Concours original condition. Surely the best Bentley Corniche in the world

1979 Rolls-Royce Bentley Corniche Bentley Corniche Additional Info:

 (866) 730-3007(866) 730-3007 Vehicle Original VIN : DBK050218

Bentley

Corniche

Convertible

1979

~ 8,950 genuine miles ~
in absolutely stunning original condition, and only
1-of-19 ever made!

Who buys/owns a brand-new Bentley or Rolls-Royce in 1979 and after 42 years, the car has only travelled 8,850 miles? We don't know but for whatever reason, this is that car!
An incredibly original and totally immaculate Bentley Corniche convertible, finished in 2-tone Walnut metallic over Silver Sand metallic with beige Connolly hide leather interior. The coach work waist-rails are finished in hand-painted twin-lines of fine gold.
This is an amazing COMPLETELY ORIGINAL condition example. Again, with a breathtaking 8,900 miles from only 3 owners. The last 2 owners being collectors having caretaken her for more than 30 years.
The Bentley Corniche is rare in itself, and "extremely rare" in this condition and mileage. Only in the early few years were these cars referred to as “Bentley Corniche”, soon after they were named “Bentley Continental” and only the Rolls-Royce referred to as the Corniche. Only 19 Bentley Corniches were made of which only some half were convertibles. So this example, in this conditions with such low miles, could well be described as “the best example of its kind in the world”.
This is a June 1979 build and a new American order car, however has the Euro specs of the first SZ series car with carburetors and transposing dual exhaust (left & right bank down separate side of the car as opposed to one side) and mineral oil hydraulics. This is a great case of having the best of both worlds; carburetors providing better performance with the reliability improvements of mineral oil instead of the 363 Castrol oil system.
This is an entirely unmolested and original example that is difficult to describe in words. Never restored and simply cosseted its whole life. Completely original factory paint, 100% original interior without so much as even a touch up on the seats or other leather finishes, the wood's original French polishing lacquer is in great condition, carpets like new and a headliner for the top near new looking - but indeed, also original.
As importantly, it has been maintained meticulously. Although rarely driven, the car has been regularly maintained by us over the last 3 years to include brand new Avon Turbosteel tyres. Some $20,000 in maintenance was done in 2018 which brought every major and minor service up to date, preventative maintenance done and all operational features such AC and electrics reviewed and serviced as required.
The car today, is in exemplary condition. Very straight, very clean, very true in all characteristics Rolls-Royce/Bentley. The paint is deep in lustre and shine and is entirely consistent. There are some small signs of the factory blends because of the paint age. Back in the days, Rolls-Royce would have to do small touch-ups as the cars got marked during the hand-building process. Being single stage paint, the cars would be sent back thru the paint shop to address these. You can see some of these if you look hard and for the purist, are a clear sign of originality. These are very minor, though, and are limited to only a few select places and not objectionable. Importantly, they do NOT detract from the cars high calibre of presentation and are ONLY mentioned out of “clear disclosure”.
The interior remains virtually perfect and is an outstanding feature on this convertible. All the wood is completely original and looks fantastic. There are a few small seat belt dings on the door cappings but minor enough to warrant leaving and for one to embrace the knowledge of it being factory original. The window surrounds, carpet and roof-lining, are in immaculate condition. The Connolly hide leather is stunning. Never been redyed and showing its original Connolly hide signature finish. Connolly leather has a 2-tone effect with a darker dressing in the depths of the grain. This is know as “Luxan grain”(*see note below). If you are familiar with Cognac leather in early Mercedes, you will understand this description, but with the Rolls-Royce leather, the effect being more subtle. Any form of redying, loses this burnished grain effect. This Corniche shows it off well with just the right amount of patina to look like, and feel like, a high-end Chesterfield couch. So inviting you want to just sit in it for no reason. This is an example that looks like it is only 10 years old. Certainly not 40!
(*Please, if the leather looks dirty to you then, very respectfully, you do not appreciate the quality and look that Connolly Vaumol hides bring us and may I kinldy suggest; a classic Rolls-Royce may not be for you)
Mechanically the car demonstrates all the hallmarks of a well-maintained example. Technically superb with all brakes/hydraulics working well. Suspension heights are correct which presented lower on the back with these earlier Corniches. The car drives really smooth, without any bumps, rattles or knocks. It truly glides and “floats” like the Shadow and Corniches of this era were designed and built to do. Testament of its well-maintained history is the cleanliness under the hood. Not detailed but appropriately maintained. The trunk presents just as well without so much as a mark in the Wilton wool carpet.
All external bright-work is well above standard and lights and lenses like new. The car is simply stunning to admire as well as drive.

~~ This Bentley Corniche is the epitome of a time-capsuled museum quality example. Totally original, very rare and a hard-to-believe 8,800 miles, this car would be welcomed by any museum anywhere in the world. ~~
International buyers welcomed as we have supplied and shipped many such examples world-wide

For extra photos on this fine example go to the link below.
The photos are of super high resolution so if you right click on any, you can zoom in and see every little detail and defect in considerable detail.
Click HERE to see some 150 high resolution photos

Walkaround video and test drive

Click HERE to see a walk-around video

Click HERE to see some 150 high resolution photos

Walkaround video and test drive

Click HERE to see a walk-around video

**PLEASE read auction terms and conditions below BEFORE bidding.**

~~ Important note: the $2,000 deposit is due within 24 hours.

If not paid, or if no contact is received within that period, we reserve the right to offer the car to any other party.~~

~~oo00oo~~

This Rolls-Royce is part of a private collection of the Park-Ward Motors Museum. Although licensed and bonded, I am not a main-stream retail car dealer or broker; I am a professional car collector of some 45 years with considerable experience and knowledge of Rolls-Royce and Bentley Motor Cars. I have a long standing reputation being associated with the marque which I take seriously. I take pride in my cars and have fun in collecting and restoring them. However, auctions are not a game so when you place a bid or offer, and you are the winning bidder, please understand you have entered a binding contract. You cannot bid and win the auction and expect not to meet the terms and conditions. Bidding and/or winning does not mean you are expecting me to “hold” the car until you have the opportunity to inspect it. Any inspection contemplated must be undertaken BEFORE you bid or make an offer and I openly welcome any potential buyer to come and personally inspect the car. Please note, however, we do NOT allow 3rd party inspectors because history has sadly proven, they are not worth their weight in salt. Do not waste your time nor money - come yourself and we will go over the car in detail with you. Once you bid or make an offer, you are doing so to buy WITHOUT conditions. Your bid can not be subject to anything. A $2000.00 deposit (non-refundable) is required within 24 hours of the close of the auction and payable by PayPal. The balance of funds are required within 7 days of the close of the auction and must be provided by cashier’s check or bank wire (unless, and only, if agreed otherwise in writing). I cannot accept PayPal for the balance unless you are willing to meet the cost of transfer fees or you are happy to pay via "pay a friend". Full payment must be made (and payments cleared) before the title and/or the vehicle is released. All payments are non-refundable. Payments as described above form an important part of this purchase contract and so, if all the funds are not received as outlined above, I reserve the right to terminate the transaction without notice. If there has been any deposit or other part payments received and I elect to terminate the contract and/or if you fail to complete the transaction, I reserve the right to keep any such deposits or payments and resell the vehicle to another bidder or interested party or re-list the vehicle at any time. To be clear, if you change your mind for ANY reason and do not complete the transaction in the time-frame required, you will forfeit your deposit and any other monies paid. And, to make it very clear, paying by credit card, if so accepted, does not mean you can unilaterally elect to seek a refund from your credit card provider and/or lender. I am happy to assist with shipping arrangements on a national and worldwide basis but the winning bidder takes full responsibility for pickup and/or shipping and at his cost.

As a collector and experienced restorer of the marque, I make every effort to bring my cars to a high standard, both before and after the sale. By comparison, my cars are generally far superior to others available but they are by no means perfect. You must expect some issues. Unless specifically stated, the car is not of show standard but of nice "driver" condition. Please understand, show cars of this model cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to achieve and sell for prices commensurate, so the sale price of this car reflects its relative condition. You are buying "condition" accordingly. Buyers should not expect to receive concours quality or "perfect" cars at these prices. Please also understand, the very nature of these classic Rolls-Royces is such that it is not always possible to attend to every item, or perhaps I may have inadvertently overlooked items. Further, and very importantly, these cars are classic cars also because they are old. So this means if a car is 50 years old, then it is predominantly comprised of 50 year old parts. And old parts will fail. All buyers must understand and expect that things can or will wear out, break and/or stop functioning without notice, even if we have inspected it. This is even more likely with hand-built English cars of early technology when compared to the typical American car of the same vintage. Please note, fitted radio/stereo systems are usually subject to upgrade by purchasers so I do not ensure operation of these. Similarly, cruise control systems fitted to these classics were of an inferior design and I do not check or warrant the operation of these. Suspension and brakes on these cars are complex. We thoroughly check them and replace things that are identified faulty. But please understand, by example; if we refurbish or replace a brake caliper because it appears aged or faulty, we do NOT at the same time refurbish or place all other brake calipers because they are of similar age. This is considered "preventative maintenance". We do not do this unless specifically requested and is not included in the purchase price. Feel free to ask for this additional service. Further, a feature or function that is working perfectly one moment, may decide to play-up the next. After all, it is several decades old. This is the nature of any classic car and especially a Rolls-Royce which was very "complicated" for its era. For this reason it is necessary for the following condition:
The vehicle is being sold "as-is/where-is" with no warranty expressed, written or implied. Any descriptions or representations are made with reasonable judgment and all efforts are made to ensure fair assessment and accuracy but they are for descriptive and identification purposes only and are not to be construed as a warranty of any type. The seller shall not be responsible for errors in description, authenticity, genuineness, or defects herein and makes no warranty in connection therewith. If any aspect of the description contradicts what can be seen in the photos, then the photos shall prevail as the reference point. No allowance or set aside will be made on account of any incorrectness, unforeseen imperfection, defect or damage. It is the responsibility of the buyer to have satisfied himself as to the condition and value and to bid based upon that judgment solely. The seller shall and will make every reasonable effort to disclose any known defects at the buyer’s request prior to the close of the auction. Seller assumes no responsibility for any repairs regardless of any written or oral statements about the vehicle.Being a classic car in excess of 10 years of age, in mostUSstates, the mileage may be recorded as “exempt”. In this regard the seller makes no warranties as to the accuracy of the mileage indicated or shown and accepts no responsibility for any discrepancy with independent reports such as Carfax, AutoCheck, etc.In this regard the seller makes no warranties as to the accuracy of the mileage indicated or shown. I can hold the vehicle up to 30 days while you arrange shipping but you must immediately insure it. I will not bear any responsibility for any additional costs including storage, transportation, or repair after the close of the auction. Whereas I am happy to store the car in excess of 30 days from auction end, a cost of $35 per day shall apply beyond 30 days of auction end. Also, you must remember that this is a classic +50 year old vehicle, and while it is up to you, I do not recommend that you just “hop in and drive it across the country”until you have familiarised yourself with the car. At least, I have never done that. I have always professionally transported the cars in enclosed carriers from where I bought them to my home.

PLEASE; IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO ABIDE BY THESE TERMS, CONTACT ME BEFORE YOU CONTEMPLATE DOING SO AS, RESPECTFULLY, THERE CAN BE NO EXCEPTIONS.
Finally, the advertised or "Buy it Now" price is a price whereby we are committed to do repair work on the car if we see something "not right". This may occur after the sale and before delivery. It is our commitment to excellence. So, to be clear, if the agreed selling price is less than 85% of the initial asking price, then the sale is considered a wholesale "as-is" sale. To put it simply, and to be fair, a buyer cannot expect to buy "cheap" and get all the benefits otherwise associated with a retail value type sale.

I am sorry if these terms seem harsh but there seem to be some very unrealistic buyers out there - fortunately, only few of these people exist but those that do can make life difficult, so it appears EVERYTHING needs to spelled out. Very simply put, this is an old car being offered for sale. It is not new and is subject to the perils of age. Further, Rolls-Royces are not without nuances, idiosyncrasies and they are renown for a host of design issues which can make them not inexpensive to maintain. This is well documented in many circles. You need to be a special and considerate type of purchaser to ownaRolls-Royce. Their down-side is part of the fun in owning them! As the old saying goes; "we love to hate them and hate to love them!" So, please respect the terms and conditions when you bid.

~~oo00oo~~