Javillac
The Paris-Dakar Rally is without a doubt one of the most demanding car competitions in existence, and since its first edition in 1979, vehicles of all kinds have participated, although perhaps the long list of cars that have made history as they pass through the desert. The most peculiar case is the Rolls-Royce Corniche that participated in 1981.
Just as a tuxedo is not worn for sports, a Rolls-Royce should not be worn for a Paris-Dakar, and what started as a joke between friends in reference to a friend's luxurious car and The absurd idea of taking him for a run in the desert ended up, surprisingly, becoming a reality.
It also helps that one of those friends was Thierry de Montcorgé, an amateur rally driver, and that he also had great contacts to find a good sponsor for his adventure. One of his first options was Dior, who financed half of the budget almost without thinking about it taking advantage of the Rolls-Royce as the perfect advertising space for a new men's fragrance called Jules.
JAPANESE CHASSIS AND AMERICAN ENGINE FOR AN ENGLISH CAR
It was clear that the damaged Rolls-Royce was never going to complete the Paris-Dakar challenge in its original state. For this reason, a donor chassis had to be found to adapt it to the beautiful bodywork of the Corniche, and the choice was made a robust Toyota Land Cruiser HJ45 whose wheelbase varied only one centimetre compared to the original car.
Otherwise the transformation was quite subtle, as the Rolls-Royce had enough room in the engine bay to accommodate the powerful 8-litre V5,7 engine of a 350-hp ChevroletIt is surprising to know that components such as the body and the interior barely underwent any aesthetic modifications, even preserving the original grille.
This eye-catching competitor more than fulfilled the sponsors' objectives, as it was the centre of attention at the very start of the competition in Paris. But the team behind the wheel of this unusual machine was not satisfied with that, and although an accident with a truck led to its disqualification They decided to complete the test until Dakar, where they were received as heroes.
THE ROLLS-ROYCE “JULES” UP FOR AUCTION
After completing the feat the car made a few more public appearances, although The Spirit of Ecstasy brand was not very happy that one of its products was taking part in the Paris-Dakar without their support. For this reason they received a flood of requests from the Middle East begging the brand to manufacture a 4X4, something that did not happen until 2018.
This coming Sunday, December 1st, this curious creation that was the fruit of pure boredom will be auctioned by Aguttes. Estimates of its price range between 400.000 and 800.000 euros., but there is always the possibility that the protagonist of this curious anecdote from Paris-Dakar could pleasantly surprise us.
Images: Aguttes
