1991 Rolls-Royce Corniche III

Convertible Coupe
Chassis number: SCAZDO2DOMCX30563
Engine number: 75079L410NKL

The Rolls-Royce Corniche added more versatility to the marque's model line-up, as it was available as either a coupe or convertible. It was made famous by its iconic role in the 1979 Dudley Moore, Bo Derek comedy 10.

When the car was first introduced, they were in high demand which resulted in a four-year waiting list. The Corniche sedan bodystyle was dropped in 1986 for the US and Japan market, and total sedan production on the Corniche ceased a year later.

In 1987, an updated convertible version was introduced and dubbed the Corniche II. Deliveries to America and Japan began in 1987 and in Europe a year later. Visually, the Corniche II was only slightly different than the first version. It featured a retractable Flying Lady mascot and modified hood. The American market received models with driver's airbags and for Europe and the Middle East, they received antilock brakes.

This Rolls-Royce Corniche III Convertible was purchased by Richard Solove in 1991. It is painted in iconic white, has light ivory leather upholstery with red piping and beige convertible top. It is equipped with a cassette stereo, factory air conditioning, and a host of other luxury options. It has been driven 21,000 miles since new and is in excellent condition. In 2007 it was brought to the Gooding & Company auction held in Pebble Beach, CA where it was estimated to sell for $80,000 - $95,000 and offered without reserve. The lot surpassed those estimates, settling for $110,000 including buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible Coupe
Chassis number: SCAZD02D3MCX30489

The Rolls-Royce Corniche was given its name for the Grand Corniche touring road between Nice and Monte Carlo. The name first appeared on the Rolls-Royce in the 1930s and was based on the Bentley Mark V and wore coachwork by Carrosserie Vanvooren. It was a prototype that endured 15,000 miles of testing in Europe before being blown up by a bomb in port awaiting its ship to England.

Rolls-Royce re-introduced the name in 1971 for both Coupe and Convertible form. By the mid-1980s, the Corniche retailed for nearly $150,000, a testament to the cars exclusivity, luxury, power, and status. The engine was a 5.76-liter V8 that was mated to an automatic transmission. The heavy luxury vehicle could race from zero-to-sixty MPH in just about 8 seconds.

The Corniche was given burled wood veneers, fine leather, and a Stayfast top. The majority of the Corniche was produced by hand, with robotics accounting for a small amount of the construction.

The Corniche was produced in four series, the 1986 model year brought about Corniche II with 1989 introducing Corniche III. The Corniche IV followed in 1992. Corniche V was introduced in 2000, after a five-year production hiatus.

This Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible Series III model is one of 452 examples produced and it has covered just 23,000 miles since new. It is finished in Magnolia with tan leather interior and a convertible top.

by Dan Vaughan

The Rolls-Royce styling department designed a beautiful, elegantly shaped two-door coupe derivative of the Silver Shadow, which was engineered and produced by Mulliner Park Ward. When launched in March 1996 it was priced at 9,849 pounds, nearly 3,300 pounds more than the standard four-door saloon. This was followed 18 months later by a convertible version priced at 11,511 pounds. Both of these Mulliner Park Ward models were relaunched as the Corniche in 1971 with technical improvements.

The Corniche underwent extensive development over the years although it remained little changed outwardly. It benefited from the improvements introduced on the Silver Shadow II and in 1988 cosmetic changes were sufficient for it to be designated Corniche II.

1990 saw the arrival of the Corniche III with alloy wheels and MK Motronic engine management system. The Corniche IV of 1992 again retained the look of its predecessors, but adaptive suspension and four-speed automatic transmission had been introduced. The final incarnation was the Corniche IV Anniversary model, the Corniche S, of which only 25 were made.

by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

by Rolls-Royce

First introduced in 1966, the name 'Park Ward two-door' was first given to the trailblazing Convertible, eventually renamed the 'Corniche'. The Corniche was a dramatic departure for Rolls-Royce from the standard steel Silver clouds to the newer and smaller Silver Shadow platforms.

The new generation of two-door vehicles was squinty-eyed with sloping inset grilles that brought instant success to the Rolls. Produced between 1971 and 1996, the Corniche was Rolls-Royce's coupe and convertible version of the Silver Shadow. Assembled and finished in London at Mulliner Park Ward as the continuation of the 1965 Silver Shadow coupe and 1967 drophead, the model featured the Corniche name was applied in 1971. Sold as a Bentley, that model was renamed and known as the Continental in 1984. Due to the onset of World War II, the first car to wear the Corniche name, a 1939 prototype based on the Bentley Mark V, was never produced.

The coupe Corniche was discontinued in 1982. Utilizing the standard Rolls-Royce V8 engine, the Corniche had an aluminum-silicon alloy block and aluminum cylinder heads with cast iron wet cylinder liners. While the bore was 4.1 inches, the stroke was 3.9 inches to achieve a total of 6.8 L. Introduced in 1975, twin SU carburetors were originally fitted with a single Solex 4-barrel carburetor. Until 1980 export models retained the twin SU's when Bosch fuel injection was added.

Standard was a 3-speed automatic transmission which was a Turbo Hydramatic 400 that was sourced from GE. Augmented with a hydraulic self-leveling system, a four-wheel independent suspension with coil springs was originally on all four, but later in the rear wheels only. For 1972, four-wheel disc brakes were specified, with ventilated discs.

Originally using a 119.75 wheelbase, in 1974 this was extended to 120 inches and 120.5 in 1979.

For 1986 the Corniche II was revised slightly with the replacement of alloy and rubber bumpers instead of chrome ones. An oil cooler was added to the new model, while an aluminum radiator was substituted. Airbags were not available in the model, but ant-lock brakes became standard. New style rims were added, along with a new reverse warning lens type and pattern around the rear license plate. Other updates included newly-designed seats and a redesigned dash. All Corniche II's were convertibles, and the Bentley model lost its closed coupe option in 1982.

In 1989 the Corniche III debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show as a following to the Corniche line. The major change for this generation was the addition of airbags as a standard feature. The bumpers were now displayed in a fitting body color paint job, rather than black. A more updated advanced suspension system was fitted in the new Corniche II. Once again, the dashboard was updated this time along with the console.

In 1993 the Corniche IV was introduced and production was moved to Crewe following the shutdown of Mulliner Park Ward. Upgrading from the old plastic rear window, the new Corniche featured a brand new glass rear window. No manual latching was required anymore, and the CFC-free air conditioning was specified, along with driver and passenger airbags.

The final 25 Corniche models in 1995 were named the Corniche S and were all Turbocharged.

In January 2000, the fifth generation of Corniche vehicles debuted. With a base price of $359,900, this new model was the most expensive vehicle offered by the company at this time. A total of 4347 of these models were produced. This new generation marked the first step into the new century for Rolls-Royce.

The Corniche V featured front and rear styling that showed a design developed from the mainstream model Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph. The new model was set onto the platform used for Bentley Azure, with a wheelbase of 3.061 mm. The unique identity of the drophead coupe was accentuated by a swaging from the top of the front wing to the bottom of the rear wing.

Completely set apart from the mainstream model, the new Corniche was powered by the well-proven 6.75 liter V8-engine with origins dating back to the fifties of the previous century. Introduced in 1959 with the introduction of the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II, Rolls-Royce Phantom V, and the Bentley S2, the engine had been kept up to date by careful development. The engine provided enormous torque that provided 738Nm at 2,1000rpm. The V8 engine was much heavier than the aluminum V12-engine. The Corniche weighed an astounding 2,735kg, which was 400 kg more than the basic four-door model with its V12-engine.

The last model developed at the Crewe factory, the Rolls-Royce Corniche was designed in the true Rolls-Royce philosophy with an interior that was luxurious and comfortable, a hallmark of the marque.

by Jessican Donaldson