This is a 1994 Rolls-Royce Corniche IV that was presented new to Roy Horn of the legendary Las Vegas magic show duo Siegfried & Roy, as part of his 50th birthday celebrations.
It was quite the gift, as the car sold for over $250,000 USD at the time, the equivalent to $550,00+ USD in 2026 dollars. Roy kept the car as part of his personal collection for 26 years until his passing in 2020, and it still remains in original condition throughout with 10,000 miles on the clock.
Fast Facts: An Ex-Siegfried & Roy Rolls-Royce Corniche IV
- This 1994 Rolls-Royce Corniche IV was reportedly presented new to Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy for his 50th birthday. With an original price above $250,000 USD, it was one of the most expensive luxury convertibles of its era. Horn kept it for 26 years until his death in 2020.
- The Corniche IV was the last and most developed version of the long-running Corniche line, whose roots go back to the Silver Shadow-based Mulliner Park Ward two-door models of the 1960s. Its shape changed little over decades, a sign of how successful Bill Allen’s original design proved to be.
- Mechanically, the Corniche IV brought some important updates, including a 4-speed GM 4L80-E automatic transmission, adaptive suspension, improved power top operation, dual front airbags, and CFC-free air conditioning. Power came from Rolls-Royce’s 6.75 liter V8, with output generally estimated at around 220 bhp to 240 bhp.
- Only 219 standard Corniche IVs were built, with two special 25-car editions bringing total IV-series production to 244 units. The Roy Horn car is finished in white with a cream top and white and burgundy interior, shows 10,000 miles, and is now being offered for sale in California.
History Speedrun: The Rolls-Royce Corniche IV
The Rolls-Royce Corniche IV was the final (and the most refined) evolution of a model series that had its origins in the mid-1960s, when coachbuilder Mulliner Park Ward first modified the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow’s monocoque platform into a two-door luxury saloon car. It was first unveiled at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show, and was followed by a drophead coupe variant in 1967.
The Corniche had been designed by Bill Allen, deputy to Rolls-Royce chief stylist John Blatchley, and it was Allen’s signature rear-quarter “hip-line” (a Coke-bottle flank) that proved so timeless the basic shape survived largely unchanged for nearly three decades of continuous production. Image courtesy of Rolls-Royce.
These early cars were first marketed under the somewhat unwieldy name “Silver Shadow Mulliner Park Ward two-door,” but in March of 1971 Rolls-Royce bestowed a far more fitting title – the Corniche, after the Grande Corniche coastal road above Monaco on the French Riviera.
Interestingly, the name had been registered decades earlier, following the destruction of a 1939 Bentley Mark V-based prototype that was bombed at the docks of Dieppe while awaiting shipment back to England at the outbreak of World War II.
The two-door bodywork had been designed by Bill Allen, deputy to Rolls-Royce chief stylist John Blatchley, and it was Allen’s signature rear-quarter “hip-line” (a Coke-bottle flank) that proved so timeless the basic shape survived largely unchanged for nearly three decades of continuous production.
The Corniche quickly became one of the most enduring four-wheeled status symbols of the late 20th century. Upon its debut, celebrities rushed to buy one including Paul McCartney, Frank Sinatra, Maurice Gibb, and Tom Jones, while David Bowie, Elton John, Michael Caine, and Dean Martin joined waiting lists that stretched to two years or more. The car appeared in films and television shows ranging from Dynasty to Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
The Corniche Variants
The Corniche would evolve through four main series, the original (1971 to 1987), the II (1986 to 1989), the III (1989 to 1992), and finally the IV (1992 to 1995). Each generation brought incremental mechanical and equipment upgrades while leaving the exterior design almost untouched. The styling was most certainly dated by the 1990s, however the fact that it exuded elegance and old world charm kept it front and center as the most desirable two-door luxury car in the world.
The Corniche IV was unveiled at the 1992 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Its arrival coincided with a major transition in Rolls-Royce production, the Mulliner Park Ward coachbuilding factory at Hythe Road in Willesden, London, had closed in 1991, and Corniche assembly was then consolidated at the main Crewe factory, with MPW as an entity winding down over the following years.
The Corniche quickly became one of the most enduring four-wheeled status symbols of the late 20th century. Upon its debut, celebrities rushed to buy one including Paul McCartney, Frank Sinatra, Maurice Gibb, and Tom Jones, while David Bowie, Elton John, Michael Caine, and Dean Martin joined waiting lists that stretched to two years or more. Image courtesy of Rolls-Royce.
This ended the elaborate and expensive practice of shuttling partially completed body-shells between London and Crewe that had formed the backbone of Corniche production for decades.
Under The Bonnet
Mechanically, the IV saw the old GM TH400 3-speed automatic replaced with the more modern 4-speed GM 4L80-E, and it introduced adaptive suspension derived from the Silver Spirit. The convertible top received a glass rear window in place of the previous plastic unit, and the latching mechanism was improved so that it no longer needed manual engagement. Dual front airbags and modern CFC-free air conditioning were fitted as standard.
Under the hood sat the familiar Rolls-Royce 6.75 liter pushrod V8 with Bosch fuel injection, producing approximately 220 to 240 bhp depending on the source. Rolls-Royce, true to tradition, declined to publish official figures and merely relied on their old quote that the power was “sufficient.” The torque figure was always more important than bhp, coming in around 325 lb ft, enough to get the 5,300+lb car up to highway speeds relatively quickly when needed.
Only 219 standard Corniche IVs were built across the four-year production run, making it the rarest series in the Corniche lineage. Two special-edition runs of 25 units each bookended production, bringing the combined Corniche IV-series total to 244 cars.
In October of 1992, a 21st Anniversary edition was released, finished exclusively in Ming Blue with a cream hood, magnolia upholstery, a silver dashboard plaque, a vanity set in the driver’s door, and a cocktail cabinet in the passenger door.
The Corniche would evolve through four main series, the original (1971 to 1987), the II (1986 to 1989), the III (1989 to 1992), and finally the IV (1992 to 1995). Image courtesy of Rolls-Royce.
Then, in the summer of 1995, the final 25 Corniche IVs were completed as the turbocharged Corniche S, sharing their forced-induction engine and suspension setup with the Rolls-Royce Flying Spur saloon. The Corniche S produced approximately 321 bhp and 516 lb ft of torque, and all 25 were sold in the United States, identifiable by a red radiator badge and an individually numbered dashboard plate.
Pricing + Celebrity Owners
When new, pricing hovered around $250,000 to $285,000 USD depending on exact specification and model year, placing the Corniche IV firmly among the most expensive production cars of its era. Most of its contemporaries around this price point were supercars, and while they may have been faster, they typically didn’t have a cocktail cabinet in the passenger door. So it really all came down to the owner’s priorities – they could arrive quickly, or they could arrive with a martini in hand.
Notable owners of Corniche IVs include hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, who received a black-and-silver example from the Los Angeles Kings on March the 30th, 1994, one week after he broke Gordie Howe’s all-time NHL regular-season goal-scoring record with his 802nd goal.
Illusionist Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy owned a white 1994 Corniche IV as a gift for his 50th birthday and kept the car until his passing in 2020, perhaps a sign of just how much he liked it.
Production of the original Corniche line ended with the Corniche S in 1995. The name was revived five years later for the entirely different Corniche V, but the IV remains the final version of Allen’s 1960s design, a shape that proved so timeless it outlived the Silver Shadow it was based upon by well over a decade.
Production of the original Corniche line ended with the Corniche S in 1995. The name was revived five years later for the entirely different Corniche V, but the IV remains the final version of Allen’s 1960s design, a shape that proved so timeless it outlived the Silver Shadow it was based upon by well over a decade. Image courtesy of Rolls-Royce.
The Ex-Siegfried & Roy 1994 Corniche IV Shown Here
As noted in the introduction higher up, this 1994 Rolls-Royce Corniche IV was presented as a 50th birthday gift to Roy Horn, half of the legendary Las Vegas entertainment duo Siegfried & Roy.
Finished in white with a cream Everflex convertible top and a white and burgundy leather interior accented by burled wood veneer, the car spent 26 years in Horn’s care until his passing in May of 2020. It now shows 10,000 miles on the odometer, roughly 1,000 of which were added under the current owner.
The exterior presents in its original white livery with a color-coordinated top boot cover, stainless-steel radiator grille topped by the Spirit of Ecstasy ornament, and quad headlights. The car rides on 15 inch vented steel wheels with full covers, mounted with BFGoodrich thin-whitewall tires. It’s worth noting that the power-operated soft top is currently not functioning and will require mechanical attention to get it working again.
Inside, the heated and power-adjustable front seats are trimmed in white leather with black piping and burgundy accents. The cabin is appointed with rear-passenger picnic tables, a CD stereo, automatic climate control, and the kind of rich burl wood veneer trim for which Rolls-Royce is well-known.
The four-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel frames a 150 mph speedometer and a 5,000 rpm tachometer, with ancillary gauges for oil pressure, fuel level, coolant temperature, battery voltage, ambient air temperature, and an analog clock arranged across the dashboard and center stack.
This is a 1994 Rolls-Royce Corniche IV that was presented new to Roy Horn of the legendary Las Vegas magic show duo Siegfried & Roy, as part of his 50th birthday celebrations. Image courtesy of Siegfried & Roy.
Under the hood sits the familiar Rolls-Royce 6.75 liter V8, managed by a Bosch MK-Motronic engine management system and paired with a 4-speed automatic transmission driving the rear wheels. The chassis has independent front and rear suspension, with servo-assisted ventilated front and solid rear disc brakes equipped with ABS.
The car is now being offered for sale out of Monterey, California with the original owner’s manuals, a clean Carfax report, and a clean California title. If you’d like to read more about it or place a bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
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