Halcyon Cars, a UK-based restoration firm specializing in electric conversions of Bentley and Rolls-Royce vehicles, has unveiled its first project without an 800-volt system on board. It’s a Rolls-Royce Corniche, and it runs on gasoline alone.
The V8 is a bespoke creation known as the Great Eight Series. It features 6.75 liters of displacement and is supposed to endow the timeless classic with “a rich and distinctive character” while “preserving the effortlessness and composure.” This is how Charlie Metcalfe, co-founder and COO of the company, describes it.
We don’t know how much power exactly goes to the wheels, but it’s safe to say it’s plenty enough. After all, the Corniche that graced the world in the mid-60s had less than 250 PS (246 hp / 186 kW).
Judging by the images released thus far, the first gas-powered Halcyon restomod received the company’s typical scope of upgrades. You may want to check out the video above for a glimpse of another similar example, although that one goes all-electric. While Metcalfe never elaborated on why his company decided to take a detour from electromods and bring back the V8, we suppose the slowdown of the electric car market was one of the reasons. That, and you may have to listen to what your clients have to say when operating in a niche as narrow as a classic Rolls-Royce restoration business.
