Rolls Royce Corniche IV

When the Rolls-Royce Corniche was introduced in the 1970s, it provided a coupe and convertible luxury car to complement the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. Both the coupe and convertible models were in production since 1966, but were renamed to the Rolls-Royce Corniche in 1971. A Bentley Corniche was also in production, but it was renamed the Bentley Continental in 1984. Corniche was registered by Rolls-Royce since the late 1930s, but the car wasn’t built due to the start of World War II.

As with all Rolls-Royce models, the Rolls-Royce Corniche IV was a luxury car. Essentially, the Rolls-Royce Corniche was a two-door version of the four-door Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. Although a coupe and convertible were initially launched, the coupe was dropped from the model line in 1981. All subsequent generations of the Rolls-Royce Corniche, including the Rolls-Royce Corniche IV, came as a two-door convertible only. Although the Rolls-Royce Corniche IV was a big car, it had a reputation for being quicker and easier to handle than would be expected of most cars of its size.

Besides terminating the coupe version of the first Rolls-Royce Corniche, very little changed style-wise between all four generations of the car. From the outside, it is difficult to differentiate between the four generations of the car. Of course, the coupe version was only produced for the first generation, but subtle changes have been made to the convertible. The original Rolls-Royce Corniche could be painted with two-tone paintwork, but later versions came in a single color. Bumpers were changed to alloy and rubber from the original chrome ones, and from the third generation were painted the same color as the body of the car.

New alloy wheels were fitted for the Rolls-Royce Corniche III and IV, and a glass rear window was added to replace the plastic one when the Rolls-Royce Corniche IV went into production. Not only was the window in the rear of the soft top changed, but so was the mechanism for latching it to the car. Unlike the previous generations, the soft top for the Rolls-Royce Corniche IV had automatic latching instead of manual latching.

Opulent is one word to describe the interior of the car. Not only was it made to look luxurious, but to provide the utmost in comfort for all passengers. An all-leather interior was manufactured using Connolly leather, and with each subsequent generation, the seating was adjusted to improve comfort. Chrome gauges and wood trim are used for the instrument panel, plus all manner of features are included as standard. Dual-zone temperature control systems, multi-speaker audio systems, and ride control systems are all fitted to improve comfort and enjoyment during the ride. The soft top is insulated to reduce noise.

The Rolls-Royce Corniche IV was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in 1992, with models ready for sales for the 1992 model year. Production of the convertible moved to Crewe in England, as the London factory closed in 1994. It was fitted with a 6.75-liter V-8 engine that was introduced during the production of the second generation of the Rolls-Royce Corniche; there was little improvement in power output, but torque improved significantly. Over time, the engine was modified so that the power output was also increased. For the Rolls-Royce Corniche IV, owners could choose between the standard V-8 engine and a turbocharged version. With the addition of the turbochargers, the engine was known as one of the most powerful engines available at the time.

In 1992, Rolls-Royce also launched a 25th anniversary edition of the Rolls-Royce Corniche. Only these cars were painted Ming Blue and had an anniversary plate on the dash. In 1995, the production of the Rolls-Royce Corniche IV terminated, as did the model line, until 2000 when the Rolls-Royce Corniche V was launched.