2001 Rolls-Royce Corniche V

By the 1960s, Rolls-Royce had finally accepted that many owners might actually prefer to drive their own cars, launching the Silver Shadow with owner-driver comfort in mind, and no doubt appreciated by those chauffeurs still in service. The two-door convertible version of the Silver Shadow soon followed and has been without argument the most successful convertible ever produced by Rolls-Royce. First introduced in 1966 as the "Silver Shadow Mulliner Park Ward two-door, drop head coupé", it eventually became apparent by popular demand that this version deserved to have its own model name so, after a few cosmetic changes in 1971, the Corniche was born. Whilst the Coupé was discontinued in 1980, the Corniche Convertible was produced until 1995, remaining largely unchanged cosmetically, with a production total of 5,678 convertible cars.

The purchase of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd, by Volkswagen in 1998 may have raised a few eyebrows but it secured the future of not just Rolls-Royce but also Bentley, a roaring success that surely would have pleased old W.O. himself. The licensing and production agreement between Volkswagen and BMW came to an end in 2003, and the two brands went their separate ways with Rolls-Royce production moving to the new BMW-owned factory in Goodwood, launching the V12-powered Phantom later that year whilst Volkswagen spearheaded Bentley’s new chapter, one of the most significant relaunches of a brand in living memory. Only one new Rolls-Royce model was produced under Volkswagen holding ownership, the Corniche V, and the last Rolls so named.

Launched in 2000 with a list price at of £300,000, the most expensive car then offered by Rolls-Royce, the Corniche V has many unique distinctions, not least being the last V8 powered Rolls-Royce, with the 6.75-litre engine enhanced by a turbocharger borrowed from Bentley. Whilst sharing design elements with the Silver Seraph it was based on the Bentley Azure’s platform. The Corniche V remains one of the rarest models produced by Rolls-Royce, and out of 329 cars hand-built at Crewe, just 38 were produced in right-hand drive. Interior refinement and build quality remained as high as ever with lashings of leather and the finest of wooden veneers, and Rolls-Royce still remained the watchword for excellence. This delightful car was one of just 14 Corniches that left the factory in right-hand drive in 2001, finished in Fountain Blue, trimmed in Oatmeal leather with dark blue piping and topped by a contrasting dark blue hood.

Registered to the first of just two former keepers on 1st March 2001, the car was purchased in 2009 by a true Rolls-Royce enthusiast who enjoyed the car, driving it sparingly on only the most special of occasions, and stabled alongside his early Corniche Fixedhead Coupē. With his recent passing, the family have entrusted us with this very special motorcar, and will retain the private registration number which is not included in the sale. The car was bought from leading Rolls-Royce specialists Balmoral UK of Halesowen, Birmingham, returning to them regularly for servicing and maintenance, with the most recent service carried out in 2018 at 24,490 miles. The history file includes reams of service and maintenance receipts, and the wallet includes handbooks and the well-stamped service book.

Presented to auction with an odometer reading of just 26,153 miles, at the time of cataloguing, this rare motorcar offers perhaps the only opportunity to own a Rolls-Royce that is both old school and modern in equal terms, bridging the best of both worlds, and so rare, that very few people have had the chance to admire the elegant coachwork in person, an omission that can be corrected by taking the opportunity to view this wonderful motor car prior to our sale.