The two-door Silver Shadow, for that is literally what we have here, was a puzzling proposition, within the Rolls-Royce range. Looking at it logically, it offered fewer doors and a reduced cabin space, yet cost a whopping 50% more than the standard saloon whose underpinnings it shared. In convertible form, this was significantly offset by the ability to drive out in the open air. But the “fixed head coupé,” as nobody calls this version, made little commercial sense, so Rolls only made them for… 15 years?
When the Silver Shadow saloon appeared in late 1965, both two-door versions were very quickly introduced. In those early days, one could choose either of two designs: the factory look, penned by John Blatchley and made by Mulliner-Park Ward (R-R/Bentley’s in-house coachbuilder), or the James Young version sold via Jack Barclay showrooms. The admittedly better-looking M-PW variant prevailed after 1967; the Corniche moniker was only applied to the cars from 1971 onward.
Although many people still wonder why, the Camargue joined the range in 1975. This left Rolls-Royce with two two-door saloons (the term “coupé” was rarely used in the carmaker’s history, and certainly not in the ‘70s, for whatever reason): one was the handsome older Silver Shadow-based design and one featured completely new Pininfarina styling.
Still, if one did not have the stomach for the Camargue’s elephantine lines (and sky-high price tag) and thought the four-door saloon far too common, the Corniche was there to oblige. In 1977, the Silver Shadow II arrived, bearing a pair of massive plastic-clad bumpers, as well as a significant front spoiler. These unfortunate features were duly transposed to the Shadow’s two-door variants, though for whatever reason, they did not become the Corniche II in the process. Aside from these rather significant cosmetic changes, the Rolls (both Corniche and Shadow II) got a new rack and pinion steering system and a modified front suspension.
Both the drop-top and steel-top Corniches carried on until the end of the Silver Shadow II in 1980. After that year, though not all sources agree 100% on exact dates, only the drop-top was retained. In 1987, it was finally renamed as the Corniche II, then went through iterations III and IV without too many changes, making it all the way to 1995. The long reign of the Silver Shadow finally ended, after 30 years.
Our CC in part of the last batch of Corniche two-door saloons. From early 1979, Corniches and Camargues were fitted with the upcoming Silver Spirit’s slightly modified IRS, including a revised high pressure hydraulic system and a new undercarriage. This led to a new tailpipe layout: cars with the previous rear end had twinned pipes tucked to the left side; newer cars had tailpipes on either corner.
Very late Corniches also have steering wheels usually finished in leather, which is not the case for our feature car, so it should be an early ’79 model (just like me!). Can’t fault that interior – at least the front seats…
That rear bench sure looks snug. And therein lies the nub (or should that be “snob”?): you really do pay more to get less with the Corniche. The 1979 British list price for a two-door saloon like our CC was a cool ₤53,322; the drop-top costing around ₤3200 extra. The standard wheelbase four-door Shadow II retailed at ₤36,652 (₤7500 extra for the LWB Wraith II). Exclusivity came at a steep price.
There are tangible differences with the four-door Shadow II, but they are nigh on impossible to make out. Can you see the 15% thicker grille? The new-fangled Spirit suspension? The one inch lower body?
I guess that depends on the angle. But no, the only thing you really catch onto, aside from that Corniche plaque on the bootlid, are the missing rear doors and slightly tweaked beltline. It’s so discreet that it might be possible to mistaken the two-door for the four-door: the greenhouses are not very different and the beltline kink is not always noticeable (case in point above. OK, I’m cheating a bit).
Our CC is not wearing stock wheels. Those are 15-in. Rolls-Royce alloys, but they are a good decade younger than the car. To each their own, but on such a rare ride, that’s kind of a shame. That blemish aside, what we have here is a stunner of a Series 2 Silver Shadow, essentially.
Rolls sold only 328 of these between 1977 and 1980; a mere 17 Bentley-badged cars were also made. Tiny numbers, but then compare that to the 530 Camargues (1979 UK MRSP: ₤64,970 – ugly and expensive!) they made over a decade, and it looks like Rolls got rid of the more popular (and certainly most graceful) of the two exclusive two-door saloons in their range. Tellingly, the two-door saloon was never replaced; it would take R-R another couple of decades to try their hand at a fixed-head with the 2008 Phantom Coupé.
Observant readers might have recognized this car park, as it’s been featured on a previous post. Not coincidentally, that was also a Crewe product. This Corniche is another one belonging to the British car collector/restorer I mentioned before. It’s a veritable CC goldmine, that area.
So there will be more British beauties coming soon – enough to keep the Flying Lady aloft and smiling on CC for the remainder of 2022, hopefully.
Related posts:
Curbside Classic: 1982 Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible – The Crème de la Crème, by Mike Butts
Curbside Capsule: 1982 Rolls-Royce Corniche – Bringing A Slice Of Fantasy To Suburbia, by Eric703
CC Capsule: 1985 Bentley Continental – What’s Not To Like?, by Roger Carr
CC Capsule: 1991 Rolls-Royce Corniche III – Dark Suit And White Gloves Compulsory, by T87
Vintage R&T Road Test: 1979 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow II, by Yohai71
Some people bought two door Impalas, others, not me, bought these.
Different as being RHD not LHD for a imported luxury car of the period.
Even Jags reimported from Japan to rhe UK are LHD.
I like big 2 door cars, so I am naturally predisposed to like this one. Actually, this one is quite nicely proportioned for the genre. I’ll take two, a fixed and a drop. Please have them delivered to my home. You can pick up a cheque from the butler.
Will the butler sign them?
I think you’ll find it’s the doorman. The butler is above such petty trifles.
I wonder if you’ve seen a 2-door in the metal, JPC, because these T-87 photos lie (it’s alright, he can’t help it). In reality, it’s those very proportions you mention that are off, something to do with the rear-side windows being far too long. It just comes over as dowdy.
If I might be so bold as to suggest the ordering of just the drop, M’lord, it all works better in that form? Or two, if you prefer?
It’s actually not all that big;a mere 203″ long. And it’s not all that roomy inside, as I’ve spent a bit of time inside one, thanks to a client of the tv station that had one. I was surprised at how rather…cozy t was inside. Which of course was in keeping with its mission.
And only 72.3 inches wide. That’s six inches less than a 79 LTD. And the same LTD coupe was 219.5 inches long. I can understand how the RR would seem cozy. I too remember seeing these cars in all iterations around the west side of town. Now just once in a while do I spot one. And new RRs today seem much less common given the proliferation of large versions of Mercedes, BMW, Audi, et al.
Is it only me who sees a hint of a notchback VW Type 2 in some rear angles?
Me!
I concur. Notchback tails for sure.
I never noticed the front spoiler on these before. It’s an interesting bit on a car that is otherwise as aerodynamic as a house.
Sadly, that spoiler is more than a bit Morris Marina alike.
Some time back, our much-missed Dr Andreina launched one of his impeccable, $2000 limited-edition coffee-table histories onto CC that told of the development of the Silver Shadow. He mounted a strong case that the final product was a pukka Good Thing, superbly executed. Knowing more – by the unusual avenue of knowing very little – I couldn’t agree with his final thesis, always having found the Shadow to be a bit unremarkable.
And I’m afraid that the two-door jobbie works even less, for me. Mulliner hand-made these till about ’71 or so when Rolls took them in-house, after which the Cornichon name was employed (despite it resembling an under-grown pickled gherkin not one whit). The MPW version was known to be filled with so much lead-loading that the bullets extractable could exterminate a small peasant uprising, but I’m not sure the Gherkin was done entirely the same way. Either way, the amount of poisonous effluvium was such that if the rich put their kids in the back long enough, they all turned out dumb, (which can hardly be counted as an innovation, btw).
I saw a genuine MPW Bentley in a carpark about a decade ago, and began excitedly extolling its uniqueries to a non-car friend suffering nearby. The man replied to my exaltations with a quizzical, perplexed look, saying “Yeah, ok mate, you seem excited, it’s all good. Ah, no, I think it’s fuckin’ ‘orrible old barge, but, y’know, good on ya.”
And his words have stuck, because, rare as these cars may be, I don’t reckon he’s entirely wrong.
“Knowing more – by the unusual avenue of knowing very little – I couldn’t agree with his final thesis”
Love this phrase, in fact, the whole comment is fantastic. I’m not sure I agree with all of it, but that’s irrelevant. Have you ever written articles here? If not, you really should.
There are lots of ways for rich kids to turn out dumb, Rolls coupe back seat lead poisoning being just the most obscure.
Cornichon indeed!
CC is becoming quite educational these days, with my vocabulary being expanded in the most peculiar directions. Directions I might never need again. Fortunately Google is always ready to explain. I would have thought in terms of a Corniche hen – but that’s just me, I guess; raising poultry does that to you.
For those of us firmly outside Rolls-Royce’s target market Corniche was just a funny foreign-sounding name. Different for the insiders, I guess. 🙂
Would it be appropriate to address the owner of a Corniche as M. Cornichon?
Very nice find! I’m sure I’ve never seen one of these in person, but I would like to. It’s rather fetching and I can understand why they made them for all of the Silver Shadow’s regular run.
For a volume automaker, it doesn’t make sense to offer unpopular body styles. But a high end marque gets significant cache from having low-volume specials, if only to distinguish it from “common” manufacturers. Presumably taking that approach incurs some expense, which the high end manufacturer has the, ahem, luxury of offsetting with a significant price hike for the exclusive product. For the Rolls buyer, the exclusivity is the value, even if one is getting less for more by conventional metrics.
If I was a Rolls customer and only ever drove with one other passenger and could afford it, I would probably spring for the coupe because it looks really nice and is less common than the sedan, which were seen in spades every day at the country club. Also, in the 60’s and 70’s, two doors where quite in style, at least in the U.S.
This is certainly a well-preserved example. I agree it’s disappointing it doesn’t have its original wheels, but it doesn’t look bad with the newer ones. Hopefully the originals are stashed someplace.
If you saw as many of these in both four door and two door versions as I did in and around Beverly Hills in the early 80s, the various differences (beyond the number of doors) between them become quite obvious.
Only relevant questions here: Do the rear side windows roll down? All the way? If it’s a No, even just on the last one, that hooptie may get lost from this enthusiasts radar into eternal oblivion again.
It’s hard to tell from the interior shot, but the quarter windows look like they’re fixed.
Fail.
Hinged at the front end, angling out at the back for ventilation.
Visual proof that a white car can look nice. But…..
That front spoiler just looks all kinds of wrong. Yes, okay, they built them that way, but still, it would have been more dignified to paint them black, to hide in the shadows.
And does anyone know why the tailpipe tips are flared outward like that? Another odd detail.
But those door handles! They may be the prettiest metalwork I see today.
I’ve only seen one of these 2-door Rolls-Royces — a long time ago, but it left a lasting impression.
I had mentioned this in the Corniche convertible article I wrote last year, but when I was in high school in the late 1980s, I had an after-school job at a local office building. A man who worked in that building (he was a stockbroker, I believe) had a two-door 1960s-era Silver Shadow two-door that he drove fairly often, and usually parked it in the far reaches of the parking lot. I happened to walk right by it regularly on my way into the building.
I remember that particular car was black, and a RHD model — the oddity of a RHD car just adding to the mystique in my mind. I loved walking past that car, and daydreaming that I was something more important than a teenager walking from school to an office job.
Based on that memory alone, I love this car, though it’s mighty hard to understand just why these two-doors were offered.
it’s mighty hard to understand just why these two-doors were offered.
Exclusivity.
Are those Ford Cortina MkI wagon taillights?
No.
The only reason it is or was worth what it’s worth is because it’s a RR. Nothing to do with engine, transmission, handling etc, but it’s a RR. A RR looks a certain way, it’s got burlwood and leather, nice leather, very nice leather. People pay attention, either in traffic or at the valet, they see it’s a RR and act accordingly.
That’s what a RR buys you, not a good car, and for some it’s a veritable bargain. Just depends what you want.
The alloy wheels aren’t the only period-incorrect items on the car: the double R boot lid plinth badge did not appear until Corniche III.
Additionally, this is not as stunning example as one would think. It’s been poorly repainted in an incorrect colour, and the bonnet centre strip was mounted backwards in the process: the pointed end should face the windscreen. Also, if has been poorly reupholstered — these cars had beautiful, voluptuous padding, not the dead flat pleats seen on this car.
PS: the term “coupé” was actually used, even by Rolls-Royce Ltd themselves, depending on the market, and apart from the very early models, which had Motolita wood-trimmed steering wheels, they all had Bakelite units. Although John Blatchley contributed to the design of the 2-door cars, the real styling was done by Bill Allen.
Those are some facts.
Thank you very much for sharing those facts with us. Especially the designer’s name – it’s always important to give credit where it is due.
The Rolls-Royce Corniche Coupe has always been well known. It was the car of the super wealthy managing directors. It was aspirational. Unlike a bog standard, Silver Shadow Saloon.
The earlier the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow Two-Door Saloon Mulliner Park Ward or James Young