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1981' Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
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£70,000Published 12 October 2026ID: kIKHMs
- H&H
- Cheshire
- +44Show phone
Information from the owner
Body: Convertible
Age: 45 years
Fuel: Petrol
Transmission: Manual
Exterior color: Beige
Interior: Air Conditioning
Exterior: Fog lamps
Electronics: AM/FM Radio
Seller's comments about 1981' Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
Pavilion Gardens | Buxton, Derbyshire Viewing: Tues 13th October from 12pm Auction 14th October, 2026 12:00 Location: Pavilion Gardens St John's Rd, Buxton SK17 6BE Registration No: GSK 454 Chassis No: DRH0050701 MOT: Exempt Finished in stunning Willow Gold Metallic with a sumptuous Beige leather upholstery A well looked after and very low mileage example Offered with an extensive history file Understood to have only been used on the best of days Rolls-Royce registered the Corniche name in the 1930s and apparently assigned it to a prototype based on the Bentley MKV, but the model was never progressed due to the onset of World War Two. The moniker was finally first employed in 1971 on the Coupe and Convertible versions of the Silver Shadow. In common with the Shadow, the newcomer was penned by in-house designer John Polwhele Blatchley and the underbody and floorpan crafted by Pressed Steel Fisher. Initial assembly (including alloy bonnet, bootlid and doors) was thereafter entrusted to the coachbuilder Mulliner Park Ward of Willesden, London – by then a wholly-owned division of Rolls-Royce. At this stage the cars were transported to the main factory in Crewe for the installation of the running gear before returning to London for the trimming, painting and finishing. Power was provided by the company’s venerable 6. 75-litre V8, whose origins could be traced back to the 1950s. This was mated to a GM Turbo Hydramatic 400 three-speed automatic transmission. Suspension was independent by coil springs all round, augmented by a Citroen-originated hydraulic self-levelling system. Braking was by discs, with ventilated units being phased in for 1972. Introduced some five years later, the second series version of the Corniche gained the same rack and pinion steering and improved front suspension geometry as its Silver Shadow II sibling. Further improved in 1979 / 1980, the coachbuilt cars adopted mineral oil for their hydraulic systems and a modified rear suspension set-up that presaged the one that the Silver Spirit would later adopt. The vast majority of the 2, 017 second series Corniche Convertibles sold between 1977 and 1987 were to left-hand drive specification. Finished in stunning Willow Gold Metallic with its sumptuous Beige leather upholstery complimented by a Chocolate Brown dashtop, piping and Everflex soft-top, chassis DRH0050701 was originally supplied via Gauld’s of Glasgow for the princely sum of £63, 757 (the equivalent of over £250, 000 today). The original sales invoice pleasingly remains on file as do other documents which record the Rolls-Royce’s mileage in 1991 and 1994 as being 5, 271 and 8, 523 plus approximately 1, 500 respectively. The latter, a sales invoice issued by the renowned marque specialist P&A Wood, suggests that the Corniche had undergone a speedometer change. Today, the luxurious convertible displays just 17, 200 miles to its odometer and is thus thought to have covered less than 19, 000 miles from new. Notably well preserved, the Corniche has been kept garaged throughout its life and seemingly only enjoyed on the occasional high day and holiday (apparently averaging a scant 416 miles per annum). Items such as the often lost Lucas fog light covers remain in situ as do numerous under bonnet stickers which are typically burnt off on higher mileage examples. Indeed, the seller deems ‘GSK 454’ to be in “exceptional overall condition” and highlights the cossetting interior with its lustrous wood veneers, power soft-top roof, all round electric windows, electrically adjustable seats, air conditioning, power steering, front / rear headrests and radio / cassette player. Worthy of close inspection, this decidedly handsome second series Corniche is offered for sale with copy RREC construction / test records, the aforementioned original sales invoice, replacement service book, period sales brochure, assorted old MOT certificates and various invoices (which include P&A Wood). ** Bidding will take place live at the venue, online via our H&H website, by telephone and commission - T&Cs apply** Entry by catalogue and can be purchased for £20 (admits 2...
