The Bentley Continental R had no Rolls-Royce equivalent when it was introduced as a coupe in 1991. The car helped Bentley distinguish itself from Rolls-Royce, and Bentley’s share of sales improved. It emphasised Bentley’s more sporting heritage. It was a development of the change of emphasis that had seen the Bentley Corniche become the Bentley Continental. Also, with the introduction of the Bentley Turbo R as a higher-performance version of the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit, Bentley models outsold Rolls-Royce models. Volkswagen were said to have been more interested in the Bentley brand when Vickers was selling Rolls-Royce Motors Limited.
The Bentley Continental R was developed into a convertible in 1995 and was known as the Azure. The Azure had two variants. The mark I from 1995 to 2003, and the mark II from 2006 to 2010.
When the Rolls-Royce Corniche V was introduced, it was the Rolls-Royce version of the Bentley Azure, though it shared body styling closely resembling that of the Silver Seraph saloon.
The Silver Seraph used BMW’s 5.4 litre V12 engine. The Corniche V used the traditional Rolls-Royce 6.75-litre V8, with the addition of a turbo, while the comfort set-up was maintained. The Corniche V was the only Rolls-Royce to be built on a Bentley platform.
Both the Corniche V and the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph were built at Crewe and were the last Rolls-Royce models produced there. Post separation, whilst the Azure went on to have a second variant, it was the end for the Corniche V. 384 were produced. The final 45 cars were designated “Final Series” and featured some cosmetic changes, such as red RR letters on the badges, the Spirit of Ecstasy on the hubcaps rather than the RR badge, and a commemorative plaque in the centre console. The plan was to produce 56 of the “Final Series”, so the plaque read the x of 56 as opposed to x of 45. When BMW began making Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, starting with the Phantom, the existing Rolls-Royce models manufactured at Crewe were discontinued. As of March 2026, BMW has not resurrected the Corniche name.
