. It should be noted that Lunaz is one of the most important firms in the electric vehicle conversion scene and specializes in luxury manufacturers such as Aston Martin, Bentley, Rolls-Royce or Jaguar.
Unlike some competing firms, Lunaz does not use any electrical system inherited from other automobile manufacturers but rather has its own system, which is the one that has been installed in what was the popular actress' vehicle. For now, the exact technical specifications of the electrification of this Silver Cloud II are unknown.
However, to get an idea, we must remember that when Lunaz did something similar in a Jaguar XK120, it installed an 80 kWh battery and electric motors capable of generating the equivalent of 385 HP of power. More recently, he also presented a 1961 Bentley S2 Continental converted to electric with 400 HP.
As reported by the British conversion specialist, the cost of this type of converted vehicle starts at around 650,000 euros. To see some of Lunaz's work in greater detail, you just have to take a look at the video that accompanies this article, referring to the aforementioned Jaguar XK120.
