1983 Rolls-Royce Camargue

The Market is justifiably proud to have been chosen to sell this extremely rare project example of one of the most expensive and exclusive production cars ever manufactured. Although this car will require investment, it has been largely unmolested, seems complete and remarkably original and is prime for an adventurous owner to restore and enjoy.

We know little about this left-hand-drive car before the seller bought it in 1999 other than it was sold in 1996 to Brussels and then (re)imported into the UK in 1999. The V5 registration document shows that he is the third UK owner.

The car has only been used sparingly while under his care, having only covered less than 1,000 km since he bought it. It has been parked up outside his house for the past few years: the last MOT ran out in 2007, as did the tax, so we can safely assume that it hasn’t been properly driven since then, although the owner tells us he has started it and run it up and down the drive on a regular basis.

What is particularly striking about this Camargue is the opportunity it presents; with the cost of perfect examples beyond the reach of all but the wealthiest of collectors, this car offers the winning bidder the prospect of being able to create the Camargue of their dreams.

Opportunities like this come up once in a lifetime and we can see this example drawing a huge amount of interest from bidders with the necessary vision and willingness to see beyond the surface rust and damaged trim. When finished, this Rolls-Royce will be a stunning addition to any enthusiast’s garage – and should prove to be a very safe investment into the bargain.

The car seems largely solid (it was Waxoyled back in 1996, which will have helped) but it will definitely need repairs to both sills and the rear screen surround, and will probably require repairs to the floorpans and associated panelwork as a minimum.

But, it’s not all bad news because the external aluminium panels have survived remarkably well. All the gaps are tight and even and the majority of the panels are honest and straight pointing to the probability of an accident-free past. The Pearlescent White paint, whilst even and consistent, is flat so we would suggest that a full repaint will be needed at some point, during which time the odd dent and bubble can be easily sorted out. Importantly, the long and heavy doors haven’t dropped, which should make the project much easier as they point to an absence of serious structural rust. The sellerwas disappointed to find that the rear window started leaking a while ago, and whilst he has applied a large ‘plaster’ to the outside, much damage had already occurred to the interior. The boot area has also suffered, although much of the damage there may be just superficial.

The engine bay is surprisingly tidy and complete and still sports the branded engine sound deadening pads on the underside of the bonnet. There are no signs of serious under-bonnet corrosion, just the expected deterioration that comes with gentle storage. The external passenger door handle has been broken, but otherwise the car seems complete and functional.

The car has been resprayed at some time and there are traces of cherry red metallic paint underneath. We think this could well be a point in the car’s favour; it will need a ground-up restoration anyway, so the previous change of colour frees the new owner from the shackles of originality, allowing them to restore it in a finish of their choice.

Parts of the interior are in genuine time-warp condition and the sheer profligacy of the original trim still shines through. The switches are beautifully labelled and the colour combination of cream and red leather is striking and very of-the-period; after all, if you’re going to drive the most expensive car of its time, then you want your passengers to know about it, surely?

Much of the interior trim is in the same state as the exterior, which is to say what is good is very good and what is bad is very bad. Some of the veneer is in surprisingly good condition and the leather-trimmed, aircraft-inspired dashboard and door cards are excellent and could probably be refurbished rather than completely replaced. More importantly, everything that should be there is there, and the interior hasn’t been cannibalized or modified in any way. We imagine replacement Camargue interior parts are not easily obtainable…

The seats will all need retrimming, the rear parcel shelf has been destroyed by the ingress of water from around the rear window, and all the carpets will need replacing, along, probably, with the headlining.

(What can be seen of) the mechanical parts appear sound and do not seem to have bits missing.

The seller tells us that he has started and moved the car regularly in the last decade. Apparently, it always behaved well, including rising on its suspension. However, he states that, at the last attempt to fire her up about a year ago, the battery’s power would not register anywhere, either at the dashboard or the engine. This remains the state when we inspected the car, so potential bidders must assume that it is a non-runner and set their bids accordingly.

The seller tells us that he had a ‘thick’ service history folder. However, this has been mislaid; it will be included with the car if it is found, but it cannot be relied upon at the moment, so you should bid on the car’s current condition alone please.

The car comes with a small amount of paperwork from 1996 to 1999, the blank service book, owner’s handbook and two keys.

We at The Market have had the pleasure of viewing and photographing this astounding car, and the description and pictures are the result of our visit. We would be delighted to talk anyone through our findings, and arrange a visit to the car and its owner for anyone seriously interested. There are 207 photos of the car in the attached Gallery, please grab a cup of tea and take a good look, firstly because we all love a good barn-find, and secondly to give you a proper insight into the opportunity - and challenge - this car presents.

‘Barn find’ Camargues are, to say the least, something of a rarity, which is why we are so delighted to be able to offer this example. We believe it offers a genuine ‘blank canvas’ car; the winning bidder will have the chance to restore it to his/her dream specification without any nagging fears that they are destroying the narrative of an important car’s history and patina.

When we inspected the car, we came away with a healthy respect for the opportunity it presents; it hasn’t been maintained on a budget, lurching from one MOT to another as a series of impoverished owners struggled to keep it on the road. Instead, the integrity of Rolls-Royce engineering and its unmolested condition have ensured that there are decades of life left in the old girl yet.

They might have been something of a slow-burn when new, but the price of Camargues has been rising steadily over the past few years. Good cars are now £50,000 and rising, and very good cars are starting to nudge six-figures, which makes our guide price of £17-20,000 look like very good value indeed. And remember teh reserve is lower than the guide.

As with any auction, be sure that you are completely satisfied with this car’s condition when bidding, and remember that the new owner will be responsible for removing the car; access is good, but it sits low, and the brakes may need releasing. Currently three of the tyres are inflated.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen in SW London; 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’ for information on the auction process.

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.