Silver Spirit or Mulsanne based Corniche

This is from the design studio of Rolls-Royce Motors in 1980.

That is right, they were working significantly on a Silver Spirit or Mulsanne based Corniche.

So significantly in fact they made this full scale model.



The dominant feature of this design is definitely the coach line. It is drastically different from the four door Silver Spirit or Mulsanne and very similar to the Corniche or Continental based on the Silver Shadow or T models.



The manufacture of this design was not proceeded with, and a decision to continue with the traditional body of the Corniche or Continental was made.

It is quite interesting to see a design from the factory that could have been.

As I have said before, if the factory does not produce a car buyers want, coachbuilders will. And of course they did.

Hooper & Co. (Coachbuilders) Ltd. saw the potential of having a Silver Spirit or Mulsanne based Corniche and delivered. Kind of.

The options were to rebody and shape a Silver Spirit or Mulsanne to look like a Corniche, or take a Corniche and make it look like a Silver Spirit or Mulsanne.

Construction decisions were to do the latter and here it is.



Two Hooper Spirit Corniche cars were made and this is one of them.

Thank you to Andy for uploading the Hooper car photo.