1984 Rolls-Royce Corniche DHC

Finished in what the seller believes to be Merlot Red with a magnolia leather interior and hood, ‘A497 RUM’ benefits from an unusually extensive service and maintenance record.

As is so often the case with cars of this quality, its history is largely known: Its first owner was Honeysuckle Fashions of Leeds, who kept it for a decade before passing it on in April 1994 at 51,000 miles to another Yorkshire resident before moving to a hotelier in Sunderland.

The current owner bought it in 2020 – and with 50 years in the motor trade under his belt, it’s no surprise he knew the Citroen car dealer who had owned it for the previous ten years.

With only limited use in recent years, the seller set about recommissioning his new purchase through Fearon, the well-known independent Rolls-Royce specialists. It won’t surprise you to learn that Alan Fearon also knew the car.

The work was finally completed earlier this year and if you tot up the invoices you can see online, you’ll see he didn’t skimp with around £12,500 having been spent to bring it up to what he considers to be an acceptable standard.

The result is, he tells us, a car that “drives like a dream” and has “never given me any bother”.

Isn’t John Blatchley's "Coke Bottle" design absolutely gorgeous? With a terrific shine to the Merlot Red paintwork, the underlying panels are straight and very neatly aligned.

Of course, there’s nothing so vulgar as dents, dings, or other damage and the overall effect is every bit as impressive now as it was when it rolled out of that showroom in Leeds almost 40 years ago.

It has had, as you’d expect, a little help along the way. The seller thinks it was resprayed in around 2006, changing the colour from the factory Tudor Red to Merlot Red. It was clearly a proper job that still looks great and has lasted well.

The Magnolia soft-top and tonneau cover were replaced by the seller in 2021, which means they’re still like new, fit perfectly, and are devoid of damage.

The roof rises and falls as it should at the press of a button and gives almost coupé-like weatherproofing when it’s up along with a sleek profile when it’s tucked away.

The alloy wheels are also good being free of scuffs, kerbing, and other damage. They are also fitted with new Avon Turbosteel tyres and with only a couple of thousand miles on them, they – again – are like new.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The chromework is, on the whole, excellent. That magnificent radiator grille is every bit as impressive (and imposing) as you’d hope, and the Spirit of Ecstasy sits proudly on top. It’s one of the most recognisable design themes in automotive history and it’s in fine shape here.

As for flaws, the windscreen sealing rubber has perished and could do with being replaced before it fails completely and lets water in.

There is also some blemishes under the paint on the offside front wing plus some bubbling on both doors, the nearside sill, and the wheelarch lips.

Finally, there is some pitting to the nearside door mirror, a small stonechip in the windscreen, and a missing popper underneath the tonneau cover.

A car like this has to look beautiful, of course, but it was designed primarily for the occupants, so the interior is even more extravagant and lavish than the coachwork.

Magnolia leather dominates. Fitted to seats, door cards, dashboard, centre console, and much, much more, its condition is excellent.

Red leather sits above the dashboard, helping create a cohesive link between the outside and inside, something that’s vital for a convertible that’s going to spend a large proportion of its life with the hood down.

The overall effect is decadent and wanton – and it is still in a very good condition.

The seats are wide and plump and probably more comfortable than anything you’ve got in your house right now. Piped with red, nothing more than light cracking to the front pair betrays their age, with the driver’s seat also being a little rumpled. The rear seat is even better, being almost unmarked and remarkably well preserved.

The woodwork is generally very good too, with a decent finish to it courtesy of shiny and uncracked lacquer on most of it, with only a few pieces suffering from peeling lacquer and dryness.

A new VDU display was fitted by Fearon in November 2020 and a Blaupunkt Toronto radio-cassette layer provides the music.

The inside of the boot is very good and there’s what looks to be a decent set of red lambs-wool overmats inside.

As for stuff you’re probably want to take a look at, the carpets have a little mould and the odd stain plus a hole has been worn on the passenger’s side.

The glovebox lining is also a bit scruffy and there’s a split in the leather on the top of the dashboard.

As you can see, the 6.75-litre V8 engine starts and runs well.

The engine bay itself is in good shape. How good? Well, even the underbonnet sound-insulating mat is in intact and free of major damage. True, you could detail the engine if that sort of thing makes you happy (heh, we aren’t judging) but we imagine most people would be very happy with it as it is.

The underside looks good and strong but the protective paint and underseal is starting to come away in places, so a prudent owner would get that sorted before a small problem becomes something worse.

The stamps in the service history booklet and the recent invoices document the following maintenance:

• 22.08.1984 and 3,024 miles – service by Appleyard of Leeds

• 20.09.1984 and 6,747 miles – service by Appleyard of Leeds

• 20.05.1985 and 13,347 miles – service by Appleyard of Leeds

• 13.11.1985 and 17,533 miles – service by Appleyard of Leeds

• 08.09.1988 and 36,131 miles – service by Shadow Vehicle Services

• 17.03.1992 and 47,000 miles – service by Shadow Vehicle Services

• 01.02.1994 and 50,526 miles – service by Appleyard of Leeds

• 10.10.1994 and 52,874 miles – service by Appleyard of Leeds

• 26.07.1995 and 54,307 miles – service by Appleyard of Leeds

• 18.03.1996 and 54,727 miles – service by Appleyard of Leeds

• 21.08.1997 and 56,097 miles – service by Appleyard of Leeds

• 15.10.1998 and 56,833 miles – service by Burton House of Sheffield

• 12.11.1999 and 58,088 miles – service by JCT600 of Leeds

• 10.06.2004 and 59,313 miles – service by Reg Vardy

• 06.02.2008 and 60,101 miles – service by Reg Vardy

• 04.05.2011 and 61,014 miles – service by Shadow Vehicle Services

• 13.08.2014 and 61,820 miles – service by Fearon, an independent Rolls-Royce specialist

• 02.09.2015 and 61,964 miles – service by Church Street Motors (Error by tester shows incorrect mileage of 51,964)

• 10.01.2017 and 62,014 miles – service by Fearon, an independent Rolls-Royce specialist

• 23.09.2020 and 62,192 miles – service by Fearon, an independent Rolls-Royce specialist

• 05.11.2020 and 62,192 miles – service plus other work including having the radiator replaced and new coolant and hoses fitted along with new rear suspension pipes and bumpstops, a fuel pump, engine mounts, steering rack boots, new brake pipes, n/s front balljoint, and rear wishbone bearings plus much more by Fearon at a cost of well over £7,000

• 30.05.2022 and 62,265 miles – service plus four new tyres and other miscellaneous work by Fearon at a cost of £1,876

• 01.08.2022 and 62,983 miles – miscellaneous repairs to hood and horn by Fearon at a cost of just over £1,000

• 05.08.2022 and 62,984 miles – further work by Fearon to rectify a leak from the hydraulic system on the power-operated hood

• 03.04.2023 and 64,485 miles – MoT repair work by Fearon at a cost of £1,318 to repair the braking system, exhaust, roof latch, door lock, and more

The Corniche’s MoT certificate is valid until March 2024 and it was gained, after the fettling we mention above, with no advisories. Probably more importantly, no MoT tester has ever had cause to mention structural corrosion.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear and the Rolls-Royce comes with its book pack and wallet.

There is no more elegant transport available for the £45,000 - £55,000 we estimate this Corniche will fetch, a sum so reasonable it represents only a fraction of the cost of having a Breitling Mulliner Tourbillon fitted in your new Bentayga.

And while specifying the latter for your Bentley would make you a laughing stock, buying this Corniche will engender nothing more than a knowing nod from the sort of folk who use ‘em to waft around the South of France.

Who says you can’t buy class?

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at BonhamsICars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.