THE IC IntoCar VIEW

John Tupper, managing director of IntroCar, says:

Richard Gunn ably covers the fascinating story of how RollsRoyce came up with a design that was so out of kilter with the rest of the model range, and even the historical oeuvre of coachbuilders and designers of "standard" RollsRoyce models. We should remember that the Camargue was a product fresh from the political paroxysms of the 1960s and economic shocks of the early part the 1970s, emerging into a world where the status quo had been thoroughly upturned. This found its way inevitably into art, popular culture and design. It is only now - a whole 50 years later - that a fresh wave of enthusiastic owners are able to embrace the design and the context into which it was born.

As an investment, the value of the Camargue seems only likely to travel north. The car is rare and usually owned by persons who regard the vehicle as a statement rather than an expensive run-around. As a car that can be maintained mechanically, the truth is that they are pretty much as easy to look after as a

Silver Shadow or Silver Spirit, which means that availability of spares is excellent and expert technicians well represented (if you allow for the fact that they are usually pretty busy). In summary, anything mechanical can be fixed, and the specialist network is well-equipped to do so. For that reason, I will not go into depth into what to look out for in terms of the vehicle running gear, as previous articles cover that ad nauseum. I will recommend including the full chassis number with any parts enquiry.

There are some wrinkles in what was fitted to the Camargue and when, which does not always correlate perfectly with a Silver Shadow or

Silver Spirit (etc.) of the same year.

For those looking to own a unique part of the history of Rolls-Royce Motors, not many will be available for sale at any one time. Most ownership challenges will centre around the unique features of the car, by which I mean the interior and exterior trim and bodywork. Damaged and missing parts are likely to be difficult if not quite impossible to source. Creative solutions will be required, which takes time and costs money. Nevertheless, I am always surprised by how much is around. The spares are recognisable, so people in the know often realise what they are being offered when it turns up on the marketplace. If ownership is treated as a long-term prospect, then this is a car that is likely to become part of the family, and the process of preserving or making it better best viewed as such.

I'm tempted to say that an owner should also consider themselves a conservator. This is a car that says something about itself, its owner, and history itself.