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1971 Rolls-Royce Corniche

The Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow and Bentley T series of late 1965 was the first product of Crewe that used unitary construction of chassis and body. This modernized production method meant the end of old coachbuilding traditions and ushered in more uniform coachwork compared to the elegant individual designs that had gone before.

The Silver Shadow was equipped with Rolls-Royce's familiar alloy V8 engine retaining the same 6,230cc as in the Silver Cloud III/S3 and a power output of around 220bhp. Changes included the all-round independent suspension, a sophisticated engine pump-driven self-leveling system, and disc brakes.

A year after the Silver Shadow's introduction, a two-door coupe with coachwork by Mulliner Park Ward joined the line-up followed in 1967 by a similarly-styled drophead coupé. Initially, Mulliner Park Ward designed these cars as Silver Shadows, but they were subsequently updated in 1971 when the Corniche name was first used.

Rolls-Royce Corniche

The French Corniche name references a coastal road with a rising cliff face to one side. Some of the most famous Corniche roads are along the French Riviera and the Amalfi Coast in Italy. The name 'Corniche' was first applied to an experimental Bentley prototype in 1939, whose development was halted due to the outbreak of World War II. It was lightweight and aerodynamic, and when it finally emerged more than a decade later, in 1952, its name had been changed to the Bentley Continental.

The Rolls-Royce Corniche hardtop coupe remained in production through 1980, and the convertible to 1995. After laying dormant for a few years, the name was revived in January 2000, applied to a two-door, four-seater luxury convertible, and produced through August 2002.

A Bentley version of the Corniche was also produced, and it became known as the Bentley Continental from 1984 to 1995.

Mechanical Specification

The Rolls-Royce Corniche initially rested on a 119.75-inch wheelbase platform with an overall length of 203.5 inches, a height of 58.75 inches, and a width of 72 inches. The wheelbase grew to 120 inches in 1974 and 120.5 inches in 1979.

Engine

The 6.75 liter ( 6,750 cc / 412 cubic-inch), 90-degree, L410 overhead valve V8 engine had a 3.9-inch stroke and a 4.1-inch bore. It had aluminium cylinder heads, cast iron wet cylinder liners, and an aluminium-silicon alloy block. Twin SU carburetors were initially installed, but in 1977, they were replaced by a single Solex 4A1 four-barrel carburetor. Export models used twin SU carburetors until 1980 (per de-smogging efforts) when Bosch fuel injection was added. Other markets received Bosch KE/K-Jetronic fuel injection in 1977. This engine, dubbed the L410I, produced nearly 240 horsepower at 4,000 RPM.

The transmission was a three-speed Turbo Hydramatic 400 automatic sourced from General Motors. The Corniche IV (1992) received a four-speed 4L80-E automatic transmission.

The suspension was independent all round with coil springs and augmented by a hydraulic self-leveling system similar to the one used by Citroen, but without pneumatic springs, and with the hydraulic components. An adaptive suspension was introduced on the Corniche IV (1992).

Disc brakes were located at all four corners, with ventilated discs added for 1972.

Construction

The construction of the Corniche was performed by the company's in-house coachbuilder, Mulliner Park Ward. These two-door cars were given the finest materials available and were hand-built by craftsmen following the best traditions of British coachbuilder. The construction of each example required approximately twenty weeks due to the painstaking attention to detail. In return for this labor extensive process, the cost of Corniche was significantly higher than other Rolls-Royce products, at approximately 50% higher than the standard Silver Shadow. Despite the cost, the demand for these glamorous two-door vehicles was strong from the start.

Rolls-Royce Corniche I (1971-1987)

The first generation of the Corniche was produced from 1971 to 1987 with 1,090 Saloons and 3,239 convertibles. Additionally, 69 examples were Bentley Corniche Saloons and 77 Bentley Corniche Convertibles.

The Rolls-Royce Corniche was mildly restyled in the spring of 1977, gaining alloy and rubber bumpers, an aluminum radiator, an oil cooler, a bi-level air conditioning system, and a rack-and-pinion steering system. A modified rear independent suspension was added in March 1979.

The fixed-roof version of the Corniche and its Bentley sibling were discontinued in March 1981 after the arrival of the Silver Spirit.

Rolls-Royce Corniche II (1986-1989)

The Corniche II name was adopted for the United States market from 1986 and for other markets from 1988. A total of 1,234 examples of the Corniche II were produced through 1989.

Rolls-Royce Corniche III (1989-1993)

Rolls-Royce used the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show to introduce the Corniche III. It rode on new alloy wheels, and had color-coded bumpers, air bags, MK-Motronic fuel injection, and a more advanced suspension system. Minor updates were made to the interior, including the console, dashboard, and seats. Produced through 1993, a total of 452 examples were constructed.

Rolls-Royce Corniche IV (1992-1995)

The Corniche IV version was introduced in January 1992 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. In preparation for the 1994 closure of Mulliner Park Ward, production was moved to Crewe. A total of 244 examples of the Corniche IV were built through 1995, including 25 Corniche S (1995) examples. These were the final 25 Corniche IV models constructed and came with turbocharged engines and an individually numbered dashboard plate.

The previous plastic rear window used in the Corniche III was replaced by a glass unit in the Corniche IV. Improvements to the top mechanism meant it no longer required manual latching. Safety improved thanks to driver and passenger airbags.

Rolls-Royce Corniche V (2000-2002)

Production of the Corniche IV ended in 1995, bringing a temporary end to the Corniche name. In 2000, the fifth series Corniche arrived in January 2000 with a base price of $359,900 (USD). Production ended in August 2002 after 384 examples had been built including the final 45 being designated as 'Final Series.'

The styling of the fifth generation Corniche had a strong family resemblance to the Silver Seraph and continued to use the 6.75 liter V8 engine block paired with the 4-speed 4L80-E automatic transmission. The wheelbase continued to measure 120.5 inches, a length of 212.79 inches, a height of 58 inches, and a width of 81 inches. The turbocharged V8 engine offered 325 horsepower and 545 lb-ft of torque. Interior accouterments included exotic wood trims, lambswool rugs, Wilton wool carpets, Connolly leather, and chrome gauges. There were two-stage heated seats, a 4 x 30 watt stereo system, a six CD changer unit mounted in the front seat armrest, and dual automatic temperature control.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible Coupe by Mulliner
Chassis number: DRX11490

This 1971 Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible was ordered with a Willow Gold exterior with Gold over Garnet pinstripes and a Dark Brown Everflex convertible top. The interior was trimmed in Dark Brown Anela Connolly leather with Brown Gold Connolly leather piping and Dark Brown Glenylon carpeting. Standard equipment included power windows and air conditioning. The list of optional equipment included a fully carpeted trunk in matching Dark Brown Glenylon, Myrtle burl veneer, and cruise control.

This Rolls-Royce was ordered through C.R. Berry Rolls-Royce, Inc. of Miami, Florida, in April 1971 and delivered to its first owner on December 21, 1971. It had a suggested retail price of nearly $35,000.

Currently, this Rolls-Royce has an ivory exterior and burgundy livery.

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