Rolls-Royce Camargue
| Rolls Royce | |
|---|---|
 Rolls-Royce Camargue
|
|
| Camargue | |
| Production period: | 1975-1986 |
| Class : | Upper class |
| Body versions : | Coupe |
| Engines: |
Otto engine : 6.8 liters (156 kW) |
| Length: | 5170 mm |
| Width: | 1920 mm |
| Height: | 1470 mm |
| Wheelbase : | 3048 mm |
| Empty weight : | 2350 kg |
The Rolls-Royce Camargue is a luxury coupé offered by the British automobile manufacturer Rolls-Royce from 1975 to 1986 . The vehicles were produced by Mulliner Park Ward in the early years ; the design came from Pininfarina . For the first time after the war, Rolls-Royce had not done the design itself. The Camargue therefore stood out clearly from the sister models produced at the same time. The manufacturer praised it in its advertising as "the most beautiful Rolls-Royce ever built". The Camargue was initially intended as the successor to the Rolls-Royce Corniche Saloon ; in fact, both vehicles were produced side by side for a few years.
Development, technology and equipment
The body of the Camargue, named after a landscape in the south of France , was designed by Pininfarina ; the responsible designer there was Paolo Martin . The design was in the tradition of some large Pininfarina coupés that Martin had designed a few years earlier. This initially includes a coupé based on the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL , which was created in 1970 and remained a one-off, but also the Fiat 130 coupé . The Camargue took on the essential features of these designs: Here, as there, the construction of a pronounced trapezoidal shape followed, and the lines were characterized by smooth surfaces and the absence of curves. However, not all of Pininfarina's proposals were adopted. Instead of the broadband headlights laid out in the draft, Rolls-Royce used, for example, four round double headlights (which were rectangularly framed).
The Camargue received the chassis of the Silver Shadow and the slightly more powerful engine of the Corniche . In the course of its production time, the Camargue took over numerous modifications that had been developed for its sister models: from 1977 it received the new rack and pinion steering from the Silver Shadow II, from 1980 the rear independent suspension of the new Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit . The automatic air conditioning with different zones , which was available from the start, was innovative : the passengers didn't have to choose between warm feet and a cool head. The fact that the selector lever for the automatic was connected to servo assistance was particularly emphasized.
The Camargue was manufactured at Mulliner Park Ward until 1978. From model year 1979, the production process was divided into several phases. The floor pan was manufactured by the British supplier Pressed Steel . The body, however, was manufactured at Motor Panels ; there the add-on parts were also connected to the chassis. The half-finished vehicle was then taken to the main Rolls-Royce plant, where the drive technology and interior fittings were installed. In the first few years in particular, the quality of the vehicle fluctuated. A German restorer called the Camargue models of the 1970s "Edelmurks". In parallel with the introduction of the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit , production quality improved significantly.
The equipment of the Camargue followed the wishes of the customers at all times. In the 1980s there were some designs that were unusually striking. About a dozen Camargues were produced in which, in addition to the white interior, not only the body, but also all the usually chrome-plated attachments such as bumpers, window frames, etc. were painted white; only the grille was still chrome-plated. These white models were associated with a significant price premium in the 1980s; they are not very popular today and are priced at lower prices in the used car market than the other styles.
After the Phantom VI, the Camargue was the second most expensive Rolls-Royce in series production to date. On its debut, the Camargue cost £ 29,250; so it was twice as expensive as a standard Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow . In 1981 the Camargue was offered on the German market for 416,000 DM, almost six times the price that was charged for the most expensive production model from Mercedes-Benz at the time, the Mercedes 500 SLC .
The German trade magazine auto motor und sport tested a Camargue in 1983. The paper emphasized that the car was not made for sporty driving; instead of performance, there is running culture. The Camargue was found to be easily drivable for its dimensions and weight and was considered an excellent car for a relaxing trip. The suspension comfort is worse at high speeds than with competing products from Mercedes-Benz; At low speeds, however, Mercedes has some catching up to do.
By 1986 the Camargue had made 531 copies.
Special versions
- A Camargue example produced in 1985 was executed as a Bentley . The brown-painted vehicle had a dark vinyl roof and a Bentley radiator.
- In 1980, Rolls-Royce considered equipping the Camargue with a turbo engine and marketing it as a Bentley. The vehicle was supposed to be a response to the previously presented Bristol Beaufighter , which had attracted attention as a sporty two-door self- drive vehicle . Rolls-Royce installed a turbocharger in the well-known, 6.8-liter eight-cylinder for this. A prototype was built and tested. However, the concept was abandoned due to thermal problems. The turbo engine made its debut in 1982 in the new Bentley Mulsanne , which had been designed from the start for higher performance.
Technical specifications
- Engine: V8, front engine
- Displacement: 6750 cm³
- Power (Federal Motor Transport Authority): 156 kW (212 hp) at 4500 rpm
- Top speed: 200 km / h
- Acceleration (0-100 km / h): 10.5 s
literature
- Grand Prix: Rolls-Royce Camargue test. What can the most expensive production car in the world do? in: auto motor und sport issue 12/1983, p. 66 ff.
- Martin Bennett: Bentley Continental, Corniche & Azure . Veloce Publishing, Dorchester 1998, ISBN 1-901295-12-5 .
- Kevin Brazendale: Encyclopedia Automobile from Alfa Romeo to Zagato. The 600 most beautiful models . Augsburg (Bechtermünz) 2000. ISBN 3-8289-5384-0 .
- House of Lords . Driving report and purchase advice for the Rolls-Royce Camargue in: Motor Klassik , issue 11/1997, p. 60 ff.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ auto motor und sport 12/1983, p. 70
- ↑ Motor Klassik 11/1997, p. 62 (with illustrations)
- ↑ auto motor und sport 12/1983, p. 68
- ↑ Motor Klassik 11/1997, p. 63
- ↑ Brazendale, Encyclopedia automotive, p 560
- ↑ Motor Klassik, issue 11/1997, p. 64
- ↑ auto catalog No. 25 (1981/82), pp. 189, 191
- ↑ auto motor und sport 12/1983, p. 66 ff.
- ^ Martin Bennett: Bentley Continental, Corniche & Azure. Veloce Publishing, Dorchester 1991, ISBN 1-901295-12-5 , p. 154.
- ↑ To the whole: Motor Klassik 11/1997 p. 62