When Rolls-Royce announced its ground-breaking Silver Shadow range in 1965, which had an all-in-one chassis-less four-door body shell, pessimists forecast the imminent end to special-bodied models. Coachbuilders who had found it easy to build coachwork for fitment to separate-chassis models found it almost impossible to work the same magic on cars with monocoque, or unit-construction structures, where pressings and welding had to take over from hand-crafting and simple construction.
Rolls-Royce, therefore, decided to invest heavily at their Mulliner Park Ward subsidiary, and performed this miracle themselves. Starting in 1966, and using the saloon’s platform, they announced a sleek two-door saloon, following it in 1967 with a convertible version of the same car. Rolls-Royce and Bentley versions were both sold. Those cars, updated and more powerful, were rebadged as ‘Corniche’ models: although the saloon was dropped in 1980, the convertible sold steadily until the mid-1990s.
Mechanically, every Corniche was closely related to the Rolls-Royce four-door saloon of the day – Silver Shadows until 1980, Silver Spirits thereafter – which is to say that they used 6.75-litre V8 engines, automatic transmission, self-levelling suspension and full power braking. Power, never officially revealed, was always described as ‘adequate’, and was enough to give the cars a top speed of around 120mph. The two-door coachwork was smooth and dignified, fitted out and finished to every expected Rolls-Royce standard, with leather seating, a wooden fascia panel, deep pile carpets, and a full array of instruments and controls. |
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Automatic air-conditioning was standard – even in convertibles which might be expected to be used hood-down, on many occasions.
Although this was a thoroughly and carefully developed motor car, the Corniche was not a machine to be used day in and day out, but was really a rich man’s indulgence. It could take him far and fast in great luxury, in every climate. Somehow, it seemed, it was most at home on a Riviera boulevard, or on Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles.
The convertible version was topped off by a sumptu-ously detailed and furnished power-operated soft-top which covered the spacious four-seater interior. Such was the company’s attention to detail that it regularly took up to two weeks to manufacture, fit and adjust before new cars could be delivered.
Chassis improvements paralleled those of the saloons, but from 1979 the platform, and particularly the rear suspension, was upgraded to the new Silver Spirit level, making the cars even more silent and dignified than before. From 1984 the Bentley version was re-badged as a Continental, though without mechanical changes. Then, as later, Rolls-Royce put ride comfort ahead of roadholding – it was always more comfortable to drive a Corniche in a measured manner than to try to hurry along.
In a good year, more than 200 Corniches would be made, and almost 6,000 convertibles were produced in 23 years. The convertible version of the Corniche two-door saloon had a power-operated soft-top, as well as automatic air-conditioning and leather seating.
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