2001 Rolls-Royce Corniche V Convertible

• Two owners from new
• Present ownership since 2017
• Circa 11,000 miles from new
• Extensive service history
• Main dealer serviced in March 2026

The original Corniche convertible had been a major success for Rolls-Royce, so the revival of the model in 1999 after a gap of five years caused considerable excitement. In fact, so enthusiastic was the response from eager customers that the company air-freighted the first seven cars to California rather than sending them by sea! One of the final Rolls-Royce models to be developed at the Crewe factory, the new Corniche was based on the Bentley Azure that had debuted at Geneva in 1995. The famous Italian styling house of Pininfarina – a firm with unrivalled experience in the design of soft-top Gran Turismos – had been chosen to develop the Azure on the four-seater Continental R platform, and there was no questioning that the result was most successful. But although the Corniche was recognisably a close relative, in actual fact nearly every one of its outer panels was different, while the wood-embellished interior was most definitely more traditional Rolls-Royce than modern Bentley.

Costing £250,000 in the UK at time of launch, the Corniche more than lived up to its illustrious name and proved an immense success, especially in North America where its combination of unmatched luxury, effortless performance and soft-top style was found highly attractive. When production ceased in 2002 a total of only 374 of these '2nd Generation' Corniches had been built, of which 48 were right-hand drive like this beautiful example.

One the last hand-built Rolls-Royces to leave the Crewe factory, this Corniche V was first registered on 6th July 2001 and is believed the very last example built in right-hand drive specification before Rolls-Royce's takeover by BMW. The car is finished in Fountain Blue with blue-piped Magnolia hide upholstery and a dark blue mohair-lined hood, while the interior also features burr-walnut woodwork with cross-banding and boxwood inlay to the fascia and trim panels. There are two umbrellas in the boot, and the car also comes with lambs-wool rugs.

Delivery was made in July 2001 via marque specialists Michael Powles (Leicester) Ltd to the late Mr Charles Swain. The car was regularly serviced during his ownership until 2009. The current vendor purchased the Corniche at auction in February 2017, at which the odometer reading was 9,650 miles (currently circa 11,000). Extensive service history post-2017, on an almost yearly basis, is on file.

In short: this is a two-owner car with unusually low mileage, described as in very good condition throughout. Main dealer serviced in March of this year, it comes with a file of original correspondence, specification and related documentation including service and repair bills, a current V5C Registration Certificate and MoT to March 2027.