1976 Rolls-Royce Camargue

During the 1970s, Rolls-Royce's roster of automobiles included the full-sized, four-door Silver Shadow, the Silver Wraith II, the limousine-bodied Phantom V and VI, and the 2-door Corniche and Camargue. The Corniche was offered as a coupe or convertible and powered by the standard Rolls-Royce 6.75-liter V8 engine. The Camargue was a two-door luxury saloon that was designed by Paolo Martin at Pininfarina and represented the first post-war production Rolls-Royce not designed in-house.

The Camargue was introduced in 1975 and at the time it was the most expensive production car in the world. The North American market had to wait a year after production began before it entered U.S. shores, and when it did arrive, its price was approximately $5,000 higher than its UK counterpart.

The audaciously styled car had lines reminiscent of the Continental sports saloons of the past. Beneath the long and graceful bonnet was the dependable, 6,750cc pushrod V8 engine and the first 65 examples received SU carburetors. The remaining examples were given Solex units while the cars destined for the North American market were given Bosch Jetronic fuel injection during the 1980s which it shared with the Corniche and Silver Spirit/Spur. The engine was paired with a three-speed General Motors (Turbo-Hydramatic) TH400 automatic transmission. The wheelbase measured 120 inches, had an overall length of 203.5 inches, and it stood 58 inches tall. In February of 1977, the Camargue was given the Silver Shadow II's power rack and pinion steering rack. Two years later, in 1979, it received the Silver Spirit's rear independent suspension. Rolls-Royce's advanced split-level air conditioning system was introduced with the Camargue, later becoming standard on the Shadow II range.

The luxurious and well-appointed interior featured a generous amount of walnut embellishment and finest-quality leather. Camargue production was shared between Mulliner, Park Ward in London, and the Crewe factory for the first few years before being concentrated at the latter plant from 1978. These exclusive models were built at a rate of around one car per week with total output reaching 531 units by the time production ceased in 1986.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2022