This 1981 Rolls-Royce Corniche, an unexpected participant in the 1981 Paris–Dakar Rally, recently sold at auction for approximately $630,000. The Corniche’s appearance was updated with light plastic panels, and the 6.8-liter engine was replaced with a 5.7-liter small-block Chevy V-8. Although the Rolls-Royce crashed before the race ended, it displayed its potential by finishing 13th out of nearly 300 vehicles. Most people do not associate Rolls-Royce with racing. When parked outside a swanky hotel in downtown London with a driver waiting in the front seat, the brand’s costly monsters appear far more at ease than when racing around a racetrack. The 1981 Rolls-Royce Corniche “Jules” is a very rare race car that was just purchased at auction. However, it was not meant for the track. Rather, this ruined automobile took part in the grueling Paris-Dakar Rally in 1981. For the 1981 event, which took place on a route from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal, a young French man named Thierry de Montcorgé designed the car and ordered an off-road Rolls. Today’s event takes place in Saudi Arabia’s deserts. Because of safety concerns, it was moved from its original location in Mauritania. The Corniche got various upgrades for its new function, including a 5.7-liter small-block Chevy V-8 engine that replaced the 6.8-liter V-8. Additionally, the power increased by around 100 horsepower to 350 horsepower. The framework was modified to allow Rolls-Royce to use live axles, leaf springs, and two sets of shocks per wheel from a Toyota BJ45 Land Cruiser. A tubular steel roll cage and a massive 88-gallon fuel tank were both fitted to the Dakar. Most notably, the off-roader’s chassis is entirely new and made of lightweight plastic, yet it retains the appearance of a Corniche. Rolls-Royce appears to have objected to this decision, but they changed their mind after Montcorgé found a sponsor in Christian Dior. The Dakar racer’s nickname was inspired by the car’s white, orange, and red paint scheme, which promoted Dior’s Jules perfume. However, Montcorgé’s collision with a tree at the end of the 1981 Dakar Rally kept “Jules” from winning. However, the Rolls-Royce surprised everyone by proving to be a capable competitor. It was said to have attained speeds of up to 120 mph on dirt roads and finished as high as 13th overall in a field of over 300 automobiles. Montcorgé was also able to finish the race once the car was repaired. Aguttes, a French auction house, sold the rally rolls for almost $630,000 in Today’s money.
