1982 BENTLEY CORNICHE

The Fosse Way Collection comprises nine rare and eclectic motor cars, thoughtfully chosen and carefully maintained by a respected private collector, and each now offered with considerable recent investment.

Few cars capture the effortless glamour of their era quite like the Corniche. Introduced in 1971 as the coupé and convertible versions of the Silver Shadow and Bentley T Series, it was styled in-house by John Polwhele Blatchley whose design language balanced traditional stateliness with modern proportions, ensuring that mass-produced steel bodies retained the elegant look of a craftsman-built motor car. Beneath its elegant Mulliner Park Ward lines, sat Rolls-Royce's 6.75-litre V8, driving through a three-speed GM automatic gearbox and fully independent suspension with Citroën-derived self-levelling offered a ride as serene as you would expect.

For much of the time that the Corniche was in production, a Bentley was regarded as little more than a slightly cheaper alternative to a Rolls-Royce. This famous marque had yet to re-establish its reputation as maker of some of the world's fastest and most exciting sports saloons and Grand Tourers, a process that commenced in 1982 with the launch of the remarkable Mulsanne Turbo. Consequently, the Bentley Corniche was produced in much smaller numbers than its Rolls-Royce equivalent, despite being – arguably – the more handsome of the two. More than 3,000 Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertibles left the factory, but just 77 wore the Flying B, making this one of the rarest Bentleys of its time.

The name originally comes from the French word for a coastal road, particularly along the face of a cliff, most notably the Grande Corniche along the French Riviera above the principality of Monaco, and it was thought at the time that this new name might convey some of the style and glamour of Monte Carlo and, 50 years later, it still does.

This home-market, right-hand drive example was supplied new by Jack Barclay and delivered in February 1982. It remains in its original colour scheme of Georgian Silver with Dark Blue leather, matching carpets and a blue hood, and sits on its original 15-inch steel wheels with chrome Bentley hubcaps and white-wall tyres. Its first owner kept the car between London and Switzerland, where it spent time in Lausanne and, in 1999, it was acquired from P&A Wood by its third keeper who kept it for the best part of two decades and invested significantly in the car. Around £3,300 of mechanical work was carried out in 2017, followed by a further £9,500 or so with Rolls-Royce and Bentley specialists Harvey Wash, that work including a new mohair hood and headlining, refreshed leather, a carburettor overhaul and suspension work.

Since acquiring the car a few years ago, our vendor has gone through it thoroughly, both mechanically and cosmetically. The steering rack has been exchanged for a refurbished unit from Flying Spares and the hydraulic hoses renewed. The air filters and spark plugs have been replaced, the speedometer refurbished, the the hood lining has been repaired, the rear wood veneers refurbished and the rear cigar lighters returned to working order. The underside has also been stripped, detailed and rust-proofed.

The history file is comprehensive and includes the original book pack, the stamped service book - which shows maintenance by Jack Barclay, Garage Lausanne and P&A Wood, a selection of invoices, previous MOTs, and copies of earlier logbooks.

The rare Bentley Corniche is, without question, a masterpiece in looks and engineering and has that certain cachet fully understood by Bentley owners. With just four keepers and 36,637 miles from new, plus recent investment, this is a superb opportunity to own one of the rarest and most elegant convertibles of its day. Iconic Auctioneers welcome any pre-sale inspection.