Rolls-Royce Corniche (1971)
1971-1996 · Rolls-Royce Corniche (1971) — Grand Tourer, V8, designed by Mulliner Park Ward.
The Story
When Rolls-Royce gave the Mulliner Park Ward two-door Silver Shadow its own name in 1971, the Corniche was born – and it became the ultimate status symbol of the 1970s and ’80s. Available as a coupe (to 1981) and, most famously, a convertible (to 1995), it paired the Shadow’s 6.75-litre V8 and effortless ride with a hand-finished, unashamedly glamorous body.
No Rolls-Royce has a starrier ownership roll-call. Frank Sinatra, Michael Caine, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Freddie Mercury, Dean Martin, Liberace and Aristotle Onassis all owned Corniches. For three decades, a Corniche convertible meant you had truly arrived.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Grand Tourer class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
Mulliner Park Ward
Rolls-Royce’s in-house coachbuilder, created in 1961 from the merger of H.J. Mulliner and Park Ward. It bodied the coachbuilt Phantom VI limousines and developed the two-door Silver Shadow into the Corniche.
Studio Motors POV
The Corniche convertible is the definitive 1970s-80s flex – buy the best, sorted convertible you can, ideally with history; it’s as much pop-culture artifact as motor car.
The Engine
Rolls-Royce / Bentley L-Series 6¾ V8
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About Corniche (1971)
Worth Knowing About the Corniche (1971)
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- 1) It began as the coachbuilt two-door Silver Shadow, gaining the 'Corniche' name in 1971. 2) Its owner list is the starriest in Rolls-Royce history – Sinatra, Bowie, McCartney, Elton John, Freddie Mercury and more. 3) The convertible ran all the way to 1995, outliving by years the Silver Shadow saloons it was based on.
5 Fast Facts
- 1) 6.75L V8, ~218 bhp. 2) Coupe 1971-1981; convertible 1971-1995. 3) ~4,300 Rolls-Royce cars (1,090 coupes + 3,239 convertibles). 4) Hand-finished by Mulliner Park Ward. 5) Evolved through Corniche II / III / IV.
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
Frank Sinatra, Michael Caine, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Freddie Mercury, Dean Martin, Liberace, Aristotle Onassis, Tom Jones, Maurice Gibb (Bee Gees) and Mary Tyler Moore.
Studio Buyer’s Brief
Convertibles command the premium; later fuel-injected cars drive best. Verify the powered hood, hydraulics and rust. Documented celebrity provenance adds real value – the drop-top is the one to own.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Rolls-Royce Corniche (1971)
- Class
- Grand Tourer
- Production years
- 1971-1996
- Units built
- ~4,329 RR (1,090 coupe + 3,239 convertible)
- Variants
- Coupe (to 1982) & Convertible (to 1996); Corniche II (1986), III (1990), IV (1992)
- Engine layout
- Front
- Engine
- V8
- Engine family
- Rolls-Royce / Bentley L-Series 6¾ V8
- Displacement
- 6.75L (6,750 cc)
- Power
- 218 hp
- Torque
- lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- s
- Top speed
- 130 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 96 hp/tonne · 22.9 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 3-speed automatic (GM400)
- Drivetrain
- Rear-wheel drive · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 5000 lb
Questions
Corniche (1971) FAQ
What engine does the Rolls-Royce Corniche (1971) have?
The Corniche uses the 6.75-litre Rolls-Royce V8 producing approximately 218 bhp, paired with a 3-speed GM automatic. Its hand-finished coachbuilt body and effortless ride gave it a top speed of around 130 mph.
How long was the Rolls-Royce Corniche (1971) in production?
The Corniche ran for 25 years, from 1971 to 1995 in convertible form. It evolved through four series: Corniche I, II (1986), III (1990), and IV (1992), each adding refinements.
What body styles did the Rolls-Royce Corniche (1971) offer?
The Corniche was offered as a two-door coupe and as a convertible; the convertible ran until 1995. Across the full 1971-1995 run, Rolls-Royce Corniche production totaled approximately 6,262 cars (with 1,090 coupes and 3,239 convertibles within the Corniche I sub-series).
How much is a Rolls-Royce Corniche (1971) worth today?
Rolls-Royce Corniche values typically range from $60,000 to $200,000. Late-series convertibles and well-documented examples from the 1980s and 1990s command the highest prices. Hagerty and Classic & Sports Car track valuations.
Who owned the Rolls-Royce Corniche (1971)?
The Corniche attracted high-profile ownership across the 1970s-1990s, with names like Frank Sinatra, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Freddie Mercury, Michael Caine, Dean Martin, and Aristotle Onassis appearing in secondary lists. Not every name is independently documented from primary auction or marque sources.
The Rolls-Royce Lineup
Explore every Rolls-Royce
Silver Wraith ’46Silver Dawn ’49
Phantom IV ’50Silver Cloud I ’55Phantom V ’59Silver Cloud II ’59
Silver Cloud III ’62Silver Shadow I ’65Phantom VI ’68
Corniche (1971) ’71Camargue ’75Silver Shadow II ’77
Silver Spirit / Silver Spur ’80
Corniche (2000) ’00Phantom VII ’03Ghost (1st Gen) ’09
Wraith ’13Dawn ’15Phantom VIII ’17Sweptail ’17Cullinan ’18
Buy, sell, source or lease this Corniche (1971).
Studio Motors operates outside the dealership model — nationwide and off-market sourcing, custom lease structures, trade-in coordination. Tell us what you’re chasing.
