1971 Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible

The 1971 Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible gave a distinct name to the marque’s elegant open two-door car. Its appeal lies in the complete arrangement of body, cabin and folding roof, a coachbuilt interpretation of relaxed touring that remained separate from the four-door Silver Shadow.

A new name for an established idea

The Corniche name distinguished the two-door programme from the Silver Shadow saloon. This profile starts with the 1971 convertible and keeps it separate from the preceding Shadow-badged drophead and the closed Corniche saloon. Those distinctions are essential when reading production tables. A count for the earlier convertible, a two-door fixed-head model or a later numbered Corniche generation cannot be used interchangeably just because their silhouettes have a family resemblance.

Marinus Rijkers: early Corniche Convertible identity

The open body determines the character

The long doors, low rear body and folding fabric roof change how the occupants experience the car. With the roof lowered, the cabin becomes visually continuous with the body’s upper line; with it raised, the fabric creates a different enclosure from a fixed steel roof. This is a design interpretation rather than a measured performance claim. It explains why photographs of both roof positions and the folded mechanism are useful in a serious vehicle record.

Recognisable details need a date attached

The specialist model guide identifies Corniche wheel covers, rectangular reversing lamps, a distinct dashboard including a tachometer and an electrically folding roof among the early convertible’s features. It also describes changes in bumper treatment and export specification. These details should be used together, with the chassis and delivery year. An American-market bumper, a later replacement wheel cover or updated upholstery is not by itself proof that a car belongs to a different generation.

Marinus Rijkers: early Corniche Convertible identity

Count the right convertible population

The register’s comparative table gives 3,239 for the original Corniche Convertible model, separately from Corniche II, III, IV and S. Its early 1971–1977 sub-page gives 1,232 for that earlier configuration. This package uses the broader original-model identity without manufacturing a separate limited edition from the sub-period. The figures are specialist historical references, not an independent chassis census and not a combined Rolls-Royce and Bentley total.

Register: production references by model and body type

Inspect the roof as a system

For a collector, the folding hood, seals, frame, drainage and hydraulic or electrical operating equipment need to be considered alongside the engine and body. Records of repairs and replacement materials explain more than a single photograph with the top down. Pair that inspection with chassis documentation and dated interior images. A fresh hood and a restored cabin can be attractive, but they should be described accurately rather than implied to be untouched factory materials.

Specifications and identity reference

Rarity and production scope

This is the original Corniche Convertible programme, introduced in 1971. The specialist table’s 3,239 reference is separate from the 1,108 closed Corniche saloons and from later numbered Corniche series. Its 1,232 early-period sub-reference is not treated as another production population. Bentley-badged cars, the preceding Shadow-badged convertible and the 2000-generation Corniche are outside this record. No exact factory-audited census is asserted.

What the photograph represents

A 1971 left-hand-drive Corniche Drophead Coupe. Early convertible illustration, separate from the closed Corniche saloon, later numbered Corniche generations and Bentley-badged equivalents.

Related Rolls-Royce heritage profiles

• 1995 Rolls-Royce Corniche S
• 2014 Rolls-Royce Phantom Waterspeed Collection

Frequently asked questions

Is the Corniche Convertible count the same as the coupe count?

No. The register lists the open and closed body types separately.

Does the photograph show a later Corniche II?

The chosen image is catalogued as a 1971 convertible, illustrating the original Corniche introduction.

What is the production-count boundary for this profile?

This is the original Corniche Convertible programme, introduced in 1971. The specialist table’s 3,239 reference is separate from the 1,108 closed Corniche saloons and from later numbered Corniche series. Its 1,232 early-period sub-reference is not treated as another production population. Bentley-badged cars, the preceding Shadow-badged convertible and the 2000-generation Corniche are outside this record. No exact factory-audited census is asserted.

Sources and further reading

1. Marinus Rijkers: early Corniche Convertible identity
2. Register: production references by model and body type

Research checked 18 October 2026. Linked factory announcements, museum records and attributed specialist research support the specifically identified claims. Photographic descriptions identify the illustrated subject. Design analysis and suggested authentication steps are editorial interpretation.