Mulliner Park Ward

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mulliner Park Ward
legal form Limited Company
founding 1961
resolution 1991
Seat London , UK
Number of employees 750
Branch Body shop

Mulliner Park Ward ( proper spelling : Mulliner, Park Ward ) was a British manufacturer of automobile bodies . The London-based company was formed in 1961 from the merger of the two bodybuilders HJ Mulliner & Co. and Park Ward . It was a Rolls-Royce subsidiary and, apart from a few bodies for Alvis, only manufactured superstructures for Rolls-Royce and Bentley chassis. In 1991 Mulliner Park Ward was integrated into Rolls-Royce.

history

The coachbuilder Park Ward had been part of Rolls-Royce since 1939. In 1959, Rolls-Royce also took over the majority stake in the London-based body manufacturer HJ Mulliner. One of the main reasons for the takeover was the aim of obtaining appropriate know-how at a time when the market for traditional body construction was continuously shrinking, so that there would also be future capacities for handcrafted special bodies. From the two companies, Rolls-Royce formed the Mulliner Park Ward subsidiary in 1961 and employed up to 750 people there at peak times. The business premises were at the Park Ward site on Hythe Road in the London borough of Willesden .

During this time, Mulliner Park Ward was responsible for special Rolls-Royce and Bentley models. They were each produced in small series. Unlike its predecessors, Mulliner Park Ward did not manufacture completely individual bodies (so-called bespoke bodies ). In 1981 the lease for the company premises in Willesden expired. Mulliner Park Ward then moved into new facilities in Harlesden in northwest London. In 1991, Rolls-Royce completed the body shop at Mulliner Park Ward. At that time, 500 people were still working for the company.

Today, the brand names Mulliner and Park Ward are owned by the Volkswagen subsidiary Bentley Motors Ltd. used. They denote special equipment lines of common models.

Superstructures for Rolls-Royce and Bentley

Beheaded : S3 and Silver Cloud Drophead Coupés

Beheaded : Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III Drophead Coupé based on the standard body

With the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, which was newly presented in 1955, and its sister model Bentley S1 , Rolls-Royce introduced a standard four-door body in a departure from traditional production methods. It was machine-made at the Swindon- based Pressed Steel Company .

After several body manufacturers had previously designed a number of convertible bodies with completely independent lines on the Silver Cloud and S1 chassis in 1959, Park Ward developed a two-door convertible version in 1959 that took over the basic shape of the Silver Cloud or S1 standard body . After Park Ward had made two prototypes based on this design, unofficially called Beheaded , HJ Mulliner took over the series production and built a total of 12 convertibles of the Silver Cloud I and 107 of the Silver Cloud II by 1961. Almost identical versions were created for the Bentley S1 (two cars) and the S2 (15 cars).

From 1962 Mulliner Park Ward continued building these convertibles based on the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III. 38 Beheaded Rolls-Royces (design number 2007) had been built by 1963 ; there was also a Bentley S3-based car. They were built between July 1962 and December 1963. There were also five cars that were designed as four-door convertibles.

The Continental range

In addition to the standard models, Bentley started offering particularly sporty and expensive vehicles with the Continental series from 1952, which are now desirable classics. There were Continental versions of the R-Type , the S1, the S2 and the S3 . There were bodies from various manufacturers for the Continentals. HJ Mulliner built the hatchback coupes that were the most sold in the first two series; there were also notchback versions from Park Ward and various other designs. With the introduction of the S2 Continental in 1959, the Continental model range changed. The hatchback version was omitted. Instead, HJ Mulliner offered two- and four-door notchback sedans with rounded lines, while Park Ward added a straight-line, four-seater convertible to the range, the body of which was designed by the Norwegian designer Vilhelm Koren . After the merger of HJ Mulliner and Park Ward, Mulliner Park Ward continued the two previous lines.

The Koren Continentals

By Vilhelm Koren: Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III Drophead Coupé (1966)

Mulliner Park Ward continued production of the open Koren Continental from 1961 for the newly introduced Bentley S3 Continental (design number 2006). In addition to the open Drophead Coupé , a closed version with a trapezoidal metal roof was now also available, which was called the Two Door Saloon at the factory (design number 2035). Outwardly, the two-door Continental of the S3 series differ from their predecessors by the inclined front double headlights, which have gone down in automotive history as Chinese Eyes . By 1966, 86 convertibles and 104 two door saloons based on the Koren design for Bentley chassis had been built.

From 1963, the two-door models with Koren design were available in open (no. 2045) and closed (no. 2045) versions for the chassis of the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III. Except for the grille, the shape of the bonnet and a chrome strip on the sides of the car, the superstructures were completely identical to those for Bentley chassis; however, the Rolls-Royce versions had the more inclined steering column and the more extensive instrumentation of the Bentleys. The scope of production for the Rolls-Royce versions is unclear.

The two-door Koren Continentals are among the most beautiful and sought-after Bentley models of the post-war period.

Continental Flying Spur

Bentley S3 Continental Flying Spur Six Light

After the merger, Mulliner Park Ward also continued production of the four-door Continental Flying Spur, which had previously been built by HJ Mulliner. The HJ-Mulliner draft was adopted largely unchanged; only the front double headlights were new. Mulliner Park Ward's Flying Spur was available with Bentley and Rolls-Royce radiators. Three body versions were available, which differ slightly in the area of ​​the roof structure. The most successful version was the Six Light Saloon with three windows on each side of the vehicle and a very narrow D-pillar (design number 2042). It produced 82 cars with Bentley and 51 with Rolls-Royce radiator grille. The four-light version (design number 2011 / E), on the other hand, has two windows on each side and a wide, fully clad C-pillar. Mulliner Park Ward built 11 vehicles of this type. Finally, a mixed version with a very small side window behind the rear doors was particularly rare.

Phantom V and VI

Rolls-Royce Phantom VI

Introduced in 1959, the Phantom V sedan was initially offered at the factory with a Park Ward body (design number 980), the shape of which was designed by Martin Bourne from the Rolls-Royce design department. After the merger with HJ Mulliner, Mulliner Park Ward continued building this body, which was now given the design number 2003. The Mulliner-Park-Ward versions were unofficially referred to as the Phantom V½. The most obvious difference to the original design concerned the front section, which now had double instead of single headlights. In addition, the trunk lid was reshaped. Design No. 2003 became the standard version of the Phantom V. From 1963 to 1968, Mulliner Park Ward built 112 copies in this form. In addition, there were five cars with landaulet superstructures and some special versions called Canberra in -house with a raised roof for the British royal family. Alternative constructions came primarily from James Young ; they also reached three-digit numbers.

In 1968 the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI replaced the Phantom V. A total of 374 copies were made by him by 1991. 347 of these had the standard body known as the Mulliner Park Ward Seven Passenger Enclosed Sedan , which corresponded to the 2003 design used in the predecessor. There have been few changes over the years. Among other things, they concerned the rear doors and the shape of the taillights.

Corniche Coupé and Cabriolet

Rolls-Royce Corniche Saloon (1981)

In 1965 the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow and the Bentley T replaced the Silver Cloud and S3 models. The four-door sedans were the first cars of the two brands to have a self-supporting body that was machine-produced in series at Pressed Steel. After James Young had already converted some Silver Shadow and T1 into two-door models on his own initiative, Rolls-Royce presented a two-door variant at the factory in 1966, which had a largely independent body. Their shape goes back to Bill Allen, the assistant to Rolls-Royce head of design John Blatchley . In contrast to the linear design of the four-door models, the rear fenders of the two-door models are strongly shaped and take up the so-called Coke-Bottle line . A year and a half after the closed two-door model, the convertible version appeared in September 1967. The model names of the two-door Rolls Royces and Bentleys changed several times. Initially they were called Silver Shadow Two Door Saloon or Drophead Coupé and Bentley Two Door Saloon or Drophead Coupé , with the addition of Mulliner Park Ward being used in some cases. From 1971 both the Rolls-Royce and Bentley versions were renamed the Corniche. The Rolls-Royce versions retained this designation until production was discontinued in 1994. The two-door Bentleys, however, were renamed Bentley Continental in 1984.

The production process was very complex. The body shells of all versions were made at Mulliner Park Ward. It took more than three weeks to build each body. To install the mechanics, the coupés were transported to Rolls-Royce in Crewe to be painted again at Mulliner Park Ward. It took six months to complete a car. The convertibles, on the other hand, were made entirely by Mulliner Park Ward. From 1981 only the open version was offered. Their production at Mulliner Park Ward ended in 1991. In recent years the open-top Rolls-Royces and Bentleys have been built entirely at Rolls-Royce in Crewe .

Rolls-Royce Camargue

Rolls-Royce Camargue

With the two-door Camargue, Rolls-Royce added an exclusive coupé to its range in 1975, which at the time was the most expensive mass-produced car in the world. The Camargue, whose technology corresponded to that of the Silver Shadow and later that of the Silver Spirit , was the first post-war Rolls-Royce whose body was not created in the in-house design studio. The structure, which was very critically assessed in the press, was rather designed by Paolo Martin for Pininfarina . It was only available from the factory as a Rolls-Royce; However, a single car with a Bentley radiator was created at the customer's request. The Camargue was built at Mulliner Park Ward until 1978. The manufacturing quality of these models is generally considered to be low; a source speaks of "Edelmurks". From 1979, Pressed Steel, Motor Panels and Rolls-Royce took over the production of the Camargue in a division of labor, of which a total of 531 copies were made.

Rolls-Royce Mulliner Track

One last major work of the Mulliner Park Ward Limited Company before it was fully incorporated into Rolls-Royce was the 1990 and 1991 Rolls-Royce Mulliner Spur , also known as the Rolls-Royce Silver Spur Mulliner Park Ward . Based on the Rolls-Royce Silver Spur II, a particularly high-quality special series was created, which was initially designed for 25 units, but was expanded to 71 units due to the high demand. Outwardly they are recognizable by a burgundy paint, the waiver of the artificial leather cover of the roof, bumpers painted in the vehicle color and (in the US versions) corresponding headlight surrounds. There were also decorative elements made of (partly polished) stainless steel on the door sills, the wheel arches, the lower rear fenders and as an insert in the bumpers, as well as magnolia-colored decorative lines. The interior was of particularly high quality, with inlays made of highly polished root wood from American walnut trees and silver, as well as a small illuminated refrigerator that was installed between the backrests of the individual rear seats. On the back of the backs of the front seats were fold-out picnic tables with special compartments including fine writing utensils and a humidor , underneath were lined compartments with cut crystal glasses and a decanter . Special lockable storage compartments for mobile phones, special reading lamps in the rear and a powerful music system were also part of the standard equipment. In the first year (primarily for the US American and Arab markets) 26 left-hand drive and only one right-hand drive, in 1991 22 units each. The model was a reaction by the Mulliner Park Ward Limited Company and Rolls-Royce to the temporarily very successful luxury conversions by the London-based coachbuilder Hooper & Co. (Coachbuilders) Ltd. , ultimately a successor to the longtime competitor Hooper Coachbuilders .

Superstructures for Alvis

Alvis TE21 with factory body

In 1958 Park Ward began a business relationship with the upper-class manufacturer Alvis Cars from Coventry, which produced small coupes and convertibles for wealthy customers. Alvis did not have its own body shop and obtained the factory bodies for its six-cylinder models from various small body manufacturers in the 1950s. After the contract with Mulliners of Birmingham came to an end in 1955 , the bus manufacturer Willowbrook temporarily helped out, building the factory superstructures for the Alvis TC 108 / G in very small numbers and with poor quality . Alvis moved to Park Ward for the bodies of the successor TD 21 . The cars were completely built at Park Ward; Alvis only carried out functional tests before delivery. Park Ward charged a coupe £ 750 and a convertible £ 800. After Park Ward's merger with HJ Mulliner, Mulliner Park Ward continued the contract with Alvis from 1961. This also included the successor models TE 21 and TF 21 . Between 1958 and 1967, Park Ward and Mulliner Park Ward produced a total of around 1,450 factory bodies for Alvis, which were on offer in addition to the special versions built by Hermann Graber in Switzerland .

The continued use of the name Mulliner / Park Ward after 1991

After the parent company Rolls-Royce dissolved the body shop Mulliner Park Ward Limited Company in 1991 and fully integrated it into its own structures, the traditional names Mulliner and Park Ward initially remained unused; The latter was taken up again from 1996 as a designation for particularly exclusive vehicle models or particularly high-quality equipment variants, the former only again from 1998 with the change of ownership to Volkswagen AG .

The continuation of the name Mulliner

One of 55 Bentley Turbo RT Mulliners, built in 1998
The Coupé Bentley Continental R Mulliner (2000)
The rear of a Bentley Arnage R Mulliner with televisions as well as folding tables and cladding made of root wood
Bentley Continental GT Mulliner

At the same time as the acquisition of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd. by Volkswagen AG in 1998 the name Mulliner was used again together with the Bentley brand.

  • 1999: Bentley Mulliner Limousine , a one-off “stretched limousine” at the special request of a customer, delivered to New York , USA; Left-hand drive, counterpart to the Rolls-Royce Park Ward limousine

As part of the Mulliner Editions :

  • 1998: Bentley Brooklands R Mulliner , 100 pieces, only right-hand drive; Sedan with a long wheelbase, interior fittings and more powerful engine compared to the original model; of which the last 9 with a special exterior and interior as Bentley Brooklands R Mulliner Jack Barclay Edition for the British Bentley dealer Jack Barclay
  • 1998: Bentley Turbo RT Mulliner SWB, one-off, right-hand drive; Short wheelbase sedan
  • 1998–1999: Bentley Turbo RT Mulliner, planned small series of 50 units, 55 units actually built due to high demand (1998: 38 left-hand drive vehicles, 16 right-hand drive vehicles; 1989: one left-hand drive vehicle); Long wheelbase sedan
each with a sportier exterior and interior compared to the original model
each with a sportier exterior, more powerful engine and sportier chassis compared to the original model
  • 2004: Bentley Arnage R Mulliner, 56 pieces (31 left-hand drive, 25 right-hand drive); Limousine with a particularly luxurious interior
  • 2004: Bentley Arnage T-24 Mulliner, 40 pieces (24 left-hand drive vehicles for the USA; eight left-hand and right-hand drive vehicles each for continental Europe and the United Kingdom); Sedan with a particularly sporty exterior and interior on the occasion of the brand's sixth victory in the Le Mans 24-hour race
  • 2004–2017: Bentley Continental GT Mulliner, Coupé
  • 2007–2013: Bentley Continental Flying Spur Mulliner, sedan
  • 2007-2017: Bentley Continental GTC Mulliner, Cabriolet
each with a sporty, more luxurious exterior and interior compared to the original model

Other special series:

  • 2012: Bentley Continental GT Mulliner Classic Pack, Coupé with a particularly sporty exterior
  • Bentley Continental GT Mulliner Mansory Edition, coupé model further modified without factory support from external tuner Mansory

The continuation of the name Park Ward

Rolls-Royce Park Ward limousine

The name Park Ward was used again from 1996, both for models of the Rolls-Royce brand and for a Bentley; however, the variety of models and their numbers lagged well behind the "new" Mulliner vehicles.

literature

  • David Culshaw, Peter Horrobin: The Complete Catalog of British Cars 1895-1975 , Poundbury, Veloce Publishing, 2013, ISBN 978-1-84584-583-4 .
  • Graham Robson: Bentley. The legend reborn . Heel Verlag (Königswinter) 2012. ISBN 978-3-86852-600-4
  • James Taylor: Coachwork on Rolls-Royce & Bentley 1945–1965 , Herridge & Sons, Beaworthy, 2019, ISBN 978-1-906133-89-4 .
  • Nick Walker: A – Z of British Coachbuilders 1919–1960 . Shebbear 2007 (Herridge & Sons Ltd.) ISBN 978-0-9549981-6-5 .
  • Jonathan Wood: Rolls-Royce & Bentley. The story of a legendary brand . Heel Verlag 2003. ISBN 3-89880-106-3 .

Web links

Commons : Mulliner Park Ward Coachwork  - Collection of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files

Remarks

  1. ↑ Before the merger with HJ Mulliner, Park Ward had already produced 126 Phantom Vs with the standard design according to design number 980. See James Taylor: Coachwork on Rolls-Royce & Bentley 1945–1965 , Herridge & Sons, Beaworthy, 2019, ISBN 978-1-906133-89-4 , p. 146.
  2. ↑ The Phantom VI was a bit more expensive than the Camargue, but from 1976 it was no longer produced in series, but only on "special order". See Jonathan Wood: Rolls-Royce & Bentley. The story of a legendary brand . Heel Verlag 2003. ISBN 3-89880-106-3 , p. 58.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Jonathan Wood: Rolls-Royce & Bentley. The story of a legendary brand . Heel Verlag 2003. ISBN 3-89880-106-3 , p. 75.
  2. ^ Nick Walker: A – Z of British Coachbuilders 1919–1960 , Shebbear 2007 (Herridge & Sons Ltd.) ISBN 978-0-9549981-6-5 , pp. 151–159.
  3. ↑ James Taylor: Coachwork on Rolls-Royce & Bentley 1945–1965 , Herridge & Sons, Beaworthy, 2019, ISBN 978-1-906133-89-4 , pp. 68 and 139.
  4. ↑ James Taylor: Coachwork on Rolls-Royce & Bentley 1945–1965 , Herridge & Sons, Beaworthy, 2019, ISBN 978-1-906133-89-4 , p. 121.
  5. ↑ James Taylor: Coachwork on Rolls-Royce & Bentley 1945–1965 , Herridge & Sons, Beaworthy, 2019, ISBN 978-1-906133-89-4 , p. 122.
  6. ↑ Mark Fagelson: Choice of the Connoisseurs . Model history of the R-Type and S-Type Continentals. In: Thoroughbred & Classic Cars, issue 12/2010, p. 44 ff.
  7. ↑ Markus Caspers : Designing Motion: Automobildesigner from 1890 to 1990 , Birkhäuser , 2017, ISBN 9783035607772 , p. 125.
  8. ↑ James Taylor: Coachwork on Rolls-Royce & Bentley 1945–1965, Herridge & Sons, Beaworthy, 2019, ISBN 978-1-906133-89-4 , p. 125.
  9. ↑ James Taylor: Coachwork on Rolls-Royce & Bentley 1945–1965, Herridge & Sons, Beaworthy, 2019, ISBN 978-1-906133-89-4 , pp. 121 f., 128.
  10. ^ Graham Robson: Bentley. The legend reborn . Heel Verlag (Königswinter) 2012. ISBN 978-3-86852-600-4 , p. 86.
  11. ↑ Mathias Paulokat: Bentley S2 Continental Cabriolet, Park Ward by Vilhelm Koren. www.classicdriver.com, December 6, 2008, accessed April 13, 2020 .
  12. ↑ James Taylor: Coachwork on Rolls-Royce & Bentley 1945–1965 , Herridge & Sons, Beaworthy, 2019, ISBN 978-1-906133-89-4 , p. 122.
  13. ↑ James Taylor: Coachwork on Rolls-Royce & Bentley 1945–1965 , Herridge & Sons, Beaworthy, 2019, ISBN 978-1-906133-89-4 , p. 146.
  14. ↑ a b James Taylor: Coachwork on Rolls-Royce & Bentley 1945–1965 , Herridge & Sons, Beaworthy, 2019, ISBN 978-1-906133-89-4 , p. 129.
  15. ↑ James Taylor: Coachwork on Rolls-Royce & Bentley 1945–1965 , Herridge & Sons, Beaworthy, 2019, ISBN 978-1-906133-89-4 , p. 132.
  16. ^ Graham Robson: Bentley. The legend reborn . Heel Verlag (Königswinter) 2012. ISBN 978-3-86852-600-4 , p. 105.
  17. ^ A b Jonathan Wood: Rolls-Royce & Bentley. The story of a legendary brand . Heel Verlag 2003. ISBN 3-89880-106-3 , p. 99.
  18. ^ Graham Robson: Bentley. The legend reborn . Heel Verlag (Königswinter) 2012. ISBN 978-3-86852-600-4 , p. 108 f.
  19. ^ Graham Robson: Bentley. The legend reborn . Heel Verlag (Königswinter) 2012. ISBN 978-3-86852-600-4 , p. 106.
  20. ↑ Jonathan Wood: Rolls-Royce & Bentley. The story of a legendary brand . Heel Verlag 2003. ISBN 3-89880-106-3 , p. 108.
  21. ↑ Jonathan Wood: Rolls-Royce & Bentley. The story of a legendary brand . Heel Verlag 2003. ISBN 3-89880-106-3 , p. 112.
  22. ↑ House of Lords . Driving report and purchase advice for the Rolls-Royce Camargue in: Motor Klassik, issue 11/1997, p. 60 ff.
  23. ↑ House of Lords . Driving report and purchase advice for the Rolls-Royce Camargue in: Motor Klassik, issue 11/1997, p. 64.
  24. ↑ Kevin Brazendale: The Encyclopedia of classic cars . Advanced Marketing Services, London 1999, ISBN 1-57145-182-X , p. 560.
  25. ↑ Jonathan Wood: Rolls-Royce & Bentley. The story of a legendary brand . Heel Verlag 2003. ISBN 3-89880-106-3 , p. 113.
  26. ↑ Marinus Rijkers: Rolls-Royce Mulliner Spur 1990–1991 on the web portal rrsilverspirit.com , accessed on April 14, 2020 (English).
  27. ^ John Fox: Alvis Cars 1946-1967: The Post-War Years , Amberley Publishing Limited, 2016, ISBN 9781445656311 .
  28. ↑ Marinus Rijkers: The Bentley Mulliner Limousine on the web portal rrsilverspirit.com , accessed on April 15, 2020 (English).
  29. ↑ Marinus Rijkers: The Bentley Mulliner Editions of the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit era with seven subpages on the rrsilverspirit.com web portal , accessed on April 15, 2020 (English).
  30. ↑ Marinus Rijkers: The Bentley Mulliner Editions of the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph era with two sub- pages on the web portal rrsilverspirit.com , accessed on April 15, 2020 (English).
  31. ↑ Marinus Rijkers: The Bentley Mulliner Editions of the Era from 2003 with three sub- pages on the web portal rrsilverspirit.com , accessed on April 15, 2020 (English).
  32. ↑ Marinus Rijkers: Further Bentley Mulliner editions of the era from 2003 with a further subpage on the web portal rrsilverspirit.com , accessed on April 15, 2020 (English).
  33. ↑ Marinus Rijkers: The Rolls-Royce Park Ward Limousine on the web portal rrsilverspirit.com , accessed on April 15, 2020 (English).
  34. ↑ Marinus Rijkers: The Park-Ward variants of the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph era with two subpages on the rrsilverspirit.com web portal , accessed on April 15, 2020 (English).