The fifth Rolls-Royce to bear the Corniche name, this modern legend made its debut in January 2000. With a base price of $359,900, it was the most expensive vehicle offered by Rolls-Royce at the time. In 2001, when Bentley and Rolls-Royce once again became two separate companies, the Corniche production run ended. Bentley became a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG and its vehicles continued to be manufactured in the Crewe factory, while Rolls-Royce was owned solely by BMW and produced in an entirely new factory built by BMW. The Corniche is special as it was the only new Rolls-Royce developed under Volkswagen's ownership.

Befitting luxury automobiles of this stature, a Corniche of this vintage is a truly hand-built vehicle equipped with the best of everything. The 6.75-liter turbocharged V-8 engine was rated to produce 325 horsepower and gives this stately luxury convertible a top speed of 135 mph and a 0–60 acceleration time of eight seconds. Though it had styling cues sourced from the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph sedan, the Corniche shared little mechanically with the BMW-engined cars. Instead, the Corniche body was set onto the platform used for the similarly styled Bentley Azure; thus, it was the first and only Rolls-Royce descended from a Bentley, rather than the other way around.

The Corniche offered here is, on account of its serial number, the 1st of only 32 left-hand drive examples produced during the model’s final year of availability. Finished in the handsome off-white shade of Magnolia, it boasts a luxurious, hand-trimmed interior furnished with Autumn Connolly leather, matching Wilton wool carpets, and high-gloss burl walnut trim throughout. A matching Autumn-colored fabric convertible top deploys at the push of a button, lending the Corniche’s all-weather appeal an attractive countenance.

This Corniche was completed at Crewe in September 2001 and delivered new to Rolls-Royce of Manhattan shortly thereafter. In March 2002 it was purchased by its first and only recorded owner, a New Jersey resident who kept the car at his second home in southern Florida. Today it shows just under 9,365 miles at time of cataloguing, and it accompanied by a set of manuals, two Rolls-Royce umbrellas, and a model-specific presentation book.

Given its unique status as the last Rolls-Royce model to be manufactured at the Crewe factory, and the only new Rolls-Royce developed under Volkswagen's ownership, this low-mileage Corniche would be an excellent addition to any discerning enthusiast’s collection.