Halcyon’s electrified remaster of a 1970s Rolls-Royce offers style, serenity and pace

No one carries a flame for a 1970s-era Rolls-Royce because of its dynamic abilities or all-out performance, even if these stately machines were among the more powerful cars of their era. Instead, the Crewe-era Rolls-Royces – especially the convertible ones – were created to appeal to the calm, unharried mentality of smooth cruising, sunk deep into rich leather upholstery, the dropped top revealing near-silent mechanicals. It didn’t really matter if the surroundings were California, Cannes or Virginia Water, these were cars built to savour.

The peachy perfection didn’t last. Unless meticulously maintained (and some were), the big V8-powered Rolls-Royce Corniche and Silver Shadow usually found themselves dropping down the automotive food chain, losing refinement and pace as they tumbled, with patina swiftly turning into rust and neglect. Despite never losing the lustre of their unfussy, elegant lines the 1970s Rolls didn’t retain the necessary value or status to keep it in the milieu into which it had been born.

That’s where Halcyon comes in. Although the Surrey-based outfit is far from the first company to revisit a classic Rolls-Royce with resto-modding in mind, Halcyon reckons it can help these two 1970s icons, the Corniche and Silver Shadow, regain their lost lustre.

Its first project is here, the Genesis Series, a Rolls-Royce Corniche that goes by the name ‘Highland Heather’, thanks to its rich purple bodywork. It’s not the first customer car – that’s currently in build – but it’s the first chance the media has had to get behind the wheel of this sympathetic yet sybaritic update of an old favourite.

Halcyon founders Charlie Metcalfe (COO) and Matthew Pearson (CEO), are here to guide us through the Genesis experience. Both alumni of Lunaz, they left to focus their engineering acumen and knowledge of the ultra-luxury restomod market on a single car. It’s not that the Corniche was ever particularly powerful (it originally had just 220hp), but that the trio (CTO Will Burdett is also a co-founder) felt it had the right mix of elegance, modernity and practicality to create a winner.

Out goes the original V8 and in its place comes a modern electric engine and battery set-up. Since the earliest days of Rolls-Royce, the company has striven to obliterate the vibration and noise of the combustion engine – a feat it became renowned for relatively early on its history. So of all the marques making this retrospective transition to electrification, RR is perhaps the most suitable – as demonstrated by the Lunaz Phantom V, for example.

Highland Heather certainly looks the part. Every Halcyon model starts with an existing car; some will be supplied by clients, others can be sourced by the company itself. The best place to find them is California, which offers just the right combination of climate and owner. ‘Shadows are generally plentiful, but they’ll need more restoration work. The Corniches have been looked after but have a few more mechanical and brake issues. They’re just tired,’ says Pearson. The donor will then undergo a complete nut-and-bolt restoration, carried out by a ‘best of the best’ sub-contractor, before the new powertrain is installed.

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Thus far, the biggest markets for future sales are the Middle East and the US West Coast, with a bit of Florida thrown in. Halcyon will only convert Corniches built between1976 and 1979, although Pearson admits that ‘no one really knows’ how many were built.

It’s definitely a finite resource, however, with probably around 500 convertibles and twice that many fixed head cars rolling off the lines. Crucially, in those three years the engineering was pretty much fixed in stone, although the 3D scans show a fairly tight tolerance between the cars they’ve worked on to date.

Halcyon built their own electric powertrains with two off-the-shelf battery options, a 77kWh standard range (which has a very similar overall weight to the original) and a 94kWh long-range battery. Batteries sit in the engine bay and beneath the boot, keeping the centre of gravity low and making use of space gained from engine and fuel tank.

It’s important to state that this is not a Rolls-Royce sanctioned project. ‘It’s a very respectful thing,’ says Pearson, ‘we like to think that the car is what Rolls-Royce would have built if they had the technology in the 1970s.’ A lot has changed, even though the looks are apparently original. Everything from the dash to the door cards to the seat structure is new, all redesigned to fit the era. A drop down display hides a screen for navigation and CarPlay, while the wheel-mounted gear lever is now the drive selector.

You start the Highland Heather up and move off in eerie silence. Sitting high in the cabin, with doors set well below your shoulders, unlike the deep set cabin of a modern convertible. Electrification effectively doubles the available power, so around 500hp; much like in Electrogenic's DeLorean DMC-12, the boost transforms the character of the big Rolls-Royce, giving it a commanding presence with easy overtaking and swift pick-up.

It’s not actually that big, especially when compared to any modern SUV or crossover (let alone a contemporary Rolls-Royce. The mix of bolster-like leather seats, slender steering wheel, chromed windscreen surround and delicate wing mirrors makes Highland Heather feel lithe and slender.

It’s still very much a cruiser. The big battery offers a maximum range of around 250 miles, and there’s space aplenty for luggage and passengers should a road trip come tempting. Gliding around the Surrey Hills in thankfully clement weather is a fine showcase for this machine’s appeal; sufficiently different to make a statement whilst still replete with the crafted individuality buyers have come to expect at this end of the market.

Electrification isn’t the only game in town, as many traditional manufacturers are discovering. To accommodate this, Halcyon recently announced the Great Eight Series, rebuilt, remastered and uniquely appointed, only with a 6.75l V8 under the bonnet, just like the original.

‘We launched it because lots of people were asking for it,’ Pearson admits, ‘it’s in line with what we set out to do with the business, which was to build incredible interpretations of classic Rolls-Royces. We feel that EV is a really compelling way of doing it – it aligns with Rolls-Royce’s vision. But people love V8s – and so do we.’

Showcased by the (Arboretum) green fixed head car shown here – the Rose and Scroll Commission – work is still underway to work out the perfect mechanical configuration. ‘We’ve driven the original cars enough to know that the V8 is a part of its character, but it leaves a lot to be desired in the modern world,’ Pearson continues, ‘We launched the Great Eight Series as a design study and commissions came in. [Expect] more power, more torque, a new gearbox, as well as all the updates we bring to the electric car. If people want the quietest, smoothest experience, we have a car for that. It can’t be beaten. But the V8 is allowed to be a V8.’

It takes around 5,000 hours to shape a Halcyon Rolls-Royce remaster, and build slots are filling up fast. Classic British luxury style will endure, demonstrated by the Arboretum Green over Tan finish of the Rose and Scroll, with its engraved dashboard with by damascene inlays depicting the Halcyon kingfisher logo. A small team plus the finite supply of time and base models ensures these cars won’t just get a second life but achieve future classic status as well.

Halcyon Genesis Series and Great Eight Series, both from around £425,000, plus donor vehicle and local taxes, Halcyon.works, @Halcyon.cars