Netherlands-based tuning company Niels van Roij Design has rolled out yet another impressive Shooting Brake conversion – this time around based on a 1981 Rolls-Royce Corniche coupe. It took two and a half years to render the car suitable for transporting two bikes and other sports gear.
The car is officially known as Henry II and had stayed in one family for over 40 years prior to the rebuild. It was stripped down to the naked frame, restored and put back together using lots of custom body panels, especially from the b-pillars onwards. As one would expect, the roof and the tailgate are also new, but the latter looks like something Rolls-Royce could produce itself.
The rear end is generally quite an impressive piece of work with OEM taillights and an all-new chrome bumper designed specifically for the project. Its central section slides out to reveal a bike rack for two adult-sized bicycles. It also rocks a drop-down number plate holder and extra taillights, because the bikes obscure the original plate and lights when mounted on the rack.
To properly integrate this system into the vintage car, it ended up with completely new rear suspension and a displaced fuel tank. According to the company CEO and founder Niels van Roij, moving the tank around was challenging, but still much preferable to letting the bikes enter the trunk area, even partially. That would necessitate raising the roof, and since this is a Shooting Brake and not a bumbling minivan, it was deemed a no-go.
Just as impressive as the rest of the car is the cabin. The rear seats fold down at a push of a button to maximize luggage space at the back. The tailgate swings upwards to open, the seats are clad in leather, and the owner got a matching set of travel bags. Speaking of the owner: apparently, he and his wife are avid cyclists and plan on using the Rolls-Royce to travel to events all over Europe. It’s always nice to see a full conversion that’s not a garage queen, isn’t it?
