Hooper Silver Corniche

A Silver Corniche? Confused? Rightly so.

This is what happened when coachbuilder Hooper blended a Rolls Royce Silver Spirit with a Rolls Royce Corniche fixed head coupe.



A lot of word is needed to mount Silver Spirit headlights to a Corniche fixed head coupe. It is not simply a couple of bolts.

The year was 1993, looks like it should have been done in 1983. Hooper may still be around today if they got the decade right.

My prediction is that someone will buy the Hooper name and revive it as a modern day coach builder for current Rolls Royce and Bentley cars. That's the way the industry is heading.

The car also has a brother!

Here is another example that is right hand drive, based on a 1978 Corniche.



The front quarter panels certainly have had a lot of work.

Picture (Maurice)

Bentley R Type Continential Register

The Bentley R Type Continential Register is a fantastic resource for Bentley spotters.

Take a look at this beauty.



It just gives you an instant smile. Then an inquisitive mind may want to know more. Simple hit the Bentley R Type Continential Register.



So what can we tell? Well, the body tells us it is a R Type Contiential, and that it is a fastback. Then there is the registration number. ABC 12. Lets look it up.

Registration number ABC 12. Oh that is car engine number BC6E, a 4.9 which is an E series car. It's body number 5809 by H J Mulliner. It was delivered 20 April 1955 via Jack Barclay Ltd to its first owner W.P. Harrower from England.



He then sold it on the 10 March 1958 to W. L. E. Frisby also from England. In 1965 Frisby sold the car to Wm. R. Pennell from Canada. The car was again sold to another Canadian in 1970, one Blair Hamilton who eight years later sold it back to an Englishman Guy Black. Mr Black sold it a year later to Campbell Mackenzie of England. The current owner, Manrico Iachia from Poland Portugal acquired the car in 1998.



The original colour was black, but the paint was removed and alloy coachwork was polished. Simply fantastic.

Nearly all the Bentley R Type Continentals are on the register. When you spot one next time, look it up!

The Bentley Special

I do like modern coachbuilt Bentley and Rolls Royce cars.

Here is another.



Very little information is known to me about this car. It looks like a modern Bentley Mark IV Special body. But really I have no idea. It is certainly impressive.

I did notice that the car was on the track at the Bentley Drivers Club annual run at Silverstone.

Here is a quick glimpse of video curtsey of Phantom Motor Cars.

Now a picture of the Bentley Special on the track. From the sticker it is a Gibbs Bentley Special.



It looks even more menacing with the mud guards off.

Location Scouting for the Corniche

So what does the West Bank, stables in Westminster, wheat in Wyoming and a garden in Western Australia have in common?

Well they are all location spots for some Rolls Royce Corniche press photos. How obvious.

The West Bank.



Westminster.



Wyoming.



Western Australia.



In the wet.



I just may have made up the locations.

These are high resolution photographs, very suitable for Desktop Backgrounds.

Updating an '86 Bentley Mulsanne

Let us go straight to the finshed product.


This 1986 Bentley Mulsanne was advertised in Autotrader UK a couple of weeks ago.

It certainly does not look like an '86 model. The key is alloys from the mid '90s, colour coded bumper bars, and the pièce de résistance clear indicator lights up front and clear lights on the rear.



Not for everyone, but some nice plastic surgery.

The old Flying B

The classic flying B. Really up close.



Someone should put one on the new a Bentley Continential GT Speed.

Hopefully more frequent posts to come soon.

Bentley Continental GTC Widebody LE MANSory, by Mansory

From the recent Frankfurt motor show comes the new limited edition Bentley Continental GT Widebody Le MANSory, by Mansory.



In similar style to the Continental GT widebody, most body panels have been changed, and new day driving lights fitted to the front.





Limited to 24 as per the previous widebody Continential GT featured before here.



Even though Mansory classes themselves as an accessories or customization company and not coachbuilder or a car manufacture, this practice of completely transforming a Bentley body does give them, in my eyes coachbuilding status.



The interior is just as spectacular.



Lets try and spot more Mansory widebody cars from around the world. Keep your eyes open in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.



For more Mansory posts click here.

Press the play button to view the Media release video.

Pictures and Video courtesy (-=Mansory=-)

Flaming Convertible Silver Spirit

This put a smile on my face today. It's a genuine flaming 4 door convertible Rolls Royce Silver Spirit.



From 1983 VIN no. scazs42a9dcx06510, American specification.



Seriously. Ebay of course, item number: 200149009836



The car is amazing. Wow, it is a full cut 4 door convertible, has flames, has gold wheels.



It even a rear external mount spare wheel with hard cover with a boomerang antenna.



Jaw dropping stuff.



I am adding it as the 16th car in the super gallery of Silver Spirit / Turbo R based convertible cars on earth.



Definitely a Spirit from below not above.



Celebrity owned dubbed the 'Las Vegas' with a reserve of $US14,500.00



You would need to factor in a new paint job of course.

Bentley Brooklands with Black Wheels.

At the beginning of August this year, it was the Bentley Drivers Club Annual day at Silverstone National Circuit.

For those who did not attend, Tim Dunlop of www.dunlopix.com has made a great gallery of photographs of the day, especially of the Le Mans winning 2001 Bentley EXP Speed 8.

There is also this gem that stood out.

The new 2008 Bentley Brooklands, this time with black wheels. Very modern.



Definitely looking forward to spotting these on the street next year.



Pictures courtesy (Tim Dunlop) reproduced with permission.

Images are copyright of Tim Dunlop and Dunlopix and may not be reproduced without prior written consent

Rolls Royce Silver Spirit III with body by DC Design

Bentley Spotting has spotted Bentleys out the front of Dior before, and Rolls Royces parked outside of Mulberry and the cobbler John Lobb, now its a Rolls Royce parked out the front of shops including Chanel, Freo and Cartier.



Yes, it really is a Rolls Royce. It is a 1995 Rolls Royce Silver Spirit III with a body by DC design. Of India, yes India not to be confused with Italy.



This one off car has stirred much interest on the Internet, as people are so not used to seeing coachbuilt modern cars. It is certainly one sure head turner. Take a look at these heads turning.



It even has the modern party piece, Lambo style scissor doors.



The car has been called a batmobile, a half bred Nissan 350Z and simply ugly. But it is so up my alley. Simply because it is a modern coachbuilt car it is enjoyable.



It does not matter that the rear lights are as large as Antarctica.



What stands out at the front is that the bonnet covers the top of the RR grill. This is now the standard design on the very new 2007 Rolls Royce Drop Head Coupe. Quite futuristic and forward thinking by DC design.



What is surprising is that it is currently for sale. Where else would you buy a modern coachbuilt car in London besides The Chelsea Workshop of course. They still mind you, have the coachbuilt Bentley for the Sultan of Brunei for sale.



The car has travelled 35000 miles and they are accepting 'Offers'.

Pictures (The Chelsea Workshop, DC design, Webfinds)