Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible

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Launched in 1971 as Rolls-Royce's coupe version of the Silver Shadow, the Corniche was a superior car to the saloon on which it was based.

With fabulously elegant 'Coke-bottle' styling by John Blatchley, each and every one was hand built by Mulliner Park Ward in a necessarily lengthy process that took all of 20 weeks and resulted in a price some 50% higher than the standard Silver Shadow. Only the very finest materials were used including Wilton carpeting, Connolly hide and the best burr walnut veneers, giving these cars a level of quality and glamour that surpassed that of the saloons.

Engine power also went up by 10% increasing the top speed to 130mph with acceleration to match – 0-60 in 7.9 secs. Tweaks to the suspension and steering geometry gave a sportier ride and a special low-loss exhaust and new dashboard were also adopted. A three-speed Turbo Hydramatic 400 automatic transmission was standard, with independent suspension all round, self-levelling at the rear. Four wheel disc brakes were specified, with ventilated discs added for 1972.

The Corniche was progressively developed over time, gaining features like split-level air conditioning, rack-and-pinion steering, Bosch fuel injection and self-levelling rear suspension, along with a minor restyling in 1977. Reassuringly exclusive, only 1,090 Coupes and 3,239 Convertibles were made before the Corniche II came along in 1988, production of the Convertible model soldiering on as the flagship model in the Rolls-Royce range until 1996 by which time 5,146 Convertibles had been made in total.

First registered in May 1976, this lovely Corniche Convertible was acquired by the vendor from marque specialists Straight 8 of London in October 2006 at which point it had covered some 97,200 miles. A lifelong Rolls-Royce enthusiast, over the past nine years he has used the car lightly but regularly in fine weather only, putting another 7,500 miles under its wheels so the clock now displays just over 104,700 miles.

The car has always been properly maintained with a good service record from new contained in a service book which has 12 stamps up to 84,626 miles in 1998, with another service book and various invoices recording additional maintenance over the years. In June 2014 the car was treated to a major service at HR Owen which included an overhaul of the braking system with several new parts fitted, an overhaul of the carburettors, an engine tune and various other jobs at a cost of over £3,900. Another bout of minor fettling at Broughtons of Cheltenham resulted in a bill of £600 in September this year.

Said to drive well with an MOT until June 2016, the car certainly ran beautifully when we were treated to a leisurely test drive around Cheltenham on the occasion of our visit, drawing lots of attention from passers by, especially when we drove it right into the centre of one of the city’s parks in order to take these photos (you can get away with that sort of thing in a Rolls!). The walnut and cream leather clad interior is in fine shape throughout with only minimal wear to the driver’s seat, the light blue metallic coachwork and the chrome still gleam impressively and the electric hood functions as it should.

Only reluctantly for sale due to the advancing years of the vendor who is no longer in the best of health, this aristocratic motorcar will make the fortunate new owner feel like a millionaire every time they slip behind the wheel, offering a feelgood factor that is worth every penny of the guide price suggested today.

Please note that the personalised registration shown is not included and will be replaced by the age-related number OJT 102P prior to the sale.