ROLLS ROYCE CORNICHE, Persian Sand

ABOUT ROLLS ROYCE CORNICHE

In 1971, at a time when the four-seater convertible as a concept seemed to be on its way out, a new version of the open-top Rolls-Royce built since 1967 on the basis of the Silver Shadow Coupe was launched with the evocative title “Corniche”. The melodious French term for a particular type of coastal road; especially along the face of a cliff, most notably the Grande Corniche along the French Riviera above the principality of Monaco, summed up the model’s chic looks and open-hearted character to perfection. Its immaculate finish and stately proportions still turn heads today. Constantly refined and updated over several decades, it remained in production until 1995 and became a symbol of success among VIPs and media celebrities.

In 1971, these two derivatives acquired the title “Corniche”, the poetic sounding name given to a coastal road in the south of France – where Sir Henry Royce had spent a large part of his life. The moniker was intended to symbolise the kinds of places the creators of these extra-special Rolls-Royces envisioned them gliding along, steered by the array of stars and celebrities whose faces were plastered across magazine covers at that time. 

Like all Rolls-Royce cars, the Corniche had an imposing appearance, measuring nearly 5.20 metres in length and weighing in at 2.25 tonnes unladen. With the roof down, it held the captivating air of a magnificent luxury yacht. This was accompanied, needless to say, by a commensurate amount of muscle “below deck”. The V8 supposedly generated slightly more power in the Corniche than in the sedan version of the car, although its performance was merely described as “adequate” (in traditional Rolls-Royce speak), rather than being spelt out in figures. The Solex four-barrel carburettor introduced in 1975 hiked the engine’s propulsive power another notch, while the factory figures for 1980 quoted a time of around 11 seconds for 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) and a top speed of nearly 200 km/h (124 mph). These were academic numbers for a vehicle whose propensity for leisurely cruising was second to none.

The Corniche was popular with high income celebrities, with the possible exception of Jeremy Clarkson, who mocked James May's Corniche as "just a Ford Zephyr with a chrome nose" during a Top Gear competition between his Mercedes 600 Grosser and May's Corniche.