Rolls-Royce Corniche

Rolls-Royce Corniche
Overview
Manufacturer	Rolls-Royce Ltd (defunct 1973) Rolls-Royce Motors
Production	1966–1995
Designer	Bill Allen
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door coupé 2-door convertible
Layout	FR layout
Powertrain
Engine	6.75 L L410 OHV V8
Chronology
Predecessor	Silver Shadow Coupe
Successor	Corniche V Bentley Azure

Corniche
1977 Rolls-Royce Corniche Coupé
Overview
Also called	Bentley Corniche
Production	1971-1987
Assembly	London, England
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door coupé 2-door convertible
Related	Silver Shadow Bentley T-series Camargue
Powertrain
Engine	6.75 L L410 OHV V8
Transmission	3-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	1971-73: 119¾ in (3042 mm) 1974-79: 120 in (3048 mm) 1979-1987 120.5 in (3,061 mm)
Length	203.5 in (5,169 mm)
Width	72 in (1,829 mm)
Height	58.75 in (1,492 mm)
Kerb weight	4,816 lb (2,185 kg)

Corniche II
1989 Rolls-Royce Corniche II
Overview
Also called	Bentley Continental
Production	1986-1989
Assembly	London, England
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door convertible
Powertrain
Engine	6.75 L L410/L410I OHV V8
Dimensions
Wheelbase	120.5 in (3,061 mm)

Corniche III
Rolls-Royce Corniche III
Overview
Also called	Bentley Continental
Production	1989-1993
Assembly	London, England
Powertrain
Engine	6.75 L L410I OHV V8
Transmission	3-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	120.5 in (3,061 mm)
Length	207.0 in (5,258 mm)
Width	72.3 in (1,836 mm)
Height	59.8 in (1,519 mm)

Corniche IV
Rolls-Royce Corniche IV
Overview
Also called	Bentley Continental
Production	1992-1995
Assembly	Crewe, England
Powertrain
Engine	6.75 L L410I OHV V8 6.75 L L410IT turbo OHV V8
Transmission	4-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	120.5 in (3,061 mm)
Length	204.6 in (5,197 mm)
Width	77.0 in (1,956 mm)
Height	59.8 in (1,519 mm)

The Rolls-Royce Corniche is a two-door, front-engine, rear wheel drive five-seater manufactured and marketed by Rolls-Royce as a coupé and convertible from 1971 to 1995.

The Corniche was a development of the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, with the two door variants of that model marketed as the "Silver Shadow Mulliner Park Ward two door fixed head coupé & drop head coupé" from 1966 until when the Corniche name was applied. The exterior design was by John Polwhele Blatchley. The model was assembled and finished in London at Mulliner Park Ward as continuation of the 1965 Silver Shadow coupe and 1966 drophead, with the Corniche name applied in March 1966. The Corniche was also sold as a Bentley, though that model became known as the Continental in 1984.

The first car with the Corniche nameplate was a 1939 prototype based on the Bentley Mark V and never produced because of the onset of World War II.

The Corniche nameplate stems from the originally French and Italian term for a coastal road, especially along the face of a cliff.

Rolls Royce began marketing the Corniche in 1971, having registered the name in the 1930s. The original Corniche was a prototype based on the Bentley Mark V featuring coachwork by the Paris firm, Carrosserie Vanvooren. The single car undertook 15,000 miles (24,000 km) of endurance testing in Continental Europe before being blown up by a bomb at Dieppe while waiting at the dockside to be shipped to England.

The Corniche, available as coupé or convertible, used the standard Rolls-Royce V8 engine with an aluminium-silicon alloy block and aluminium cylinder heads with cast iron wet cylinder liners. The bore was 4.1 in (104.1 mm) and the stroke was 3.9 in (99.1 mm) for a total of 6.75 L (6,750 cc/411 cuin). Twin SU carburettors were initially fitted, but were replaced with a single Solex 4A1 four-barrel carburetor introduced in 1977. Desmogged export models retained the twin SU's until 1980, when Bosch fuel injection was added.