There are discreet luxury cars, and then there is a Rolls-Royce Corniche painted in Willow Gold with an Apple Green leather interior. Subtle this classic Roller is not.
Then again, Rolls-Royce did not spend decades perfecting the art of making an entrance so that its customers could pass unnoticed.
This 1974 Corniche Convertible will be offered by Iconic Auctioneers at its forthcoming Classic Sale at CarFest. The event takes place at Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire on Saturday 29 August.
Looking fresh after more than £55,000 worth of work in recent years, the Roll-Royce is expected to sell for between £38,000 and £43,000.
The Silver Shadow lets its hair down
The Corniche began life in 1966 as the lengthily named Silver Shadow Mulliner Park Ward Two-Door Drophead Coupe. Demand proved sufficiently strong for Rolls-Royce to give the car a model name of its own in 1971, presumably saving busy owners several minutes whenever somebody asked which car they drove.
Beneath a coachbuilt body sits Rolls-Royce’s aluminium 6.75-litre V8. In the flagship Corniche, it produced around 10 percent more power than in a standard Silver Shadow.
Rolls-Royce traditionally preferred not to trouble its customers with vulgar numbers such as a car’s top speed. However, it was widely reported that the Corniche could reach 120mph, with acceleration that might embarrass many contemporary sports cars.
Classic Corniche goes for gold
The car featured here was supplied through H.J. Mulliner Park Ward in London and first registered on 21 August 1974. Its Willow Gold paintwork is paired with Apple Green leather and a dark green hood, which could hardly be more mid-1970s if it tried.
Acquired by its current owner in 2022, the Corniche has since been through a substantial programme of recommissioning.
Around 60 pages of invoices record expenditure that exceeds £55,000. This covers electrical repairs, fuel and ignition work, an overhaul of the suspension and braking hydraulics, fixes to the cooling system and a replacement exhaust.
A ‘wonderfully extravagant’ way to travel
The cabin woodwork has gained fresh veneers, the leather has been treated and a new hood is fitted. New brakes, wheels and tyres have also been added, along with replacement front springs and numerous service items.
The odometer displays 3,520 miles, although the catalogue does not present this as the car’s total mileage. More important is the recent investment, which suggests the next owner may spend rather more time wafting and less staring at a Rolls-Royce specialists’ invoices.
A chrome-bumpered Corniche is a wonderfully extravagant way to enjoy open-air motoring. This one adds some reassurance that much of the expensive work has already been completed, leaving its owner free to concentrate on choosing an appropriately grand and far-flung destination.
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