The following piece of OTL Rolls-Royce / Bentley history is partly related to BMC.
Basically prior to the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow / Bentley T-Series, the company investigated a few prototypes one a larger Rolls-Royce model known as Tibet and another a smaller model known as the Bentley Burma (with a Rolls-Royce version contemplated under the name of Tonga). Tibet was to be powered by the L-Series V8, while Burma was originally to be powered by the 4-litre inline-6 only to later feature the V8. Ultimately the explorations of Burma and Tibet would never be completed as both projects were shelved (likely on the grounds of the prohibitive costs in developing two quite different models) yet their best features were combined to create the OTL Silver Shadow / T-Series.
BMC's OTL involvement was a final joint-project undertaken by BMC and Rolls-Royce, and was intended to produce a coupe based on a shortened version of the aborted Bentley Burma prototype known as ADO58. The car would have been built and sold only by BMC, and would most likely have carried one of their upmarket brands, such as Wolseley or Riley (more likely Vanden Plas - especially in ATL). However, it is claimed the project was cancelled before any models or prototypes were built, although it is believed that one of the Bentley Burma prototypes was modified as a mock-up.
It is not yet confirmed though whether ADO58 was essentially a BMC version of the Bentley Burma-based 1961 Bentley Korea Coupe prototype below, which was conceived as a proposed Continental variation of the Burma prototype (the first image curiously featuring a similar front as the 1973 Jaguar XJ Series II).
Rolls-Royce Tibet prototype
Basically prior to the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow / Bentley T-Series, the company investigated a few prototypes one a larger Rolls-Royce model known as Tibet and another a smaller model known as the Bentley Burma (with a Rolls-Royce version contemplated under the name of Tonga). Tibet was to be powered by the L-Series V8, while Burma was originally to be powered by the 4-litre inline-6 only to later feature the V8. Ultimately the explorations of Burma and Tibet would never be completed as both projects were shelved (likely on the grounds of the prohibitive costs in developing two quite different models) yet their best features were combined to create the OTL Silver Shadow / T-Series.
BMC's OTL involvement was a final joint-project undertaken by BMC and Rolls-Royce, and was intended to produce a coupe based on a shortened version of the aborted Bentley Burma prototype known as ADO58. The car would have been built and sold only by BMC, and would most likely have carried one of their upmarket brands, such as Wolseley or Riley (more likely Vanden Plas - especially in ATL). However, it is claimed the project was cancelled before any models or prototypes were built, although it is believed that one of the Bentley Burma prototypes was modified as a mock-up.
It is not yet confirmed though whether ADO58 was essentially a BMC version of the Bentley Burma-based 1961 Bentley Korea Coupe prototype below, which was conceived as a proposed Continental variation of the Burma prototype (the first image curiously featuring a similar front as the 1973 Jaguar XJ Series II).
Rolls-Royce Tibet prototype
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