Classic: The Rolls Royce Camargue
Posted on 06-02-2016 to 18:00 by larssb – 36 Comments”
That deutsche Gründligkeit. It sometimes seems like a religion. But for the Rolls Royce Camargue took the development of the air-conditioning alone, a small eight years. Indeed, Jerries.
Then it took the construction of this Roller also a further six months per piece. So it was that the man in Crewe who with the etiketteertang the price tags made a amount urged that he twice had to ask if it was true. It was true. This was the most expensive car in the world. And the first standard, which was equipped with an air-conditioning system with top and bottom separated, separately adjustable zones. So what apparently was not so easy. But that was the innovation, really.
On the design after. That was the first time since WOⅡ not in his own house thought of it, but by Paolo Martin of Pininfarina. Originally, the car is meant to be the successor of the one version of RR’s Silver Shadow, but the design seemed to be ultimately nothing in the existing or previous models from Crewe. The connection with the Silver Shadow was released, and the Camargue was as a stand-alone model in the market. But for whom, actually? The fixed British clientele stumbled all over the name, the rest of the price.
Or about the appearance. Not everyone sprang cheering on the chesterfields at the sight of this luxury saloon of the renowned brand. A Rolls was seldom so futuristic styled, he broke with all traditions in that area. In addition to the traditional grill, that leaned for the first time in RR’s history with a fraction back and looked at the Camargue are much more prominently present than in the other models. In your face. Literally, if you as a pedestrian a little too carelessly crossed.
So great was that chrome plated piece of art comes first. That gold a little less for the Bentley Camargue: at the express request of a customer was there, in 1985, a Camargue built as a Bentley. With a slightly more modest grill and, of course, without the graceful Spirit of Ecstasy. That Bentley grill came the appearance for the good and in the boardroom to Crewe was considering it even sportier Bentley variant of the Camargue, with a powerful turbo version of the 6.75 litre V8 in the front. Finally saw one from the Camargue as body style and so came the Bentley Mulsanne Turbo.
The development of the Camargue began much earlier, already in 1969, unfolded the plans for this beautiful and very expensive flop-to-be. Still found the introduction only takes place in 1975, the American market still had a year to wait longer, as it once was beautifully formulated by a lyrical journalist, “the harmony between the traditional British craftsmanship and technical skill and the creative richness and the stylish mastery of the Italian designer”. By an unpleasant incident happened had the happy few a lot of patience exercise: in 1971, went to Rolls Royce Ltd. bankrupt. Oh, bollocks.
The noble British car manufacturer experienced a restart as Rolls Royce Motors Ltd. and went further with the development of prototype DY20, such as the Camargue is known internally was (this was the D for Delta, the type, the Y indicated that the basis was formed by the Silver Shadow and 20 stood for the wheelbase of 120 inches). Not to be confused with DIY20, because when RR is hand built something else than do it themselves.
That applies even more so for HJ Mulliner Park Ward, the renowned London bodybuilder. They built the bodies of the four prototypes and up to 1978 and also that of the production models. From that year, were the car bodies produced by Park Sheet Metal in Coventry, logistics more convenient because that is also what is closer to Crewe lag. Moreover, Mulliner Park Ward, the hands full with the reduction of the Corniche and Phantomⅵ. And not only the hands. The workshop itself, because that was really huge. Humongous. But still cheaper than the Camargue. Thus it was that noble Phantom was RR’s kiloknaller. But we go astray.
A year before, got the Camargue is a new steering system, of the tandheugeltype this time, and improved hydraulic suspension rear. The liquid was a lot less vochtgevoelig and bite not at the coating of such a pristine Roller. How is that exactly on the car could spill was also difficult to explain to the owner. Or each one. Continued to the compartment during the course of his career, on what small motor modifications and a relocated fuel tank, virtually unchanged.
At the end of his career in 1986, there were two prototypes built on the platform of the Silver Shadow’s successor to the Silver Spirit, which also, for example, ABS was tested. That worked, apparently not well, because one of the prototypes crashed beyond repair, and eventually there was still a line set by this project. The Camargue continued to himself. The customer was in the Special Features Department course order what he wanted in terms of colour, performance and extras, and his Camargue. The cut was already wide open.
It helps to explain why the total of 531 produced Camargues no two surviving copies are the same. A Rolls was and is at all never standard. There are, except the one-off Bentley, also some special editions built in his eleven-year-old career. There was an instance on the occasion of the centenary of Rolls Royce with red highlighted badges in the grill and on the same boot, and a silver plaque in the glove box. And to the milestone of eighty years of Rolls Royce sales in the USA to celebrate, and there were twelve white Camargue Limited versions built for a dozen loaded ‘Muricans. Who were treated with a white vinyl roof, an extensive entertainment system, and very useful, silver plated heupflessen. Only for soda pops of course: don’t drink and drive. They did that anyway, then offered parking sensors still have some grip.
Although many people him more appreciated if-ie in the creases was: the special Rolls came for on multiple to-do lists with a top as much of it as Ugly or Crap Cars. And now still. You see, today is also reflected in the asking prices, it is one of the least liked Rolls royce cars. A whole Camargue now costs about the same as the air-conditioning of a new instance at that time. Free Rolls with an air-conditioning system. Cool.
Gallery: Rolls-Royce Camargue
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