1982 Rolls-Royce Corniche Coupé
Registration no. TRN 963X
Chassis no. CRH0050550

"The name Corniche has been chosen for the latest coachbuilt models because it symbolises their higher cruising speeds and their ability to cover greater distances with the minimum of fatigue for driver and passengers." - Rolls-Royce.

Recalling its glamorous Grandes Routières of pre-war days such as the Phantom II Continental, Rolls-Royce's final coachbuilt models - entrusted to the company's in-house coachbuilder Mulliner, Park Ward - were limited to just two, a two-door fixed-head coupé or similar convertible, the former arriving in March 1966 and the latter in September the following year. The cars were hand built in the best traditions of British coachbuilding using only materials of the finest quality, including Wilton carpeting, Connolly hide, and burr walnut veneers, a necessarily lengthy process that took all of 20 weeks for the coupé and slightly longer for the more complex convertible. This painstaking attention to detail resulted in a price some 50% higher than the standard Silver Shadow's. Nevertheless, demand for these more glamorous alternatives to the much more numerous Silver Shadow was strong right from the start, a state of affairs that resulted in them being given their own model name - 'Corniche' - in March 1971. The Corniche proved a major success for Rolls-Royce; periodically revised and up-dated, it remained in production well into the 1990s, the last (Convertible) examples being delivered in 1995.

This left-hand drive Corniche Coupé has been owned since the 1980s by a lady resident on Hollywood, California, followed by her daughter. The low recorded mileage figure of circa 34,000 is believed genuine, being supported by invoices on file. According to the vendor, the car is in generally very good shape and drives really well. Having resided in California almost all of its life, this Corniche appears to be virtually rust free. Recent maintenance has included works to the brakes and suspension. We are advised by the vendor that local duties have been paid and that the car comes with a valid MoT.