If you’re a fan of Top Gear then you probably watched the new series anyway, to see how the new presenters perform. Admittedly, things didn’t go as smooth as they used to but considering this was the first season with a new cast, we could cut the guys some slack. Also, if you watched the latest episodes, then you might remember that Chris Evans dared to compare the new Rolls-Royce Dawn Convertible with a considerably older Rolls-Royce Corniche model. Was he wrong to do so?
In our opinion: no. The thing is, like it or not, the Corniche truly is the predecessor of the current Dawn, even if the only real connection between the two is the Spirit of Ecstasy emblem on the hood. What’s even more surprising is how cheap such older models come these days, one of them being up for grabs at the end of this month, at the Silverstone auction on July 30.
The sellers expect the car to be sold for anything between £40,000 – £50,000 which translates into $52,000 to $66,0000. That’s nothing compared to how much a more modern model costs and yet, the patina the car comes with might just be priceless. Therefore, the question Evans asked during the show doesn’t seem all that ridiculous now, does it? The price tag of a Corniche that actually comes with a Rolls-Royce badge as well, makes it a tantalizing proposition if you want to add a Rolls to your collection.
The car in question here though, was owned by a Sir back in the day, making it even more interesting. Having an eye-watering price tag back when the drop top was launched, only royalty and extremely rich people could afford it after all and after Sir Bruce Forsyth sold it in 1987 it was bought by Alpine Grant, the brother and manager of ‘Eddy’ Grant, founding member of the Equals pop group. Therefore, it also comes with a story, as most Rolls-Royce models do. The V8 engine under the hood was also perfectly maintained over the years and the car does look to be in perfect shape, leaving you only to fuel it up and enjoy it on a mild summer day.
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