A [Modern Day] Country Life

The Rolls-Royce Corniche was launched in March 1971 with the motoring press invited to the Cote D'Azur to drive the coastal roads from which the model takes its name.

 

But for much of the British public the first opportunity to see a Corniche up-close would have been at the London Motor Show several months later.

 

This is what they would have seen…

 

 

Country Life was sufficiently impressed by the Corniche to feature one on the cover of its October 14^th 1971, Motor Show Number, below:

 

 

It's a nice photo with a distinctive house and Team Bentley Spotting has access to a similar car…

 

So we decided to recreate the photo!

 

But first we had to identify the location…

 

The architecture looks typical to that found around Regents Park, London NW1 and features a distinctive tower.

 

Also, the number 12 is just visible on the gate post.

 

So a few evenings spent searching Google images with a combination of Nash, London, NW1, 12 and Tower eventually found this photo by Jacqueline Banerjee…

 

 

It's 12 Park Village West, Camden NW1 (http://www.victorianweb.org/art/architecture/nash/6.html) by the renowned architect John Nash and dates from the 1830s.

 

It was then just a matter of getting the car to the location and taking a few photos…

 

Park Village West is actually a very narrow street and current day parking means it wasn't possible to secure exactly the same position.

 

The trees have also grown to hide much of the octagonal tower.

 

But here it is, our modern day interpretation of the Country Life front cover:

 

 

We hope you like it.

 

(Posted by Andy)