1972 Rolls-Royce Corniche Fixed Head Coupe

This Mulliner Park Ward coachbuilt car was supplied new by Jack Barclay to its first owner, a Miss Denise E.K. McCann on 31.1.72. Miss McCann parted with the extraordinarily large sum of £11,389 for the car, which left the factory with a ‘Mink Blue’ exterior and ‘Grey’ leather interior.

We know from the history supplied that Miss McCann unfortunately died in 1980, after which the car had just one more owner before passing into the hands of the vendor, a retired GP, in 2009.

In 2012, the vendor had all and any contemporary corrosion issues addressed and the car given a bare metal respray in Rolls-Royce ‘Seychelles Blue’, with the bulk of that work, and subsequent servicing maintenance and repair, carried out by marque specialists Balmoral UK. 

Other routine work has been attended to by his local mechanics at Tamworth Garage Ltd.

The car benefits from having had remote central door locking installed. 

We have driven the car and can attest to its exceptional dynamic competence, mechanical integrity, quietness and smoothness.

It really does start, go, accelerate, handle and stop very well indeed. 

Today, the odometer is showing 05,751 miles. In 2010, it was recorded as being 97,716, so it’s safe to assume that the correct current total mileage is 105,751 miles.

The bodywork is broadly very good and there are no dinks, dents, creases, ripples or folds of any consequence anywhere that we can see.

The door shuts and panel gaps are consistent and even, although the driver’s door isn’t quite flush with the surrounding bodywork. 

Eagle-eyed observers among you will have noticed that the car is sporting incorrect wing mirrors, sourced from a much later model.

The paintwork is mostly very good and the finish has an impressive depth of lustre and shine to it.

But there are some areas of slightly mismatched paint and a couple of spots where the paint is a trifle flat.

There is some micro-blistering to the roof and the nearside rear wing and door.

We found some corrosion at the bases of each wheel arch, with bubbling and flaking in a couple of places.

The chrome work is mostly good with the exception of the rear bumper, which has numerous spots of rust breaking through.

The wheels and hub caps look to be in decent fettle. The tyres appear to have a reasonable amount of life left in them. 

The lights, lenses, badging, and other exterior fixtures and fittings seem to be in decent condition, although some of the rubber trim is looking rather tired in places.

The interior has really held up very well and is in rather better condition than you might reasonably expect to find in a car of this age and mileage.

The grey leather upholstery on the driver’s seat has little more than a few creases to show for its years of service but, elsewhere, is looking very good.

The seats, front and back, are comfortable and supportive. 

The carpets and mats have survived the passage of time with commendable stoicism.

So, too, have the door cards.

The headlining is following the same script but is looking rather grubby and would no doubt thank its next owner profusely for being introduced to a damp cloth and some soapy water.

The wood on the door cappings has resisted the usual temptations to split, crack its lacquer or part company with its varnish. The wood veneers on the dashboard are, we think, also good, but the lacquer has become crazed. 

The steering wheel, gear selector and other controls look fine to us. 

We didn’t tweak every lever, press every knob or flick every switch, but those we did tweak, press and flick did as they were told in a timely and compliant fashion. 

The boot is in similarly decent order. 

The engine bay is clean, dry, and tidy. 

Everything appears to be in its right and proper place.

The car’s undersides look to have plenty of structural integrity, but there is some rust to be seen under the wheel arches and in places on the sills. Clearly, you’ll want to take a look and reach your own conclusion.

The car comes with copies of its original build sheets and all sorts of invoices, letters and other miscellany relating to its curation and care during earlier years

The more recent work carried out during the vendor’s ownership is attested to by many receipts and bills and a photographic record of some corrosion correction work.

The car comes with what appears to be its original handbook.

The thick files of bills and receipts from Balmoral UK (and the eye-watering sums of money referenced therein) go a very long way to explaining the mechanical and dynamic excellence of this magnificent Corniche.

Bentleys that haven’t been properly looked-after will soon become a waking nightmare for their unlucky owners-in-waiting. 

You can identify these unfortunate souls by their thousand-yard stares, melancholy demeanours and nervous dispositions.

Bentleys upon which all the right attention, care, time and money have been lavished actually get better with age, in our opinion. 

This one belongs firmly in the latter category.

Yes, there are a few largely cosmetic issues to resolve, but to anyone looking to buy a Corniche as fundamentally good as this appears to be, those jobs will be labours of love, not irksome duties. 

We’re confident to offer this fine car for auction with an estimate of £25,000 - £30,000. 

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment.  To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.