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WORDS DAVID LILLYWHITE

PHOTOGRAPHY SAM CHICK Even today’s Bentleys owe their styling to a couple of 1930s one-offs: the famous Embiricos and this, the Corniche, which has been completed in-house by the factory’s Mulliner division CORNICHE

BENTLEY HAS A secret; it’s been ‘By mid-1940 the car had a significant but largely forgotten part of the marque’s history since been largely destroyed the late 1930s, never deliberately hidden but never actively publicised since things went disastrously through a series wrong 80 years ago. This is the Corniche, truly the of misfortunes’ missing link between vintage Bentleys of yore and the R Type Continental of the 1950s, which inspired the Continental GTs of today. Work on the prototype started in early 1939, but by mid-1940 the car had been largely destroyed through a series of misfortunes that you really couldn’t have made up. Enough parts from the Corniche programme survived to inspire its resurrection, though. And it just so happened that the very first test drive of the recreated Corniche that you see here took place on July 10, 2019 – the 100th birthday of the Bentley marque. We’ll return to this in a moment; you need the back story first... The Corniche was born in a time when any Bentley sold in the UK absolutely had to be of the ‘English’ style – that is, with an upright radiator and huge headlights – despite that style seriously limiting top speed. Meanwhile, there were a few crafty chaps who were less reverential, producing distinctly untraditional streamlined bodies. Dash them all! The most successful of these was the rakish 4¼ built for André Embiricos by the French Carrosserie Pourtout, to a design by Georges Paulin. The Embiricos Bentley had been encouraged by renegade engineers at the marque keen to show the capabilities of their cars. It gained a creeping admiration from the more daring Bentley managers, nudged on by customer demand for faster, more sporting variants. 60 / MAGNETO BMAGNETO / 59 BENTLEY CORNICHE

However, it was uncomfortable the Experimental Department on Vanvooren for repairs, and quickly ‘A few invaluable drawings by Bentley standards, and was June 7. Testing started within collected again on August 8 by based on a defunct model. days, and at Brooklands on June 26 experienced test driver Percy Bentley, having been rescued by the Corniche achieved creditable Rose. Then, on the way back and technical specifications Rolls-Royce and moved to that 109mph and 111mph times on to Chateauroux, disaster struck! marque’s Derby factory in 1931, the flying mile. With the roads wet from a recent was set to introduce its new It was then returned to France rainfall, a local driver pulled out were sourced, and the few ‘rationalised range’ MkV saloon for high-speed testing from the in front of the Corniche. Rose in late 1939. A proposal was made company’s depot at Chateauroux, swerved to miss the car, went off pictures existing of the car to also produce a lighter, more from where it was driven hard on the road, hit a tree and rolled over. powerful version of the MkV, to French autoroutes and Italian Body and chassis were badly be named the Corniche. Paulin autostradas. Initial faults logged damaged, although Rose got away were forensically examined’ was contracted to design a rakish, included poor water sealing with minor injuries (and a aerodynamic body, while the around the doors, inadequate subsequent telling-off for driving Bentley Experimental Department cabin ventilation and a tendency too fast); a telegram was quickly commissioned a thinner-gauge for the engine to run hot – though sent to Derby to advise that the (0.092in instead of 0.128in) MkV not overheat – at high speed. car’s testing was over for the chassis and higher-power engine. But in July, while being driven foreseeable future. By May 1939 Paulin’s design on the road by engineer Ivan Back at the factory, it had been had been completed by French Waller, the one-off Corniche was planned that the Corniche would Vanvooren, and was clipped by a bus. feature at the imminent Earls shipped to England, arriving at It was returned immediately to Court and motor shows,

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alongside a standard-bodied MkV. And that was the Corniche ‘Many of the A replacement chassis was quickly gone. Within two years, the great ordered, and the Corniche’s body talent of Georges Paulin was lost, removed from the damaged too, when he was executed along necessary chassis to be repaired locally in with master coachbuilder Jacques Chateauroux rather than wait for Kellner for working with the Vanvooren. The chassis was . The war also coachbuilding transported back to Derby, spelt the end of the MkV Bentley, arriving at the factory on August with just 14 completed. skills were 16, where it was to be stripped and rebuilt onto its replacement. Eighty years on, and 100 years But on September 3, war was since WO Bentley formed the already a declared. Within a day all car company, the Corniche is back, production at Bentley had ceased, using a mix of original and re- major part and any works in progress moved made components. That it exists into storage. At the Chateauroux again at all is thanks to remarkable body shop, repair work continued work by the Rolls-Royce Heritage of Mulliner’ slowly, and it wasn’t until March Trust, coachbuilder Ashley & 1940 that the body was completed James, and the staff across all and shipped to Dieppe, where departments of Bentley Motors, cross-channel ferries were still particularly the Mulliner division. operating despite the war. And, of course, the project started Except, when the repaired body with a chance conversation, as arrived at Dieppe, the RAC official these things so often do. responsible for export duties Former Bentley director, now insisted that as the Corniche had automotive historian, Ken Lea passed through customs the takes up the story: “Sir Ralph previous year, then the repaired Robins [then Rolls-Royce CEO] body constituted a second car, had a Derby Bentley that he raced, and must be taxed as such. and which I helped look after. In Bentley refused to pay, rightly 2001 he had a blown engine; he pointing out that only the chassis found a replacement but phoned had been shipped in 1939. In a me to say it didn’t fit. I said: ABOVE The style Captain Mainwaring-like reply, ‘What’s the engine number?’ and of the cabin was the RAC claimed that: “Our men realised it wasn’t a standard 4¼ worked up with the cannot have missed that there [Derby Bentley], it was a MkV unit. Bentley design team. Most of the interior was no body, so there was!” While “That got us talking about the parts, right down to the dispute rumbled on, the body Corniche, and he was the one who the custom-cast door was stored in a warehouse at persuaded the Rolls-Royce board handles, are unique the Dieppe docks. that we should build a running to the Corniche, and The story gets worse. At some chassis. I knew of a private all the wood trim was created in- point during the evacuation of individual with a lightweight house from scratch. Dunkirk, in late May or early June chassis – it had been standing for 1940, the Corniche was destroyed years in tall grass so one side was in a bombing raid. A memo to badly corroded.” Bentley management from an There were three lightweight RAC official asked where the keys chassis made. One was the for the car should be sent. The Corniche chassis damaged in the reply was apparently “robust”… crash in France, and another was

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its intended replacement. Bentley halfway through, the work Experimental Department chassis continued whenever possible over ‘We’ll use never received serial numbers, so the following eight years. there’s little way to know which “I cannot over emphasise the one it is – but Ken is convinced contributions Ashley & James it as an that this was the original Corniche made to this project,” says Ken. chassis. It appeared to have been Back in February 2018, Adrian stripped and used for testing, Hallmark joined Bentley as important before being sold off by Rolls- CEO, the successor to Wolfgang Royce in 1971, as were so many Dürheimer. He’d returned to piece of our spares at the time, including many Bentley after 13 years, and within MkV and Corniche parts that had days of arrival quizzed Robin Peel been made ready for production. on projects that his Heritage history; So the project was off the department was involved with. ground, based at the Rolls-Royce “Adrian made it clear that the it will travel Heritage Trust in Derby. A few Corniche was to come to Crewe,” invaluable drawings and technical remembers Robin. “He saw the specifications of the Corniche significance of the car and what the world’ were sourced by the Sir Henry Bentley involvement would add to Royce Memorial Foundation and it.” But where would the Corniche the Paulin family, and the few be housed? A meeting was held pictures existing of the car were between departments, with one of forensically examined. the attendees being Glyn Davies, An engine was rebuilt to the special projects leader of the Corniche specification, with high- Mulliner bespoke division. compression pistons and larger “I had no idea what this car carburettors and inlet manifold, was,” says Glyn, “but it sounded and the chassis was slowly built right up Mulliner’s street, so I up, as rare MkV and Corniche stuck my hand up and said ‘we’ll spares were further sourced. take it’, and I’ve stayed with the The team of Rolls-Royce project ever since.” Heritage Trust volunteers, headed It helped that Glyn had by Ken, progressed steadily with previously worked with Ken Lea the project, with the Supermarine in the old Bentley Experimental Spitfire team at the Trust joining Department during the late 1980s. in to create a new bulkhead from a He knew that many of the single sheet of metal. However, by necessary coachbuilding skills 2008 Rolls-Royce funding was were already a major part of drying up, so Bentley stepped Mulliner, which creates bespoke in to help. A decision was then Bentleys to special order. made to start on the bodywork It was decided that the Corniche alongside the chassis, rather than wouldn’t have an overall project waiting for the chassis to be leader, but that it would be run completed – a decision that Ken by Robin, Glyn, Ken and Mulliner says saved the project. operations manager Ian Broomhall. Responsibility for the ash frame They would meet every Tuesday and bodywork was handed to evening to assess progress. coachbuilder Ashley & James, of “My first impression was the Lymington, Hampshire. Ken worked with it to establish the OPPOSITE Paulin’s remarkable structure of the body, of which design for the Corniche specified there was no documentation – complicated curves, particularly and even though funds dried up around the front wings.

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time-scale,” recalls Ian. “How the CAD,” says Glyn. “Then we would dozens and dozens of varying hell were we going to do this! But cross reference with the original paint samples, to get right,” recalls it provided a fantastic opportunity photo, comparing it with the CAD Glyn. “Sample after sample was for Mulliner to show the skills model. The styling department’s rejected by the steering group, but that we have here.” modellers supported the project by the Bentley paint team, led by Rob The Corniche arrived in producing a pair of vane-assembly Thompson, stuck with us, using September 2018 on the assembled tools in their own time, machined spectral analysis to analyse the rolling chassis. After examination, in Ureol, to help create each vane colour and finally formulate the it was moved from Mulliner to the and its positioning. Each one was new Heather Grey, which looks Mulsanne build area at the top of individually designed in CAD, exactly right. The red formulation the factory, where the body-in- computer analysed for airflow, was named as Imperial Maroon.” white craftsmen would work on it then painstakingly hand formed In parallel with the trials and in their spare time. By now it was in three planes. The car was with tribulations of the bodywork and autumn, and the team – including Mulliner for six months, and the paint, there was also the interior Adrian Hallmark – would traipse vanes were only screwed into to finish. Trouble was, there were the length of the factory in the place on the last day.” no full pictures of the interior. cold, wet and dark to work on the Meanwhile, work on the So, what to do? car or to receive weekly updates. bodywork continued, particularly Bentley head of interior design They’d often end up gathered on devising better sealing for Darren Day, and his team Louise around the front of the car, the doors. Working alongside McCallum and Frederic Dams, examining old pictures of the Ken, Mulliner Nick worked with Ken to translate his grille. This would prove to be the Chandler, Kev Foster and Ian research into 2D styling images. ‘Team would most challenging part of the Williams completed the finishing Ken had examined Vanvooren project for Mulliner; work was touches for the body. styles, descriptions from Corniche traipse the needed on the amount of cooling Then the question came up documentation and the glimpses air through the grille, plus it was of paint choice. The body colour of interior visible through the length of the clear from the pictures that, as a was well documented as French windows in exterior photos. The prototype, there were uneven Garnet, but as for the side strip… resultant artwork helped Mulliner’s factory in the gaps between the vanes of the “The reports said ‘pinky grey’; coachbuilders to visualise what Corniche’s grille. Adrian Hallmark we really couldn’t understand they needed to create. cold, wet and made it very clear that the that,” says Ken. “But we also Rolls-Royce specialist The Real recreated item would need to be knew that the Corniche had a Car Co. in Wales had donated dark to work to a higher standard. West of England cloth headliner, many Vanvooren parts early on in “We scanned the vehicle’s nose and when we found a roll of that the project’s life, including original on the car’ and apertures in the body, and did we realised it had a pink tinge.” Vanvooren seats. In their spare a bit of reverse engineering in “It still took three months, and time, the design team used all this

ABOVE The Corniche runs a modestly tuned version of the MkV’s new 4¼-litre inline six-cylinder engine, built to the original production specs – higher compression and larger carburettors and intake manifold. RIGHT The team replicated Vanvooren’s typical style for the seats, and even managed to create a Vanvooren-type interior light and a rear window blind.

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to design upholstery patterns that master carpenter Gary Bedson, an accident, there wouldn’t have intended production specification, are thought to be as close to the who created a steam box to bend been any need to recreate the going by Paulin’s design sketches original as is possible. the wood to the curves of the Corniche, but… – and that’s how you see it on Jonathan Connolly visited from windows (and note just how Anyway, yet more tricky bits; these pages, ready for a new life Connolly Leather, and he helped curved the rear edges of the rear the headlamp assemblies were on the Bentley Heritage fleet. specify the authentic Connolly door windows are). It was a slow unique, and the originals were “We’ll use it as an important Vaumol hide in a colour that process, with Gary sometimes never, ever tracked down. The piece of our history; it will travel worked with the exterior. The disappearing in a cloud of steam headlamp cans had been hand the world,” Robin confirms. “It seats themselves had to be made for an hour for just one degree formed in brass by Ashley & will be used in the appropriate first, though, adapting a MkVI more of curve, but the end result James, and the Mulliner team had fashion at events and rallies, rear cushion and the donated is quite remarkable. them silvered in the Birmingham relevant to the Bentley marque.” Vanvooren parts. The first step An important aspect of the jewellery quarter. After weeks of How appropriate, then, was was to strip down the tatty project was that apprentices were research, a glass maker was that centenary day first drive – Vanvooren rear seat to examine involved, too, as part of the persuaded to produce the lenses. and equally appropriate that it its construction. programme of passing down Thankfully the window glass should be Ken behind the wheel, “It was a like a cartoon,” laughs coachbuilding schemes to a new was easier, made from plywood giving other members of the team Robin. “As the sackcloth came off generation. A tool tray, carrying patterns by GKN Aerospace – passenger rides. the springs burst out, and the genuine tools collected by Ken, formerly Pilkington and before “It was a delight to drive,” he horsehair went everywhere!” The was created by Nathan Betteley that Triplex, who had produced says, “but Mk5s are a delight trim-development department to sit in the boot; Brad Horton the original glass. because they ride so well on their managed to source horsehair and assisted Dave Latham on the The original Corniche had long wheelbase. The vision is the correct style of sackcloth and electrics; Dominic Grimshaw never quite been completely stunning, it doesn’t give a pillbox twine, and the Mulliner team had was involved with the sheet finished, so the pictures of the car effect from inside, and the engine the springs remade. metalwork; Jack Edwards made in testing show crude bumpers and gearbox were even better The dashboard was assembled use of his coachbuilding skills and and different rear lights from than expected. We all stood back using the correct Bentley MkV Terry Feeley helped with trim. those specified by Paulin. It was at the end of it; we couldn’t quite instrumentation and switchgear. One of the few parts that there decided to complete the car to its believe we’d done it!” The door handles and window were no drawings for was the The Corniche is likely to appear winders had been cast specifically exhaust. A picture had been taken first at a UK event in September. for the Corniche, in Vanvooren of the car post accident, when it ‘We all stood As for the Mulliner team, can style, by Ashley & James. tipped on its side, giving a clear we expect more classic Bentley Then there were the wooden view of the original exhaust back at the projects from the crew in the future window surrounds to create… layout. Of course, there’s an after the success of the Corniche? These were the job of Mulliner argument that if there hadn’t been end of it; Don’t rule anything out... we couldn’t quite believe we’d done it!’

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