BENTLEY RECREATES 1939 CORNICHE
LOST IN FRANCE at the outbreak of WWII, this 1939 Corniche has undergone with a ground-up rebuild by Bentley.
The Corniche, a streamlined design and a quantum leap forward from traditional Bentleys of the 1920s and 1930s, was lost in France in 1939 after being extensively damaged in a traffic accident whilst undergoing testing. The chassis made it home to the Bentley plant in Derby, but the bodywork was destroyed in a bombing raid on Dieppe later in 1939 and was never seen again, until now.
The rebuilding project started several years ago by volunteers from the WO Bentley Memorial Foundation and the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation, but was brought in-house in February 2018 under Chairman and Chief Executive Adrian Hallmark, who wanted it to be completed in 2019 to celebrate Bentley’s centenary.
Using only the original technical drawings from Mulliner, Bentley’s in-house bespoke and coachbuilding division, this unique Corniche has been rebuilt in Crewe using original Corniche and Mark V mechanical components and a completely re-made body, identical in every detail to the original.
Every aspect of the project from the special paint mixes – named Imperial Maroon and Heather Grey – to the unique interior trim and accessories such as the tool tray and even the Mulliner tread plates on the door shuts were created from scratch.
“The 1939 Corniche was a clear step in Bentley’s design language which is evident when set aside the later and now iconic R-Type Continental. It is a pivotal car in the history of Bentley, demonstrating that even then, this great British marque was at the cutting edge of design and technology,” comments
Adrian Hallmark. “Mulliner’s stunning recreation of the Corniche clearly demonstrates our skill in restoring the greats from Bentley’s back catalogue as well as making beautiful personalised modern Bentleys.”
“It’s been a fantastic team effort,” said a proud Stefan Sielaff, Design Director at Bentley and Director of Mulliner. “We have highly skilled craftsmen within Mulliner and around the rest of Bentley Motors, and they all have massive pride in what they’ve achieved with this car.”
The Corniche made its first public appearance at Salon Privé at Blenheim Palace in September and was joined by Bentley’s Heritage fleet, which already includes WO Bentley’s 8-litre and the Birkin Team Blower, and will be exhibited at events around the world.