Rolls-Royce Corniche

The fifth generation Corniche represents the final chapter of Rolls-Royce’s Crewe era, before production moved to Goodwood under BMW ownership. Introduced after the battle between Volkswagen and BMW over the future of Rolls-Royce and Bentley, the Corniche became both the final evolution of the marque’s convertible lineage and the swansong for two defining icons: the legendary 6¾ litre V8 introduced in 1959 and the SZ platform launched in 1980.

In the transitional period between Volkswagen’s acquisition of Bentley, including the Crewe factory, and BMW beginning production in Goodwood, Rolls-Royce introduced the fifth generation Corniche. By then, the company had already spent the best part of two decades reconsidering the future of the convertible lineage. In his book Inside the Rolls-Royce & Bentley Styling Department, former Company Chief Stylist Graham Hull recalls various attempts to develop a new convertible, beginning with a stillborn proposal that sought to translate the 1980 Silver Spirit styling onto the Corniche, itself rooted in the Silver Shadow design introduced in 1965.