Rolls-Royce does not build many cars like the Rolls-Royce Corniche: a 2-door coupé (1971–1980) / 2-door convertible (car) / convertible with 6.75 , built from 1971 to 1995 as the oil crises and the first emissions rules rewired the industry. Its designer of record is Bill Allen. Production ran to 6,643 cars.
Where it came from
The Rolls-Royce Corniche is a two-door, front-engine, rear wheel drive luxury car produced by Rolls-Royce Motors as a hardtop coupé (from 1971 to 1980) and as a convertible (from 1971 to 1995 and 1999 to 2002). The Corniche was a development of the Mulliner Park Ward two-door versions of the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. These were designated the 2-door Saloon and Drophead Coupé, and were introduced in 1965 and 1966 respectively. Production remained in London at Mulliner Park Ward; the new name was applied in March 1971.
A Bentley version of the Corniche was also produced. It became known as the Bentley Continental from 1984 to 1995. The Corniche draws its name from the experimental 1939 Corniche prototype. The name originally comes from the French word corniche, a coastal road, especially along the face of a cliff, most notably the Grande Corniche along the French Riviera above the principality of Monaco. No other car conveyed an image of the idle rich better than the Corniche for its entire 30 year run of production.
Under the skin
Under the skin sits 6.75 . Kerb weight is 4816 lb. The gearbox is a 3-speed automatic. The layout matters: a front engine drives the rear wheels, the classic proportion — long bonnet, cabin set back — that most people picture when they picture a sports saloon or a grand tourer. The wheelbase is 1971–1973: 119.75 in / 1974–1979: 120 in / 1979–1987: 120.5 in. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
In context
Where it sits in Rolls-Royce's history is not in doubt: the Silver Shadow two-door came before it; the Rolls-Royce Corniche (2000) / Corniche V / Bentley Azure (Bentley Continental) followed it; it was built at London, England, United Kingdom. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Renault 5, the Suzuki Jimny, the American Motors Corporation AMC Gremlin. Nearby in the Rolls-Royce catalogue sit the Rolls-Royce 100EX and the Rolls-Royce 102EX.
The money
MotorJury scores cars on the United States complaint and recall record, and the Rolls-Royce Corniche has none: too old, too rare, or never sold there. Its value today is a collector's question, decided by provenance and condition rather than by a class average.