The Coachbuilders

From 1904 to 1939 the company produced chassis only and it was left to the specialist coachbuilders to construct coachwork to the individual requirements of the customers.

H.J.MULLINER

When Mr Mulliner founded his carriage building business in eighteenth century Northampton, England, he would have been much influenced by what was one of the most fertile periods in British cultural history.

For his was the century in which men like architect Robert Adams, furniture designer Thomas Chippendale and potter Josiah Wedgwood flourished.

Master craftsmen who, encouraged by wealthy and discerning patronage, added an aesthetic and artistic dimension which elevated the merely functional to something of supreme and lasting worth.

Mr Mulliner was of a similar kind.

His carriages were superbly built of the finest materials for a clientele that insisted on the best.

Succeeding generations subscribed to the same high ideals and in due course Mr H J Mulliner was to set up his own coachbuilding company in 1900 and apply Mulliner standard to the new horseless carriage.

The superlative chassis built by Rolls-Royce were those most frequently specified by his distinguished customers.

The same was to be true for the high class coachbuilding concern established by Mr Park and Mr Ward in 1919.

In fact, the association between the two coachbuilders and the best car in the world was to develop to the point where first, in 1939, Park Ward and then, twenty years later, H J Mulliner became part of the Rolls-Royce company.

Today, the symbol of Mulliner Park Ward is Mr Mulliner's carriage.

It is entirely appropriate, because it speaks not only of an impeccable pedigree but also of centuries old skills which, under the aegis of the company that is now Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, are proudly maintained and honoured still.

HANDBUILT

At Mulliner Park Ward's London works hands and eyes are still the most precious resource.

Modern technology has its place, but as an aid to craftsmanship, never a substitute for it.

Thus the track, along which the convertible body shells of the Rolls-Royce and Bentley progressively take shape, has the latest in welding equipment and the most up to date measuring devices which ensure perfect dimensional accuracy.

However, sub-assemblies are still welded by hand.Microscopic flaws in panel surfaces continue to be sought out by finger-tips sensitive almost to a micron and persuaded back into shape by a deft tap from the panel-beater's hammer. Gaps between doors (loaded with weights to simulate their fully assembled condition) and apertures are still hand filled to thousandths of an inch.

The result is a body constructed to the highest standard, seamless, entirely free of visible panel joins.

During the course of the six month long assembly process, this body will become the medium through which other crafts are displayed.

Crafts like that of the coach painter for example. Over a period of ten days, a perfect finish is produced seemingly fathoms deep, founded upon many layers of primers, fillers and anti-corrosion treatments. The work is crowned by the application of decorative coachlines, every one hand painted with an artist's fiche.

Crafts like that of the coach trimmer. Creator of that uniquely sumptuous interior ambience which comes from the bringing together of fourteen fine blemish free hides (the supliers have long since learned not to send any other sort), precisely fitted Wilton carpet and rugs of luxurious depth.

It is also the coach trimmer who painstakingly arranges, glues and hand sews the woolcloth lining, layers of waddingand fire-resistant covering which constitutes the hood. Each one requires forty man-hours to complete.

Crafts like that of the cabinet maker. Constructor of interior fitings; an artist in wood.

Mulliner Park Ward are justly proud of the great richness of their choice burr walnut veneers. They are no less proud of the skill with which veneer cross-banding and inlays are combined to produce facias, door waist rails and other fittings which are so symbolic of the whole motor car.

Finally, the crafts of the engineer and electrician.Those who endow the car with all major mechanical components during the brief excursion to principal Rolls-Royce Motor Cars factory at Crewe, England which forms a part of the assembly schedule.

Such are the skills of hand and eye and the time lavished upon every Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars that the rewards of ownership come from much more than the fact that they are exceptionally fine and exclusive, they are also works of art.

A VERY PERSONAL MOTOR CAR

Coachbuilders have long prided themselves on their ability to build cars which exactly match an owner's requirements and so give full expression to his or her taste and personality.

While it is no longer possible for customers to almost design their own cars - the complexities of modern engineering and the far-reaching effects of safety legislation make sure of that - Mulliner Park Ward still fully understand the desire for self-expression and exclusivity.

That is why a very wide choice of finishes and features are offered.

The standard paint range offered for convertible models, for example, has no fewer than twenty nine colours.

The power operated hood may be covered in one of twelve Everflex cloths or four mohair.There is a choice of seven colours for the interior headlining.

For the interior, the customer has a selection of eighteen hide colours from which to choose and is free to order contrasting colours for piping and other elements of the leather trim.

Even the degree of figuring on the burr walnut veneer may be specified. The depth of colour too. Bird's eye maple, mahogany and coloured lacquer are available as alternatives to walnut.

Also, although the Corniche III and Continental are very comprehensively equipped as standard, there is an extensive list of optional or extra appointments which can be incorporated during assembly.

True to their past, Mulliner Park Ward are also happy to consider requests for non-standard finished and features.

Special paint colours are often ordered and they can be matched to a sample or reference provided by the customer.

As long as legislative requirements or engineering integrity are not compromised, Mulliner Park Ward designers and craftsmen will use all their skill, ingenuity and experience to realise ideas and requests put to them through Rolls Royce and Bentley distributors. Television and video installations, secret document compartments and detachable drink trays are typical of the requirements that have become reality to the delight of owners.

The very personal motor car. It is part of the tradition of coachbuilding.

ROLLS-ROYCE CORNICHE AND BENTLEY CONTINENTAL

The Mulliner Park Ward convertibles.

Few motoring experiences can match those to be gained in travelling far and fast in a Rolls-Royce Corniche or Bentley Continental.

In part, this can be attributed to the superb dynamic qualities and great refinement which characterises all the latest Rolls-Royce and Bentley models; in part it is due to the comfort, cosseting luxury and carefully planned appointments of the Mulliner Park Ward coach work.

Only seven convertibles are completed each week. Every one the culmination of a six month long build process.

The Corniche and Continental are motor cars of timeless elegance. Even the most casual glance leaves a lasting impression of the beauty of classic lines owing nothing to fickle fashion. Closer inspection reveals the no less classic beauty of Mulliner Park Ward craftsmanship both inside and out.

From the flawless fit and finish of the hand assembled body to the immaculate presentation of wood and hide, the convertible offers striking testimony to the way the traditional arts of the coachbuilder thrive at the London works of Mulliner Park Ward.

Mulliner Park Ward coachwork and the technical excellence of Rolls-Royce engineering.A supremely harmonious combination which makes a Rolls-Royce Corniche III or Bentley Continental convertible a particular joy to own.

ROLLS ROYCE SILVER SPUR

Limited edition by Mulliner Park Ward.

The Mulliner Park Ward edition of the Rolls-Royce Silver Spur is a very exclusive motor car. Fewer than one hundred were built for all world markets.

It is a car of great style and presence . Distinguinguished by Bordeaux red painwork, colour matched bumpers and headlamp surrounds and hand made stainless steel finishers to the sills and wheel-arches.

Inside, the coachbuilder has exercised his time honoured crafts to gladden the eye.

Specially selected and very rare "starburst" burr walnut veneers with silver and boxwood inlays are applied to facia, door panels, waist rails and picnic tables. Silver RR monograms reveal the attention to detail which is typical of Mulliner Park Ward.

Magnolia hide upholstery and head-lining is complemented by the contrasting maroon of piping, facia top roll, carpet and rugs.

In specifying the interior appointments, nothing has been overlooked.

Among a host of features are a special audio system incorporaing a compact disc player, a cocktail cabinet, a refrigerated drinks storage compartment and, within the right-hand picnic table, a cigar compartment complete with cutter and humidor.

The Rolls-Royce Silver Spur by Mulliner Park Ward. There is no finer motor car for those who are as likely to be driven as to drive.

HOOPER

Hooper became famous during the nineteenth century as a result of their creation of exquisitely decked-out carriages and coaches. Vehicles built by this manufacturer were to be found in the mews of numerous royal households. The change over to coachbuilding for motor cars was coped with with great success. The quality of bodies by Hooper was so high that the company became one of the most highly regarded anywhere and it was to tailor bodies for all the leading car manufacturers in the world. One of its chief occupations was the clothing of Rolls-Royce chassis.

The dwindling demand for hand-built bodies was, however, to lead to the closure of this well known coachbuilder in 1959 - but here we get ahead of the story.

The beginning of the company dates back to the year 1805. In this year George Hooper founded a coachbuilding company in London. Within a short time due to the quality of workmanship, Hooper became held in high regard. The customers' circle widened further than London and spread to the landed gentry.

After a reasonable time - and this could hardly be less than a quarter of a century, going by normal British standards - an order was placed by the Royal Household. His Majesty, King George IV required a coach to be built, and thus it was that Hooper became providers of carriages by Royal Appointment. This honour, quite naturally, led to well-filled order books. More order caused serious problems because they could not be dealt with without reducing the standard of quality. In those days, the extra work could not be absorbed by resorting to the employment of machines. The work could only be done properly by skilled craftsmen whose training lasted years. In addition there were problems with the available materials. Painting, for example, was enormously time consuming. Paint could only be applied during dry weather and low atmospheric humidity. On a rainy island like Great Britain such favourable circumstances could only be expected on about 50 of the 365 days in the year!

Royal patronage raised the London coachbuilder to become the premier address for the finest horsedrawn carriages. It was not England's Society alone which esteemed carriages by Hooper as the only proper means of transport - the record of purchasers reads like a Debrett'swith its list of noble names. Prince Wilhelm of Prussia (later His Imperial Majesty Emperor Wilhelm I of Germany) is listed there. The names of His Imperial Majesty Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and Her Imperial Majesty the Empress Eugenie of France follow. The number of Kings who ordered carriages for ceremonial purposes is legion. The painstakingly listed orders in Hooper's books also tell about unobtrusively styled carriages being delivered to high-ranking persons for use on provate occasions.

They chose with discernment, because at Hoopers the finest materials were finished with the utmost care and with precision and skill were combined by craftsmen to form an objet d'art on wheels. Interiors were characterised by combinations of silk or brocade with leather and the finest woods. For the external surfaces, materials varied from exotic woods with numerous layers of paint to complete covering with gold leaf. The quality can be measured not least by the fact that today, more than a hundred years after their creation, horse-drawn carriages by Hooper are still serving on ceremonial occasions, having been painstakingly cared for at the Royal Mews in London. The secret of their durability is the care that was invested in manufacturing each piece and checking its assembly into the complete creation. A carriage of this class was good not just for a lifetime, but for generations.

The English royal family, especially Queen Victoria, remained faithful to Hooper. The same can be said of the German rulers, Emperors Wilhelm I and II. This patronage did not change upon the advent of the motor car which demanded adaptations in the approach to the craft. In the meantime the founder's son, George Norgate Hooper, had taken over the senior position in the company. With great care, he began to produce bodies for motor cars, at first side by side with, and very much echoing the design of horse-drawn carriages. Usually a motor car was delivered by the manufacturer to the coach builder, but on behalf of the customer in the form of a rolling-chassis complete with engine. The body would then be built and fitted. Because the bodies had to be finished in accordance with the special wishes of those who had ordered them they were dealt with as single units. Although basic lines might be shared, differences in equipment and slight alterations were always to be found and during this period rarely ever were two bodies identical down to the last detail.

The company's workshops were full of bodies in every state of assembly - and a remarkably high proportion was to the order of the ruling houses. Because these families were the trend-setters of the time, everything they did was noted and those suppliers who received their patronage were regarded as the very best.

Many of the makers whose chassis received coachwork by Hooper are long gone, if not entirely forgotten, such as Delauney-ellvilee, Minerva and Napier, and rarely mentioned outside the pages of books about motoring history. Two companies, however, with whom Hooper was connected are still famous today: Rolls-Royce and Bentley.

If coachwork came from Hooper it was sure to be not only outstanding in quality but also of an understated and classic style. In addition it could be certain to satisfy perfectly the demands of the customer - even if these were somewhat eccentric. A painter, for example, who wanted his Rolls-Royce Phantom II Limousine to be modified to provide an artist's salon on wheels, got exactly what he had ordered; a limousine with a very special roof which could be opened and fixed for using as an easel.

Special interest was always taken at Hoopers to cars of sporting character. When Henry Royce, as chief engineer of Rolls-Royce, insisted on a lightweight body for a Rolls-Royce Phantom I to reduce loss of acceleration, Hooper built one of the prototypes. Some stunning cabriolets were created during the thirties when coachbuilding was at its peak.

The main reason that Hooper continued to hold the position as favourite coachbuilder to Royality was the outstanding quality.

After the end of the Second World War this special position was maintained. In addition to continuing support from the English royal family, His Serene Highness the Prince Aga Khan ruler of the Ismaili Muslims, was listed as a customer as was His Majesty King Faisal II of Iraq.

Rapidly increasing labour costs and vastly improved and better equipped standard bodies led to a decline in demand for specially manufactured coachwork. The most significant break was the development of unit-construction or monocoque body shells. No longer was a chassis the foundation upon which a body was built. In its place was a one-piece, completely welded unit consisting in one structure of the body and frame equipped with running gear and interior.

Hooper lost more and more ground in their field of work. With few bodies in demand, which only oriental potentates could afford, the company couldn't survive. Three cars at the 1959 Earls Court Motor Show represented Hooper's last exhibits before the curtain fell. Shortly afterwardsOsmond Rivers, Hooper's chief designer, wrote his final remark in the production book "Production ceased December 1959".

The maintenance of Hooper-bodied cars in the Royal Mews was taken over by their rival, Park Ward, the Rolls-Royce owned coachbuilding division. Hooper as a coachbuilder no longer existed, although they continued in business as a garage, a coachwork repairer and agency for Rolls-Royce and Daimler.

After new capital had been injected and new ideas formulated, by the middle of the nineteen eighties circumstances had arisen which were favourable to a new start in the field of coachbuilding following traditional methods.

Within a few years Hooper had regained their former position in that small circle of coachbuilding companies which manufactured bodies to order on Rolls-Royce and Bentleys. When a brand new body was created for the Bentley Turbo R, the company showed their ability to manufacture once again coach work of a style and quality that elevated the finished vehicle to an even higher plane than that occupied by the products from Crewe.