1972 Bentley CORNICHE

Built in 1971 and first registered in December 1972, this delightful example has been the subject of a recent £13,000 mechanical refurbishment at a renowned RR specialist, which means it is ready, willing and able no matter what the adventure it’s called upon to join.

The first owner’s 17-year stewardship came to an end in 1989, when it moved on to its second owner. It stayed there for around four years before moving on to its third owner, who kept her for another 20 years. The fourth owner purchased her in 2013, so the winning bidder will be just the fifth custodian. And all have been keen to warrant the current mileage of 63,000.

Costing £12,230.60 (including a 15% discount…we presume that’s a fuel crisis for you) when new - or around £165,000 now – the Bentley Corniche was a very rare car. This example is one of just four right-hand-drive examples built in 1971 (three more were left-hand-drive) and one of only 63 ever built.

And no, before you ask, it isn’t a Rolls-Royce with a Bentley grille…

Originally Porcelain White, the coachbuilt body has been resprayed black many years back. The finish is holding up exceedingly well indeed, but it does sport the odd crack and bubble. It was a very thorough respray too, you are very unlikely to find a spot of white peeking out, although a couple of small patches have a touch more orange-peel than RR would have deemed acceptable. We’re almost certainly being overly cautious but if it were ours, the rest of the car is so good that we’d be tempted to budget for some remedial work, or even a full respray, in another five-or-so years.

Yet, the panels gaps are tight and even, the flanks of the car are free of ripples, and we are almost certain that it has never been accident damaged. The bodyshell appears to be rust-free, remaining largely free of corrosion even on the inner wheelarch lips, a notorious spot for Rolls-Royce/Bentley cars of this vintage. Overall, bear in mind this car has been always (gently) used by its previous owners, not kept as some kind of ‘garage-queen’; great news for mechanical condition and usability.

The original Everflex roof has been replaced in the past. However, we don’t think that the surface was prepared properly as the new vinyl roof has some bubbling in the central sections. Being hard to the touch, we don’t think it is any rampant corrosion that is the beginning of the end for the roof, but obviously it may need to be ‘on the list’ sometime in the future. The Tudor Webasto folding sunroof works, furling and unfurling with ease.

The chromework is extensive and gently patinated. Concours enthusiasts might want to get it all restored but we think it looks fabulous as it is! All components seem to be present and correct (a true fact all over the car). The wheels are shod with matching Avon Turbosteel tyres, all of which have good tread.

Experts agree that the standard of trim and woodwork in the Corniche models is far superior to that used in the ‘standard’ Rolls-Royce and Bentley models, and there is nothing in this example to suggest that they are wrong. As an indication of the quality of engineering and care that went into building the corniche, the rear quarterlights can be opened electrically from the driver’s seat – and they still work, even after almost half-a-century.

So, you can expect to find a patinated but still gorgeous interior that wears its 67,000 miles lightly. Sure, there’s the odd scuff and crease in the Connolly leather seats but there are no rips, tears or other serious problems whatsoever and, if a new owner does want to improve them, we think they could be restored rather than having to go to the expense of having them completely retrimmed. The headlining is taut and free of stains and tears, but the original carpet is getting a little threadbare in places and a few, not many, sections of wood veneer are cracking.

The wooden steering wheel was only fitted during the first couple of years of production, and so this example is all the better for it. It’s much more elegant and graceful than that fitted to the later cars and endows the interior with a wonderfully sporty character. (It’s also worth four figures all by itself…)

The car is so original that it is still fitted with a radio/eight-track player combination; how very of-the-period! And the radio works! And yet, this is a very usable example that has been discreetly upgraded to modern R134 air conditioning, which blows ice-cold air on demand.

The mighty 6.75-litre V8 petrol engine starts and performs as it should, providing the sort of propulsion befitting a car of this quality and performance. It’s running very well indeed and sits in a clean, serviceable engine bay that is still insulated with the original underbonnet soundproofing.

The three-speed GM-sourced automatic gearbox might not be the last word in refinement but it slurs its way around gently enough, something it isn’t motivated to do with any urgency given the vast breadth of the Bentley six-and-three-quarter’s torque.

The complex suspension holds its position as it should. That it provides a ‘magic carpet’ ride goes without saying…

The Corniche comes with a brand-new MOT certificate, but just to remind us all of the joys of running an old car, the indicators have just stopped working. We’ll have a poke around and see if we can fix them but if you’re planning on bidding without viewing the car then please assume they’re still inoperative and set your bids accordingly.

Oh, and there’s a small oil seep coming from somewhere. It doesn’t look serious and most of us would just pop a catch tray underneath it and treat it as one of those small jobs that we’ll get round to sorting out at some point.

The car comes with its original build certificate, specification sheet, warranty document, purchase invoice, FSS Safety Checks sheet, Engine Assembly record, and Road Test checklists. (The latter is a fascinating read, giving an insight into the obsessive nature of the company at the time.)

It also comes with a thick file of service and repair invoices spanning the 30-year period between 1988 and 2018. The total amount spent is in excess of £30,000. The most recent invoice itemises scores of jobs completed all over the car and alone accounts for £13,149…

It also comes with letters from previous owners confirming the mileage, and 21 old MOT certificates to back them up. The Mulliner Park Ward treadplates are still in place, as are those of Charles Follett, the supplying dealer and, wonderfully, the rear screen still sports its original ‘Triplex Electrically Heated’ sticker.

Please visit the ‘Gallery’ section of this listing where you will find a vast array of invoices and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has an impressively comprehensive service history.

The price of Rolls-Royce Corniches is on the up, and deservedly so. The very best cars are nearing six figures, which still seems cheap to us given their rarity and the quality of engineering and workmanship they represent.

The market values the Bentley Corniche significantly higher, and yet, the exact price is harder to gauge, simply because they are so much rarer, and, for some, much more desirable than a Rolls-Royce. The difficulty is made all the harder as many change hands without being advertised at all…

But we are confident that the Bentley represents an even better investment opportunity than the Rolls-Royce equivalent, which makes our guide price of £38-45,000 seem something of a bargain. We recognise that this is a very solid, mechanically superb example which is also clearly very original and unmolested. While we would drive it very happily to the South of France and back in its current, patinated condition, we’ve budgeted for the fact that some people would want to partly refurbish the interior and have the coachwork corrected.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen here at Patina HQ in Abingdon; to arrange an appointment 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, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.