1985 Rolls-Royce Corniche

When Rolls-Royce introduced its Corniche Convertible model in 1971, it was the most expensive British car on the market. The hardtop coupe version was produced from 1971 to 1980 and the convertible body style from 1971 to 1995 and 1999 to 2002, with total production exceeding 6,800 units.

A term in both French and Italian for a coastal road, the name 'Corniche' was registered by Rolls-Royce in the 1930. The first Rolls-Royce bestowed with the Corniche nameplate was a 1939 prototype based on the Bentley Mark V. The first production Rolls-Royce to use the name was in the post-World War II, referring to a development of the Mulliner Park Ward two-door versions of the four-door Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. The two-door Saloon arrived in 1965 and the Drophead Coupe in 1966. The new name 'Corniche' was applied in March 1971.

Wearing coachwork by Mulliner Park Ward and resting atop a 119.75-inch wheelbase platform, the Corniche used a four-wheel independent suspension with coil springs and a hydraulic self-leveling system. The four-wheel leveling system was later fitted solely to the rear wheels. Disc brakes were at all wheels, with ventilated discs added for 1972.

Beneath the bonnet was a 6.75 liter (6,750cc) L410 overhead valve V8 engine paired with a three-speed Turbo Hydramatic 400 automatic transmission sourced from General Motors. The engine had an aluminum-silicon alloy block, aluminum cylinder heads with cast iron wet cylinder liners and twin SU carburetors. A single Solex 4A1 four-barrel carburetor replaced the SU carbs in 1977 in some models. Bosch fuel injection was added in 1980.

In 1974, the wheelbase size grew to 120 inches and gained another half-inch in 1974.

The styling was penned by in-house designer John Polwhele Blatchley and the underbody and floorpan crafted by Pressed Steel Fisher. Rolls-Royce entrusted the coachwork to its final coachbuilt models to its in-house coachbuilder, Mulliner Park Ward of Willesden, London. These two-door rolling works of art received the finest materials, including Wilton carpeting, Connolly hides and burr walnut veneers. Construction of the saloon took a lengthy 20 weeks and slightly longer for the more complex convertible. The craftsmanship and attention to detail resulted in a price some 50% higher than the standard Silver Shadows. Despite its astronomical price tag, demand for the Corniche was strong from the start.

The Series II version of the Corniche gained the same rack and pinion steering and improved front suspension geometry as its Silver Shadow II sibling. The Corniche III has color-coded bumpers, updates to the suspension system, air bags, an MK-Motronic fuel injection system, and new alloy wheels. Interior revisions were made to the console, dashboard and seats.

By the time Rolls-Royce introduced the Corniche IV in 1992, production had moved to Crewe in preparation for the 1994 closure of Mulliner Park Ward. These versions had an adaptive suspension, a four-speed 4L80-E automatic transmission, CFC-free air conditioning, driver and passenger airbags, and the previous plastic rear window was replaced by a glass window.

The final 25 Corniche IV models built received turbochargers and were called the Corniche S.

The Corniche V was built from 2000 to 2002 and was the final models to bear the Corniche nameplate. A total of 384 examples of the Corniche V were built with the final 45 being designated as 'Final Series.'

The Corniche V was the first Rolls-Royce model with a soft-top that folded into the car's body. It wore all-new sheet metal with styling by Graham Hull. It continued to use the same 6.75 liter V8 engine as its predecessors, but it received numerous improvements and modifications. With a base price of $359,900, the fifth series Cornice was Rolls-Royce's most expensive model and flagship car. It was also the only Rolls-Royce model launched under Volkswagen holding ownership.

Production
The first series Cornice saw the highest production figures of 4,332 units, with 3,224 of those being convertibles and 1,108 saloons. A total of 1,234 examples were the Corniche II, 452 were Corniche III, 244 of the Corniche IV, and 384 of the Corniche V. A total of 45 examples were the Corniche V 'Final Series.'

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2023