1974 Rolls-Royce Corniche I

The car comes to us from a vendor we know well and who only ever buys the best examples of any given model for his impressive collection.

This magnificent Corniche upholds that proud tradition in exemplary fashion and is, without doubt, one of the very best examples out there.

With just 33,783 miles on the clock and a thick, complete service history that reads like a Who’s Who of the finest Rolls-Royce marque specialists, it also ticks all the right boxes for condition, provenance and curation.

The car’s extraordinary condition is far more a reflection of that low number than its 50 years of existence.

Chassis DRH17461 was ordered new by a Mr G.W.P of Alnwick on 29.08.73 in the striking combination of Nugget Gold with a Cream hood, Magnolia hide and Honey Gold carpets and over-rugs.

Mr P took delivery of his new Corniche on 16.05.74, and the car remained in Mr P's family until 11.07.07, at which point it had covered just 19,000 miles.

The second owner kept the car for three years and the third kept it with him in Knightsbridge until the vendor bought the car in 2019.

The car's service records indicate that servicing, maintenance and repairs were variously taken care of by JRJ Mansbridge, Mann Egerton, the Chelsea Workshop and P&A Wood, with recent expenditure through the latter approaching £80,000 since 2020.

Aside from an entirely new hood in 2021/22 and new carpets and rugs, the car remains very original, authentic and pretty much as it left the factory.

This car has all the presence, class and gravitas of the Queen Mary, and it’s not that much smaller. It may have only two doors, but they’re about the size of those you might find on an Amish barn.

Although aimed at the owner-driver rather than the chauffeured fat cat, the Corniche clearly isn’t purpose-built for blasting over mountain passes, clipping apexes or faithfully following a racing line.

No, the Corniche’s milieu is the wide tarmac ribbon of Sunset Boulevard or the Promenade des Anglais.
It’s an indulgence, an extravagance, an exorbitance, a profligacy.

It’s shamelessly over-the-top and offers no apologies for it whatsoever.

And if you’re going to get one, we say go full Liberace and get one in this colour.

The bodywork on this impeccable example is entirely devoid of any dinks, dents, creases or other aberrations of consequence that we can see anywhere.

The panel gaps and shut-lines are consistent, even and everything you would want and expect in a vehicle of this quality, and the doors and boot close with plenty of weight and certainty.

The paintwork is in broadly excellent condition and has the benefit of being able to hide any minor scratches or stone chips in the glare of its lustrous dazzle.

Even entirely standard stone chips and scratches are more noticeable by their absence than their presence.

Being new and unsullied by either time or use, the cream hood and matching tonneau cover are following the same script in terms of condition and quality, with only the odd storage crease here and there.

The wheels look to be in very decent condition, and are correctly wearing Avon tyres with what seems to be a decent amount of life left in them.

The chrome is gleaming and free of any tarnishing, foxing or pitting anywhere that we can see.

We found a few touched-up stone chips on the n/s/f wheel arch, on the wing above it, and at the front of the bonnet.

There are a few chips and patches of cracked paint on the top edge of the bodywork above the windscreen where it meets the hood, a couple of thin scratches low down on the passenger door, and the odd stone chip and small scuff on the driver’s door.

There are a few spots of nascent bubbling in evidence on the rear valance, plus a couple at the base of the o/s/r wing and the sill beneath it.

The lights, lenses, badging and other exterior fixtures and fittings are all in very good order, save for a thin line of sticky residue along the top edge of the ‘Corniche’ badge at the rear.

Basically, it’s all really very impressive indeed.

The interior is in more or less time-warp condition and it’s hard to believe that you’re sitting in something that’s been around since Bagpuss appeared, Lord Lucan disappeared, and ABBA first performed ‘Waterloo’.

The Magnolia Connolly hide is untroubled by anything more than a light crease, let alone any ingrained patina, and the seats are as comfortable, supportive and sumptuously cossetting as you would hope and expect.

The carpets, being new, are excellent, as are the lambswool over-rugs, which are deep enough to convince your ankles that your feet have been stolen.

For the most part, the wood veneers have stoically resisted the usual tendency to crack, fade or shed their lacquer.

There are a few small nicks to the wood on the driver’s door capping, a small black scuff on the rear bench seat (of the sort that would no doubt capitulate if threatened with a damp cloth and a purposeful stare), and a slightly rough-to-the-touch line on the wood veneer beneath the passenger door capping.

The door cards and roof-lining are very good indeed.

All dials, knobs, instruments, levers, switches and controls look good to us and, as far as we’re aware, everything works.

The boot is equally impressive.

In 2020, just shy of £24,000 was handed over to P&A Wood for their overhaul and fettling of all aspects of the car’s engine, transmission, braking, steering, suspension and electrical systems.

That work, coupled with a recent service and a lifetime of assiduous care, is reflected in a car that starts on the button. Please listen to the video of the car starting and running to satisy yourself with regard to the mechanical condition of the car. 

Needless to say, the engine bay is very clean and tidy and everything appears to be in its right and proper place.

The car’s undersides look equally good and appear to have plenty of structural integrity.

This car comes with masses of the right sort of history from all the right people, plus a service book that’s bristling with stamps and continuation sheets.

There are bills, receipts and invoices aplenty from the Chelsea Workshop and P&A Wood, who have been entrusted with every aspect of the car’s care while it’s been in the vendor’s ownership (and on numerous occasions before then).

Bills since 2020 total over £70,000 from P&A Wood, so do have a look at the gallery for works carried out.

No corners have been cut, no expenses have been spared, no excuses have been proffered or sought.

From the day it left the factory, it’s always received the care and treatment it’s needed - promptly and from acknowledged experts and specialists.

It comes with a pack of manuals, guides and booklets, full sets of keys, an MoT (with no advisories) that’s valid until 19.11.25, and copy of its factory Construction & Test Records, courtesy of RREC.

Few cars announce their presence with more imperious swagger and old-world glamour than a Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible.

That’s why Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Michael Caine, Elton John, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Dean Martin all had one in the garage at some point.

All Corniches are a gilded nod to a bygone age of diamond and fur-clad super-stardom, Hollywood glitz, and red carpet entitlement.

This one, drenched as it is in Nugget Gold paint, is more gilded than most.

And not least because it is in superb condition, has barely accumulated any mileage worthy of note, and can point to a flawless service history and a lifetime of meticulous curation.

We like it a great deal.We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £55,000 - £65,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.