Rolls-Royce Camargue dans les rues de Paris

I like this.



Quite a cool technique.

Camargue Spy Shot

Check this Car Magazine cover from January 1975.

Caught! It's the new £25,500 Super Rolls



Actually the Super Rolls came out on 5 March 1975, and the price was even higher at £29,250.

It's still a super Rolls.

Thanks Michael for the photo.

B1 ART Rolls-Royce Camargue

Add an Italian sculptor, three people of mixed gender and an erotic pose?

Or is it a photo of a male English engine, mounting a male English chassis, enveloped in a female Italian body?

There is a possibility you will end up with BI ART.



Nice one Camargue.

Rolls-Royce Camargue Limited Edition Video.

Check out this boy showing us around number 1 of 12 of the Rolls-Royce Camargue Limited Editions.

He certainly loves it - pity that the sound did not work, so he added text. Please excuse the spelling.



This is how the plate reads - but this one is of number 11 of 12.



Interesting enough, the Rolls-Royce Camargue Limited was the only Rolls-Royce Camargue to come with a name badge.



I'll have one.

Modern Motor - April 1975

If you ever asked if I would post a picture of a Holden Gemini on Bentley Spotting I would have said no. But I am now.

Andy dug up this great Rolls-Royce Camargue article from Modern Motor magazine published in Australia.

The article is from April 1975 and the whole magazine cost 60c.



Nice 1800TU number plate there.



That title font is so bad it is hard to look at. Well it was the 70's.



Click on the image to enlarge and read.















Thanks so much Andy for scanning the images. It is appreciated.

Camargue on the Continent

Thank a look at this expedition!

Yes, it is the Rolls-Royce press car - registration number HFM601N on a trip to the Continent.

Quite dynamic on the twisties.



The Camargue can certainly handle the snow.



And sporting its GB badge with pride, even though it looks totally Italian!



Thanks David for the photos again.

Rolls-Royce Camargue at Admiralty Arch

Check out this nice Rolls-Royce Motors press photo of the Camargue.

Location? Admiralty Arch of course.



Thanks David for the photo.

Too Many Martinis

"Darling, I think I'm going to be sick...."

 

A bizarre Rolls-Royce press shot of one of the first Camargues (HFN601N). The lady in the passenger seat does not look too happy.

 

Nice trousers, by the way.

 

(Posted by David Irvine)

Rolls-Royce Camargue Photo Collection Video

I always enjoy watching Rolls-Royce Camargue photos.

Here is quite a good collection of photos.



If anyone has all the Rolls-Royce Camargue VIN numbers and wants to start to collect photos of them all, be in touch!

I quite like this press photo of the Camargue.



Thanks Andy for the link.

The Motor 1 September 1984

Click on image to enlarge.



Here is a couple of colour photos of the Rolls-Royce Camargue Beau Rivage by Hooper.



Now from the rear.



It is beautiful.

Thanks Andy for sending in the article.

The PRRisoner

To quote from Wikipedia:

 

"The Prisoner is a 17-episode British television series first broadcast in the UK from 29 September 1967 to 1 February 1968.^[1][2] Starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan, it combined spy fiction with elements of science fiction, allegory and psychological drama"

 

 

I have actually watched and enjoyed them all.

It was filmed in Portmerion, Wales.

 

Again a Wikipedia quote:

"The series follows an unnamed British agent who abruptly resigns his job, and then finds himself held captive in a mysterious seaside "village" that is isolated from the mainland by mountains and sea. The Village is further secured by numerous monitoring systems and security forces, including a mysterious balloon-like device called Rover that captures those who attempt escape.

The agent encounters the Village's population, hundreds of people from all walks of life and cultures, all seeming to be tranquilly living out their lives. As they do not use names, they have each been assigned a number. The agent inquires of the Village's chief administrator, Number Two, "Who is Number One?", to which Number Two responds, "You are Number Six". The dialogue continues, "We want information", to which the agent responds "You won't get it!". "By hook or by crook, we will..."

Gotta love Wikipedia:

 

"Despite repeated claims that it was based on the town of Portofino, Italy, Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, Portmeirion's designer, denied this, stating only that he wanted to pay tribute to the atmosphere of the Mediterranean. He did, however, draw from a love of the Italian village stating, "How should I not have fallen for Portofino? Indeed its image remained with me as an almost perfect example of the man-made adornment and use of an exquisite site..." ^[1] Williams-Ellis designed and constructed the village between 1925 and 1975. He incorporated fragments of demolished buildings, including works by a number of other architects. Portmeirion's architectural bricolage and deliberately fanciful nostalgia have been noted as an influence on the development of postmodernism in architecture in the late 20th century."

So what the heck has this got to do with RRs?

There is a Rolls-Royce Queste Magazine devoted to the Camargue and most of the shots are in Portmerion....

(Posted by David Irvine)

Rolls-Royce Camargue Test Drive

No talking, just looking.



It is very nice.

Rolls-Royce Camargue Beau Rivage by Hooper

Hooper & Co certainly did make very special cars and this is no exception.

It is a Rolls-Royce Camargue Beau Rivage by Hooper. That's right, a 'beautiful shore' version of a department of the Côte d'Azur.

An appropriate name for the most expensive car available at the time, then taken to a coachbuilder so that you can spend just that little bit extra money on a machine that takes you from A to B. Sure.

Well here it is, in high resolution the Beau Rivage Camargue by Hooper. Click to enlarge.



It is in the detail that makes Hooper cars special.

Colour coded wind screen wipers, pin stripes on the hub caps, front air dam, lower sills, colour coded front lamp surrounds, and just take a look at the two tone colour scheme.

Just superb!

How good it the roof colour line on the rear quarter panel. It is very sharp!



You just know that box on the rear parcel shelf is hiding something special. Probably a drinks fridge, more maybe a fax machine or a tape deck. Certainly something 1980's cool.

This car was actually on the Hooper & Co. stand at the Geneva motorshow in 1983, and sold within 2 hours of it been on display.

Big thanks to Nick Lang from Ekberg & Lang, Australia's largest specialists in the sale of pre-owned Rolls-Royce & Bentley Motor Cars, for sending in the photos.

For those in Melbourne, currently on display at Ekberg & Lang's showroom is the 2 door Hooper Bentley Turbo R that was spotted that the RROC Federal rally last month with pictures and video of the car here.

Rolls-Royce Camargue at Adlington Hall & The Hunting Lodge

Here is a period photo from the late 70`s or poss early 80`s of the Rolls-Royce Camargue.



It is parked out the from of Adlington Hall & The Hunting Lodge and check the number plate.

That's right it's 1800 TU. Which means it is the factory's car, so it's a PR/Press day.



I'm thinking, the PR pitch. Let's take the most expensive car in the world, and the most sporting Rolls-Royce, and let's go kill some things!

Huntin and shootin for all!

Wonder around below.


View Larger Map

Thanks to Flickr user (Dave)

Rolls-Royce Cabrios by Carrozzeria Touring

I do like it when people help me out with Bentley Spotting. David Irvine has been such a great help and continues to deliver interesting posts.

Another who provides top assistance is Andy. Andy is a great asset for research for special coachbuilt cars, especially those on the continent and in Japan.

Andy delivered the goods with these 3 Cabrios that are for sale in Switzerland. Gee they are good!

The Camargue and Silver Spirit Cabrios are all by Carrozzeria Touring.



Thats right, the coachbuilder who recently bought us the Continental Flying Star shooting break based on the GT.

Well, this is their work from the 1980s.



It is certainly a great statement in 1980s customisation and coachbuilding of cars.





I'm pretty sure that is a plastic rear window. Asking for glass would have been even more of a challenge.



Now with the roof down. It does look a little bit better with the roof down.



What is so good about these cars is the interiors.

Just amazing.

Button seats work very well.



Even with custom picnic tables. It is just great!



Buy it from Brigal AG for CHF 135'000 here.


Now on to the next one.



This time a 1984 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit Convertible by Carrozzeria Touring.



Roof up, it looks slightly large to the rear, but I certainly would get used to it if I stared at it for a bit.



And these cars a very much for looking at.



You just can't go past two tone gold and silver wire wheels.



Their choice is a given on any respectable 1980s coachbuilt wonder.





Now to the interior. Again amazing.

What a stand out colour!



Equipment level? Outrageous!

Televisions in the front and back. Tape and VHS players everywhere.

But look at those picnic tables!

I have never seen side/door mounted picnic tables before, and these work so so well.

I want them! How convenient a feature.

Thinking about it, these could even be more than a picnic table, they are writing desks!

That's right, this car comes with a couple of desks in the rear so you can do your homework whilst watching telly while Dad is driving you to soccer practice. A perfect car to do almost anything in, especially on a sunny day.



This one has done 13000kms, that's under 500km per year. This car really is for looking at. It's for sale from Brigal AG for CHF 95'000.- here.


Now to the final Cabrio for sale.

This is also a Silver Spirit, this time a 1987 model, built with Italian flamboyance on an English base. Is that not the best combo?



Just take your time to look at the two tone. It is so unusual, but works so well.



It's around the front.



Above the coachline.



Around to the rear, joins at the back, but not the boot or bonnet. Quite different just it works!



From this angle you can really see just how good this car is.

I would leave the top down the whole time.

Mainly to give everyone a view of your spectacular interior!



That's right. Look closely. Crocodile skin interior. The business!



It just looks so amazing! I want it!



Again with the door mounted rear desks. Also with TVs, cabinets, a bar and probably a kitchen sink.



This one has an asking price of CHF 120'000 and has travelled 19000kms. For sale from Brigal AG here.

Price wise I think these care quite reasonable. Given they would have cost 10 times the asking amount, and the amazing features these cars have, and the fact that they were make by a significant coachbuilder and they are period perfect, they certainly tick all the boxes for museum pieces.

It's just a little pity for me, as they are left hand drive. It they were right hand drive, I'm sure a number of my fellow Aussies would have been more interested!

Let me know if you buy one!