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This Bentley Corniche Mulliner Is a Modern Version of a Car That Died Too Soon

Not a long time ago, Bentley’s Mulliner division has decided to bring back one of the company’s models that left us before even getting the chance to launch.
Modern version of the Bentley Corniche 15 photos
Photo: Giorgi Tedoradze
1939 Bentley Corniche1939 Bentley Corniche1939 Bentley Corniche1939 Bentley Corniche1939 Bentley Corniche1939 Bentley Corniche1939 Bentley Corniche1939 Bentley Corniche1939 Bentley Corniche1939 Bentley Corniche1939 Bentley Corniche1939 Bentley Corniche1939 Bentley Corniche1939 Bentley Corniche
It was the Corniche, the 1939 model that eventually became a one of a kind car, not because this was Bentley’s intention, but due to the prototype built for the series eventually being wrecked in a massive crash.

And after the car was recreated in 2019 using the design of the original model, here’s the modern version that Bentley could actually build and give more people the chance to drive.

This new-generation version of the Bentley Corniche Mulliner is a rendering created by designer Giorgi Tedoradze and which indeed uses the signature Bentley design with styling cues more or less inspired by the EXP 12 Speed 6e concept presented a few years ago at the Geneva Motor Show.

And turning to this concept for inspiration pretty much makes sense, as Bentley launched the Speed 6e as a preview of the design language that it wanted to use on its cars.

On the other hand, if the Corniche name sounds familiar to you, it’s because Rolls-Royce has also used the same moniker for a two-door, four-seater model that it manufactured for five different generations between 1971 and 1995.

The design of the latest-generation Rolls-Royce Corniche was inspired by the brand’s Silver Seraph sedan, but at the same time, the car was built on the first-generation Bentley Azure, whose production started in 1995. The Azure itself landed in the form of a two-door, four-seater luxurious car, so it served as the only Bentley that Rolls-Royce used for bringing one of its models to life.

Both the Azure and the Corniche were powered by 6.75-liter engines mated to 4-speed automatic transmissions.

Rolls-Royce eventually abandoned the Corniche entirely in August 2002 after building just 374 units for the fifth generation.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
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Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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