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The Hooper coachbuilt handcrafted cars (1980-1994)


Click on a model name to enter the page.
Almost all pages contain copies of documents. Pages marked with a (p) contain also photographs.

The list of Hooper coachbuilt handcrafted cars is not complete. It will be enhanced continuously.
These pages about Hooper coachbuilt handcrafted cars have been composed by Marinus Rijkers with the help of Andy Hurfurt and Don Stott.

Hooper & Co. (coachbuilders) Ltd. Established 1807. Associated with Rolls-Royce since 1909., Kimberley Road, NW6 London, United Kingdom.
Early in the 1970s the Australian born from Melbourne Colin Hyams, a car fanatic and Formula 5000 and sports car racing driver, arrived in the U.K. In the mid 70s he purchased a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow Mulliner Park Ward two door coupe from Hooper & Co. (coachbuilders) Ltd. and that ignited his love of the company and its extraordinary historic brand. In 1980 Hyams purchased Hooper & Co. (coachbuilders) Ltd. Established 1807 from Sir Gerald Glover, lawyer for the former owners of Hooper, Sir Bernard and Lady Nora Docker. The company required a substantial injection of fresh capital and modernisation which he provided through his family trust.
It was not until 1983 that the Canadian entrepreneur John Dick became first a client of Hooper & Co. and then later on in 1983 joined the company as a partner to expand the business. It was John Dick‘s additional investment that added Jack Alpe, a major player in pre-owned Bentleys and Rolls-Royces, and also an additional retail shop window for the Hooper brand. Another subsidiary company became Crailville, a producer of exceptionally fine replica bodies for the classic car market, that also provided restoration services for the older Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars from its small works near London Airport.
However the design, engineering and coach building of the Hooper current vehicles that required new donor Rolls-Royces and Bentley, remained at the main works, located at Kimberley Road, north London. Hooper & Co. produced the very exclusive 2-door versions of both the Bentley Turbo R and Rolls-Royce Silver Sprit. They also produced the four door St. James and Emperor, based on the Rolls-Royce Silver Spur, including the extended wheelbase version with division. Furthermore Hooper provided major modifications both to new Rolls-Royce Corniches and the Rolls-Royce Camargue to customer's individual special requirements. In 1987, Hooper launched the Bentley Empress II 2-door coupe by re-bodying entirely the Bentley Turbo R. The Empress II was revealed at the Geneva Auto show which caused a sensation, priced at £275,000. A small selection of these spectacular cars were sold to very few and select Bentley connoisseurs.
Hooper & Co. (coachbuilders) Ltd. ceased the coachbuilt handcrafted activities for Rolls-Royces and Bentleys in 1994, however it still remains active today.


Read the story behind the Hooper coachbuilt handcrafted cars, written by Bill Wolf

Don Stott about the hand-finishing of the veneer by the Hooper artisans

Read how on Monday 11th June 1984 three Hooper coachbuilt cars were presented to US customers

(Hooper & Co. produced hundreds of coachbuilt cars. The list below is merely a selection.)

Year

ROLLS-ROYCE

VIN

 

Year

BENTLEY

VIN

Rolls-Royce Emperor

 

Bentley Turbo R 2-door Empress II

1982

Silver Spur Emperor Sports saloon

CCH05821 (p)

 

1985

Turbo R Empress II

FCH13832 (p)

1985

Silver Spirit Emperor Limousine

FCH12482 (p)

 

1986

Turbo R Empress II

GCX14784

1985

Silver Spirit Emperor Limousine

FCX13851 (p)

 

1990

Turbo R Empress II

LCX32776 (p)

1989

Silver Spirit Emperor State Limousine

KCX25393 (p)

 

1991

Turbo R Empress II

MCX34842 (p)

1989

Silver Spirit Emperor State Limousine

KCH25543

 

1991

Turbo R Empress II

MCX36071 (p)

1989

Silver Spirit Emperor State Limousine

KCH26441 (p)

 

1989

Silver Spirit Emperor Limousine

KCH27363

 

Bentley 2-door conversions

1990

Silver Spirit II Emperor Limousine

LCX31208 (p)

 

1985

Mulsanne Turbo

FCX12361 (p)

1990

Silver Spur II Emperor Limousine

LCX32921

 

1986

Turbo R

GCX14276 (p)

1991

Silver Spirit II Emperor State Limousine

MCH33869 (p)

 

1986

Turbo R

GCH16030 (p)

1991

Silver Spirit II Emperor State Limousine

MCH33871

 

1987

Turbo R

HCH20079 (p)

1991

Silver Spirit II Emperor Limousine

MCX34158 (p)

 

1987

Turbo R

HCX20650 (p)

1991

Silver Spirit II Emperor State Limousine

MCH34889 (p)

 

1987

Turbo R

HCX21044 (p)

 

1988

Turbo R

JCH23515 (p)

Rolls-Royce 2-door coachbuilt handcrafted cars

 

1989

Turbo R

KCX25450 (p)

1988

Silver Spirit

JCH23037 (p)

 

1989

Turbo R

KCX25931 (p)

1989

Silver Spirit

KCX24579

 

1989

Turbo R

KCH26285 (p)

 

1990

Turbo R

LCX31860

Rolls-Royce Silver Wing (by Hooper-Crailville)

 

1990

Turbo R

LCH32930 (p)

1984

Silver Wing (Landaulette)

ECH09491 (p)

 

1990

Turbo R

LCH33427 (p)

1986

Silver Wing (Landaulette)

GCH14143 (p)

 

1991

Turbo R

MCX33908

4-door coachbuilt handcrafted cars (Hooper Embellishments)

1982

Silver Spur

CCH05629

 

1982

Mulsanne Turbo

CCH06581 (p)

1982

Silver Spur

CCH06375

 

1984

Mulsanne Turbo

ECH08193 (p)

1983

Silver Spur with division

DCX07006

 

1984

Eight

ECH10074

1983

Silver Spur

DCH07274

 

1985

Mulsanne Turbo

FCH12203

1983

Silver Spirit

DCH07652

 

1985

Mulsanne Turbo

FCX12932 (p)

1983

Silver Spur

DCH08154

 

1985

Eight

FCH13806

1984

Silver Spur (St. James)

ECX09011 (p)

 

1986

Turbo R

GCH16026 (p)

1984

Silver Spur

ECH10108

 

1987

Turbo R

HCX20025 (p)

1985

Silver Spur

FCH13104 (p)

 

1987

Turbo R

HCH20035

1985

Silver Spirit

FCH13421

 

1987

Turbo R Long wheelbase

HCH20368

1985

Silver Spur

FCH13721

 

1988

Turbo R

JCH22196

1985

Silver Spur

FCH13758

 

1988

Mulsanne S Long wheelbase

JCH22247 (p)

1986

Silver Spur

GCX13898

 

1988

Turbo R

JCH22454

1987

Silver Spur

HCH20636 (p)

 

1988

Turbo R Long wheelbase

JCH22573

1987

Silver Spur

HCH21517 (p)

 

1988

Eight

JCH23071

1988

Silver Spirit

JCH23383

 

1988

Turbo R

JCH23228 (p)

1988

Silver Spur (Limousine)

JCX24166

 

1988

Turbo R

JCH23366

1989

Silver Spur

KCH24765 (p)

 

1988

Turbo R

JCX23809 (p)

1989

Silver Spur

KCX27236 (p)

 

1988

Turbo R

JCH23839

1990

Silver Spur II

LCX31555

 

1988

Mulsanne S

JCH24184 (p)

1990

Silver Spirit II

LCH31965

 

1989

Turbo R

KCH25061

1990

Silver Spur II

LCH32094

 

1989

Turbo R

KCX25068

1991

Silver Spur II

MCH34665

 

1989

Turbo R

KCX25753

1991

Silver Spur II

MCH35219

 

1989

Turbo R

KCH26735

 

1989

Turbo R

KCH27138 (p)

 

1989

Turbo R

KCH27539 (p)

 

1990

Turbo R

LCX31510

 

1990

Turbo R

LCH32195

 

1991

Turbo R

MCX35708

 

1992

Turbo R

NCH44155 (p)

 

1994

Turbo R

RCH54123





Hooper coachbuilt handcrafted cars of Silver Shadow based models

Rolls-Royce Camargue

 

Silver Shadow MPW, Corniche, Continental

1981

Camargue

BCH01957 (p)

 

1967

Silver Shadow MPW 2-door saloon

CRH1721 (p)

1982

Camargue Beau Rivage

CCX05498 (p)

 

1980

Corniche 2-door saloon

CRX50264 (p)

1982

Camargue

CCH05690 (p)

 

1985

Corniche convertible

FCH09129 (p)

1985

Camargue

FCH10154 (p)

 

1988

Corniche II

JCH23090

 

1988

Bentley Continental

JCH24253 (p)

 

1989

Corniche II

KCH24769 (p)

 

1989

Corniche II

KCH29020





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