1977 Rolls-Royce Camargue Coupe

Rolls-Royce produced the two-door Camargue luxury saloon from 1975 through 1986. Its elegant body was designed by Paolo Martin at Pininfarina and it was the first post-war production Rolls-Royce model not designed in-house. During its production lifespan, a total of 531 examples were built.

When introduced, the Camargue was the company's flagship and the most expensive production car in the world. It had the underpinnings of the contemporary Silver Shadow, however, it was strikingly different from any preceding Rolls-Royce model. Rather, it was closer in concept to the Bentley Continental. It was powered by an up-rated version of Rolls-Royce's dependable 6750cc V8 engine. In keeping with tradition, the power output remained undisclosed. The car featured the company's advanced split-level air conditioning system which enabled independent temperature control at two levels, something that would later become standard on the Shadow II range.

The Camargues had an original list price of $148,000 in the United States. This prohibitive cost, along with the lengthy production build time, undoubtedly accounted for the modest numbers built. Just 30 examples were sold in the United States each year even though the bulk of production was intended for overseas customers and the majority were built with left-hand drive.

This particular example was ordered in two-tone Tudor Red with a Masons Black lower body, Nuella Black 5000 leather trim, grey headlining, black carpet, Blaupunkt Frankfurt radio and was built to California specifications. The car was ready by the summer of 1977. It traveled on the ship Asiafreighter on August 25 of that year. The original owner was Sammy Davis Jr.

Mr. Davis retained the car for several years, after which it migrated to the East Coast, where it may have been owned by a Mafia boss in the New York area. During this era, it was given its present Mason's black livery with blacked-out windows. It later crossed the Atlantic to the country of its origin.

Currently, the car has 59,000 miles on its odometer which is thought to be original. It is powered by a 6750cc overhead valve V8 engine offering 220 horsepower. There is a three-speed GM400 automatic transmission and four-wheel disc brakes.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2017