Coachbuilt cars – can’t live with ‘em, can’t afford ‘em. But somehow, some people with very deep pockets and a lot of taste can, so we can have a look at a few British ones this week. Might as well start with the top of the pile: the last embers of traditional British coachbuilding, as represented by the last non-limousine Rolls with a separate chassis wearing a rather rare, classy and surprisingly modern-looking aluminum convertible body.
With the notable exception of Italy, traditional coachbuilding was on a terminal decline everywhere by the mid-‘50s. Carmakers were switching to unit body construction, which made coachbuilders’ work far more difficult and costs were becoming prohibitive. Besides, tastes and practices were changing. For instance, Mercedes could sell you a 300SL, but not a 300SL chassis. And it would have taken some doing to top the factory body, style-wise…
Even Rolls-Royce/Bentley, once a reliable and sizable part of luxury coachbuilders’ workflow, timidly dipped a toe in the “off the peg” body style with the Bentley Mark VI / Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn, with their in-house designed bodies made by Pressed Steel, like a common Jaguar. But the result was not altogether rejected by the clientele, quite the opposite. By the end of the ‘50s, Rolls were selling an overwhelming majority of their Silver Cloud chassis complete with factory body.
But the market for bespoke bodies was still pretty important for Rolls, even coachbuilders were closing their doors left and right. Fortunately, the carmaker had an ace up their sleeve: in 1939, they took over Park Ward, a London-based coachbuilder who had worked a lot on Bentley and Rolls-Royce chassis. In 1961, the year the above photo was taken, Rolls-Royce took control of H.J. Mulliner, another renowned luxury coachbuilder, and merged it with Park Ward.
Having an in-house coachbuilder was a common enough solution: GM did it (Fleetwood), as did Austin (VandenPlas), BSA-Daimler (Hooper) or Aston Martin (Tickford). It enabled the carmaker to have ready access to a highly qualified and specialized labour force – not a small matter – and it could be an additional source of income. Hooper, for example, were just as busy bodying Bentleys as they were Daimlers. But they closed shop in 1959, even as Daimler were sold to Jaguar. The source of external custom body shops for R-R/Bentley was diminishing fast. Besides Mulliner-Park Ward, the only regular left by 1960 was James Young.
Despite all this (or rather because of it), R-R/Bentley kept their in-house coachbuilder quite busy. Mulliner-Park Ward’s main stock-in-trade at the time was limousines on the Phantom V chassis, two-door specials for R-R/Bentley and bodies for the Alvis 3-litre. Now that R-R/Bentley had a new V8, a truly modern body style – with a straight beltline, fully integrated headlamps and even the trendy fins at the back – was no longer taboo.
Designer Vilhelm Koren was given carte blanche to deliver something bang up-to-date, and her certainly delivered. The fact that Alvis had just become an important customer may have influenced the design, which was penned in 1958 and solely used on Bentley S2 Continental chassis from March 1960 onwards. Hence the “Korenental” nickname.
When the S3 came about in 1963, the front end of the design had to be pretty extensively reworked by Bill Allen and John Bletchley, as Koren had left Crewe in the interim. It is said that the main inspiration for the canted quads was Touring’s Lancia Flaminia cabriolet, but there were plenty of other cars sporting those in the early ‘60s. The Koren monicker stuck with the design, and it was proposed in new variants: a four-seater coupé and one with a Rolls-Royce grille.
It might not look evident, but the interior was seen as quite a daring departure from the norm as well. Up to this point in time, Rolls-Royce dashes were almost always symmetrical and fully clad in wood veneer. The Koren cars introduced the concepts of the binnacle and of padding. R-Revolutionary.
There were a lot of options available, of course. These included a power-operated top, A/C, power windows and all manner of other toys, as well as any colour of leather one could possibly dream of. That’s the beauty of custom coachwork: as long as you’re willing to pay for it, they will make it happen.
Let’s talk about those fins, though. Along with the canted headlights, those are easily the most then-modern and controversial feature of the S3/Silver Cloud III Korenentals. To be fair, there were a few R-R/Bentley chassis that got special bodies with fins in the ‘50s – very few, but some, including some of the worst excesses made by Hooper. The fins on the Koren design were a different matter because they were more prominent than anyfin (ha ha) that preceded them, and they had been officially sanctioned, along with the entire design, by Rolls-Royce’s Board of Directors.
The general style reminds one of late ‘50s DeSotos, albeit scaled down to European proportions – even if the Silver Cloud is not exactly a small car. I think these fins work. Or rather, they did work when they arrived in 1960, but would have looked a little passé by the time this particular car was made four years later.
The canted headlights, which were frequently referred to as “Chinese eyes” in the last century (not a popular nickname in Japan, strangely enough), are the other point of contention. On this, I’m a little more ambivalent. The Crewe styling department toyed with a lot of different quad configurations for their cars, and I’m not sure they picked the best one in this instance. Vertical might have been more interesting. At least one customer ordered their S3 Korenental coupé with the S2 single headlamps – there’s not denying that the original design looked better.
Still, these are very handsome cars. I’ve had the occasion to look at this one a lot over the past 18 months, as it lives not too far from my place. The great thing about having one of these in close proximity is that one can really take in all the quirks and features of the design, of which there are many.
Take this vent window, for instance. Why does it have seemingly random piece of chrome trim angled bizarrely inside it? I have no idea, but it’s cool. Almost as cool as that teeny-tiny hinge.
The shape of that rear wheel cut-out? Simply beautiful. The mouldings on the wheelarches, which our car has, were implemented from 1964 onwards. A little later, a thick metal trim piece was added to the car’s flanks – fortunately, our car was spared this needless spear. Koren himself disliked both of these evolutions of his design…
The backup lights could have been placed with a little more art, I guess. But that trunk handle is a solid piece of metalwork. As is the rest of the body, entirely made of aluminum panels on a steel box section frame.
This is a rare car. Just over 100 cars were made bearing the Rolls-Royce grille, counting both the convertible and the coupé body style. But that doesn’t prevent the owner, whose day job is restoring and selling British cars, especially Rolls and Bentleys, from taking this great befinned white whale for a bit of exercise on the open road.
But it always comes back to its base, one that we’ve seen a few times now. I never tire of seeing it, lurking in the shadows, or out in the open air. I have yet to see it with the top down though…
Production of the Korenentals stopped in early 1966, marking the end of an era for Mulliner-Park Ward. They still kept busy with Phantom limos, of course, but otherwise, they had to switch over to unit bodywork on the Silver Shadow-derived two-door coupés and cabriolets. James Young closed down very soon after.
By the late ‘60s, if you wanted a bespoke body for your car, you had to go to France or, if you wanted more choice, Italy. At least the British coachbuilder era ended on a cloud with a silver lining: thanks to being owned by Rolls, Mulliner-Park Ward kept their well-crafted doors opened for a few decades yet.
Related post:
Curbside Classic: 1964 Bentley S3 – Grille Engineering by T87
There IS an argument that the single-headlight jobbie looks better – the argument comes from the person whom your current current correspondent is in the habit of referring to by way of the perpendicular pronoun.*
It just looks a snifter too mild, too deferential, if not outright chinless, which is not what one wants when the small man off the Clapham omnibus has had the temerity to venture in the path of one’s forward-motoring progress. By the time these were made, it was no loner acceptable for such an impudent fellow to be felled, but it was still requisite that he might be awed into thinking it possible. The angriness of the angles in the dual set-up far more concisely fulfill that brief.
And, even though one might have friends from the Club on the Rolls board, one is modern enough not to care about odd rituals arising doubtless from public-school all-boy upbringings wherein the whole deciding Board sits on a fin, as their habits did not result in aesthetic delight. The fins, in short, do not work. They look unfinished, though of course, if fully filled-in, they might well have resembled something as peasant-ish as a Farina Austin, and they in general bring the entire show into mild disrepute.
There is a dark blue one in these parts. In real life, the viewer falls into immediate abased deference, unable to stop drooling or weeping and gnashing of the teeth and ears of anyone who’s got in the way of worshipping it. Quite stunning, it is.
*from Yes, Minister
Coincidentally, today’s post from Tyrell’s Classic Workshop drives one they had in for work. (This channel, btw, is a really nice, un-snobby, but hugely well-informed bit of youtube). Enjoy.
Agee on the rear fins / lamps. As is now, they look a bit cheap even. For two reasons: 1) the lamps are standard Lucas items, also used on the humble Hillman Imp – one of the cheapest cars on the (UK) market then, 2) the use of three separate lamps in a hollow fin looks like a rushed decision, like they could not make up their mind for one proper bigger rear lamp unit. Or pay for a good design. And that for one of the most expensive cars available then.
That said, on their own I quite like the Imp rear lamps. Simple, effective and nicely styled.
Ugly damn thing
I am not the biggest fan of the front, but the rear is terrible. It reminds me of those kiddie rides at the carnivals that would set up in shopping center parking lots. You remember them – the little cars with a steering wheel for each occupant, and that went slowly around in a circle while each little tot thought he was driving it.
I wonder why they chose to not use some kind of insert trim (as they did around the headlights) if they were going to insist on those multiple round lights.
Other than that, I think it’s a lovely car.
I hear you loud and clear, JPC.
Something like this?
he he he… Once you see it, you cant unsee it…
The fins are fine; what disturbs me is the lowest light being smaller and not collinear.
I can’t read “Mulliner” without thinking of P. G. Wodehouse’s funny stories. I wonder if the support strip in the vent window has something to do with the stresses on the A pillar of an open car.
GM did it (Fleetwood)
To say nothing of Fisher Body, one of whose sibling owners became head of Cadillac and soon arranged the purchase of Fleetwood.
what disturbs me is the lowest light being smaller and not collinear.
The top light is smaller too, the same as the bottom one and the middle one is larger than the other two. I’m guessing the middle one is the brake light?
The back is cloned from the 59 Singer Gazelle 1 stop/tail, 1 indicator, 1 reflector, they peaked the fins like a Rambler but ran out of ideas for the lights
My late brother (a very successful business man) had, a Silver Shadow, then bought a 62 classic Silver Cloud ll. Then traded the Shadow for a Corniche. All were magnificent automobiles. But keeping the Cloud, he suddenly switched to Mercedes. Never understood why. Still keeping the Cloud, he bought nothing but Mercedes until his passing. IMO all of his Mercedes were harsh riding POS. Definitely not like Riding on a CLOUD! As for me, I’ve had several Cadillacs, Lincolns, and other upscale vehicles. But have never aspired to ROLLS-ROYCE. At this stage of life, I now consider myself a Vintage Rolls Canardly (Roll down one hill and Can ardly get up the next). 😉 . Sorry but I find THIS Rolls somewhat Revolting! So I’m On to VERSAILLES! I actually liked them!
Looking again, the rear looks like a bad imitation of 57 or 58 DeSoto! I’ll take the DeSoto!
Agreed. And those canted headlamps – ugh! Plus, as with most Rollers, you have a well built car with 20 year old technology.
Edsel in front, DeSoto in back, uninteresting between.
Agree, especially that front clip, and that was my first impression. To think cribbing a ’58 Edsel front end would be at the bottom of any stylists sources of inspiration (along with a ’58-’59 Continental for canted lights).
The tail lights reminded me of something, but yes, a Forward Look Desoto.
The metal strip could be there to channel water away when vent window is open in the rain.
The original dual headlight version front is splendid; the canted quads were a big mistake. Verticals would have been better at the risk of looking like they were imitating the Facel-Vega.
As to the fins, the less said the better.
I agree that the original headlight situation was much better, even though I do still really like the car overall. The slanted headlights remind me of when Stewie Griffin got plastic surgery. Like that’s all I see now…
Stewie
“The backup lights could have been placed with a little more art, I guess.” The perfect, and logical spot, would have been in the fin. Remove one of the red ones and replace it with the clear/white one (in line, not slightly offset as the production ones seem to be).
Tasteful fins like these are always in my favor. The headlights well they are different and that’s why I like them. I like the Jensen C-V8 too The rest of you can complain how all cars look the same.
I hadn’t seen the S2 before; it’s much more attractive.
And I hadn’t seen the rear view before either. What a mess: all the separate Lucas parts-catalogue lamps makes it look like an escapee from the Rootes group. Initially I thought Humber, but yes, Hillman Imp works too. Score points, however, for the beautifully-executed metalcrafting around the number plate recess, which sort of reprises the headlight surround shape.
The rest of the design’s not bad at all, the interior looks lovely of course, and it goes without saying that the workmanship will be above reproach – but fancy paying such a premium over the standard steel body (with similarly flawless interior and workmanship) and winding up with this. A peculiar combination of beauty and…. dare I say, compromise?
Some of it I like but the headlights arent that part,
I like this white car very much .
The tailfins are not out of size with the rest of the car .
The quad headlights too look very pretty .
If only it were a coupe……
-Nate
Here’s the 1963 coupe used in the movie Shampoo.
And Al Cervik’s car in Caddyshack.
Not a fan of the pre-Altezza Altezza treatment on the rear lights. Even if it had a clear cover it still wouldn’t be great…
And the front is not great either.
The middle, eh, it’s alright…
I do like the color, that particular shade of creamy white looks quite good. And when inside all is good as well. So maybe it’s meant to be driven, you can’t see the front or the rear, just the interior, the white paint on the bonnet and the Lady up front. Done that way, it works just fine.
That man is going to invite you in for tea sooner or later, I’m sure of it, the way you spend so much time near his front courtyard… Or maybe you should bring him some?
Never figured you as a middle-of-the-Rolls type of guy, Jim.
You’re right, I should get this chap a cuppa. Thing is, he’s not always around when I swing by, as he usually hangs at his showroom/garage, somewhere out in Saitama prefecture. It’s not a million miles away though — I really should try to visit that place and see his harem of Flying Ladies…
This car was more common than you’d think. Dinky produced a die-cast version for many years and we had a gold version. Imagine my surprise when the real thing drove past near Hyde Park a few years back.
https://www.qualitydiecasttoys.co.uk/products/31540-DINKY-TOYS-127-ROLLS-ROYCE-SILVER-CLOUD
Lone Star also produced a smaller diecast of the convertible back in the 1960s. Here it is next to a 1985 Matchbox Cloud saloon.
And the 1965 in Blow Up.
https://www.imcdb.org/v003883.html
Pretty cool car. tail lights don’t say “R/R” though.