Camargue. You might not be able to pronounce it or find it on a map (hint: look in France), but if you have a basic familiarity with Rolls-Royce models of yesteryear, you know what it is: Controversial. Polarizing. Distinctive—for better or worse.
Rolls-Royce is aware of this. In fact, it addresses the Camargue’s divisive history in an installment of its Makers of the Marque series, which examines a model from each decade in the company’s history, starting when Charles Stewart Rolls first met Henry Royce in 1904.
In the late 1960s, Rolls-Royce was looking for a “dramatically different” replacement for its two-door version of the Silver Shadow. It turned to Pininfarina instead of the automaker’s in-house coachbuilder, Mulliner Park Ward. Why the Italians? Managing Director Sir David Plastow said it was because Pininfarina “understood the Rolls-Royce culture.”
Pininfarina’s Chief of Styling, Paolo Martin, and his team were directed to create “a modern and stylish motor car for the owner driver which maintains the traditional Rolls-Royce features of elegance and refinement. The principal styling features are a long-line shape with sharp edge surfaces well-matched to the classic shape of the Rolls-Royce radiator. A reduction in height compared to the Silver Shadow and an increase in width, a very inclined windscreen, a large area of glass, and the use of curved side windows for the first time on a Rolls-Royce.”
The Italian design house started with a Mulliner Park Ward car, then stripped it down to the floorpan, which it used as the basis for the Camargue. Both ends of the car received an independent suspension with automatic height control to give the Camargue Rolls-Royce’s signature Magic Carpet Ride. Under the hood was a 6.75-liter V8 connected to a three-speed automatic transmission.
Working with Rolls-Royce’s designers (and metric measurements—another first for a Rolls), Martin and his team created a car with sharp lines and pronounced angles that immediately distinguished it from the more curvaceous Silver Shadow. Another visual departure was more subtle but still noticeable: the top of the Camargue’s Pantheon Grille was tilted forward four degrees. The automaker openly states this was the Camargue’s most recognizable and controversial design element. Of course, the bodywork’s most important characteristic was its structural integrity. According to Rolls-Royce, “The bodyshell itself was so strong that the American safety tests for side impact, rear impact, roof impact and a frontal 30mph collision were all conducted on—and passed by—the same car.”
Inside, the Camargue was furnished with new ultra-soft “Nuella” leather and burl walnut veneer. The gauges were surrounded by matte black frames, which made the cabin seem a little more like a cockpit. All passengers benefited from the headroom provided by the seats being set low in the body and the Camargue’s all-new dual-level air conditioning system – yet another first for a Rolls. Wide doors and front seat backrests that could be unlocked with the touch of a button provided easy access to the rear seat.
Rolls-Royce introduced the Camargue to the world in March 1975. Over the next 12 years, it produced only 529 units. To some, that’s a shame; to others, it’s an overdue end to automotive blasphemy. Personally, I used to think of the Camargue as a bland, frumpy, and unimaginative oddity. Now, I see the appeal of its simplicity and its relatively low-key (I use that term lightly) looks. Yes, the Camargue doesn’t have the grand curves of a typical Rolls-Royce, but the slope of its defined lines and its slab sides give it what every Rolls should have: presence. Its low production numbers add exclusivity, something else synonymous with the ultra-luxury brand’s cars.
What do you think of the Rolls-Royce Camargue? Was it a wonderful experiment or the spawn of an unholy union? Tell us in the comments below.
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