Tired: Take an old car that was once classy, install an LS V8 engine, add LED headlights and a digital dashboard, sell it to someone with Guy Fieri’s sense of style. Wired: Create a custom 800-volt electric propulsion system, but connect it to beautiful old-school analog gauges and switches. Discover the sublime details of this reinvented Rolls-Royce.
Halcyon and the Rolls-Royce Corniche “Highland Heather”
The more I look at this Corniche (nicknamed “Highland Heather”), completely rebuilt by a coachbuilder called Halcyon, the more I find things to love. The purple-on-white color combination is intense, yet elegant. The rest of the car is pure class.
Halcyon started making waves last year, announcing in December that it “empathetically modernizes classic Rolls-Royce models,” namely the Corniche convertible and the Silver Shadow sedan. Empathetic modernization… what a phrase. It’s tempting to dismiss this as press release jargon, but, based on the photos of the company’s first complete project (the purple convertible here), I think these Halcyon folks might really have something.
A Unique Creation, Timeless
Among the many restomod, reimagined, and coachbuilt cars I’ve seen over the last decade, this Corniche truly seems to be among the most… out of sync with reality. And I say that as a sign of sincere appreciation for its uniqueness. While many modified old cars end up looking like old cars with modern parts, this one really gives the impression of coming from an alternate timeline where 1970s design and 2020s technology truly coexist.
This makes the Highland Heather a rather cool achievement, regardless of its road performance.
An Analog Dashboard, a Triumph of Design
The press release presenting this car, which will be showcased in person at the Hampton Court Palace Concours of Elegance in a few days, highlights impressive technical elements, such as its in-house built 800V electric platform and adaptive suspension.
But for me, the design of the dashboard interface is a more interesting success. Just look at those switches and gauges. Analog. Three-dimensional. Beautiful.
Just by looking at them through a screen, I feel like they allow selections with a satisfying click. And there are few greater joys in the automotive world than controls that offer a dramatic feel.
An Exclusive Project and an Inspiration for the Future
Halcyon plans to produce only 60 cars of this type, and they start at around half a million dollars. Old Rolls-Royces in general can often be found for a song, but the cost to maintain one in good condition with original parts is astronomical.
The Halcyon Corniche is incredibly cool, and I’d love to see more customizers follow a similar design philosophy regarding the human-machine interface.