During Monterey Car Week 2023, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars revealed La Rose Noire Droptail, a dark, daring, and dramatic coachbuilt masterpiece to the world. Droptail is a modern interpretation of a roadster body type for the first time in the marque’s contemporary history, Rolls-Royce. One of the most valuable commissions ever created, this commission represents one of only four versions of Droptail that will ever be built.
Droptail is inspired by the allure of the Black Baccara rose. The dark pomegranate color of its petals appears almost black in shade, but in direct light, a red, pearlescent shimmer can be seen on the dark surface. These two colors form the primary palette of La Rose Noire Droptail.
A removable hard top has been gives Droptail two distinct characteristics: without its roof, an open-top roadster and with the roof, it becomes a formidable and dramatic coupé
The most remarkable element of this extraordinary motor Rolls-Royce car is be found in its interior. Taking two years to develop, the artwork represents an abstract expression of falling rose petals, formed using 1,603 pieces of blackwood veneer triangles. It is the single most complex wood project ever undertaken by Rolls-Royce. Assembly required intense concentration and the single craftsperson tasked with creating it could only work in one-hour sessions for no more than five hours total per day. The artisan, who has been with Rolls-Royce since apprenticeship, spent weeks working in silence in a sound-insulated space to mitigate potential distractions. The fascia of Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail features an integrated one-off timepiece by Audemars Piguet, which was specially commissioned by the client. Coachbuild designers and engineers created a clasp mechanism that gently presents the timepiece at the touch of a button.
In celebration, the commissioning client requested a Bespoke Rolls-Royce Champagne Chest. Appointed with matching parquetry and coordinated to match the color and materials of the car.