1973 Rolls-Royce Corniche

The Rolls-Royce Corniche was produced as a two-door coupe from 1971 to 1981 and as a convertible from 1971 to 1995. During that time, a total of 1,090 Corniche Saloons and 3,239 Convertibles were built. The styling was courtesy of Bill Allen and a development of the Mulliner Park Ward two-door version of the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. The name was inspired by the experimental 1939 Corniche prototype, originating from the French word corniche - a coastal road along the face of a cliff. The most famous being the Grande Corniche along the French Riviera.

Rolls-Royce's final coachbuilt models were entrusted to the company's in-house coachbuilder, Mulliner Park Ward, and hand-built in the finest tradition of British coachbuilder. The lengthy process took 20 weeks for the completion of the saloon and slightly longer for the more complex convertible. This attention to detail demanded a price that was approximately fifty-percent higher than the standard Silver Shadows.

The V8 engine displaced 6,750cc and used an aluminum-silicon alloy block and aluminum cylinder heads with cast iron wet cylinder liners. It had a bore and stroke of 4.1- and 3.9-inches respectively and twin SU carburetors were initially fitted, replaced with a single Solex 4A1 four-barrel carburetor in 1977. Vehicles destined for export retained the twin SU carburetors until 1980 when a Bosch KE/K-Jetronic fuel injection system was added to help it comply with emission regulations. The engine was backed by a three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 gearbox.

The wheelbase originally rested upon a 119.75-inch wheelbase that was extended in 1974 to 120-inches, growing again in 1979 to 120.5-inches. The smooth ride was attributed to the independent coil suspension setup, complemented by a hydraulic self-leveling system in the rear. Disc brakes all round provided the stopping power, with ventilated discs added for 1972.

The interiors featured a three-spoke steering wheel with a wood rim, along with the company's first standard tachometer. Minor styling updates arrived in the spring of 1977, with rubber bumpers, a bi-level air conditioning system, and an oil cooler. A modified rear independent suspension arrived in March of 1979. More cosmetic and interior updates followed in 1985.

The Corniche II name was used for the United States market beginning in 1986 and other markets from 1988, lasting until 1989 when it was replaced by the Corniche III. A total of 1,234 examples of the Corniche II were produced. 1988 brought anti-lock brakes, a new reverse warning lens type, slight detail changes to the interior, redesigned instrumentation, and newly designed seats.

The 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show served as the unveiling of the Corniche III, introducing color-coded bumpers and new alloy wheels. The engine received MK-Motronic fuel injections and the suspension received updates. Airbags were now standard. A revised console and dashboard greeted drivers and occupants, along with new seats.

Rolls-Royce chose the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January of 1992 to introduce the Corniche IV, produced through 1995. By this point in history, and in preparation for the 1994 closure of Mulliner Park Ward, production had moved to Crewe. Mechanical changes included an adaptive suspension, a CFC-free air conditioning system, and a four-speed GM4L80 automatic replacing the previous three-speed GM400 transmission. The only visible change was a glass rear window replacing the previous plastic unit. Power increased by around twenty percent in August of 1993.

As production was coming to a close, the final 25 Corniche models built were known as the Corniche S, with turbochargers added to the engine.

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2021