Rolls-Royce Unveils La Rose Noire: The First Droptail Coachbuild Commission

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unleashes the Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail, a dark, daring, dramatic coachbuilt masterpiece. 

This extraordinary motor car, presented to the clients who commissioned it at a private event close to Pebble Beach in California, symbolises the distillation of experiences, significant moments and objets d’art cherished by its owners – an international family that exemplifies connoisseurship and luxury of the very highest order.

Indeed, Coachbuild designers described the family’s talent for sensitive and informed curation in their homes and within their notable collection of motor cars and fashion icons as an art form.

Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail is inspired by the allure of the Black Baccara rose, an intense, velvet-like flower that originates in France and is beloved by the mother of the commissioning family. The dark pomegranate colour of its petals appears almost black in the shade, but in direct light, a red, pearlescent shimmer is revealed on the dark surface.

These two colours form the primary palette of La Rose Noire Droptail. The first red shade is named ‘True Love’ in recognition of the romance the client wished to capture in this commission. The darker tone is named ‘Mystery’, inspired by the mysterious nature of the rose, which appears to change colour when viewed from different angles. Indeed, the essence of true love and the mystery of exploration and travel captivated the clients throughout the commissioning process.

The exterior coachwork is finished in the lustrous and complex True Love red. Like the Black Baccara rose, the motor car also appears to change colour depending on the point it is examined from. To achieve this rich variation, surface finish specialists developed a completely new paint process, which was perfected over 150 careful iterations. A base coat, the colour of which is a closely guarded secret, was followed by five layers of clear lacquer, each blended with a slightly different tone of red.

The duotone theme extends into La Rose Noire Droptail’s brightwork. The dark finish, named Hydroshade due to its liquid quality, was developed specifically for this project. These pieces are not painted; a specific chrome electrolyte is introduced in the chrome plating process and co-deposited on each stainless-steel substrate in a layer just one micron thick – roughly the same width as a strand of spider-web silk.

This dark but reflective finish is continued on select metal details throughout the interior, each precision-polished by hand to achieve a high-gloss finish.

A removable hard top has been designed to give Droptail two distinct characteristics: without its roof, Droptail is a lithe, open-top roadster; with the roof installed, it becomes a formidable and dramatic coupé. Exclusively for La Rose Noire, the top is uniquely low-slung, which is further exaggerated with a faster and longer rake to underpin its assertive, glamorous character.

Behind it, a nugget with the motor car’s name is included – a first for Rolls-Royce. The completely Bespoke roof also features an electrochromic glass section, which instantly transitions to a near-translucent shade at the touch of a button, inviting patrons to explore the world above.

La Rose Noire Droptail’s Pantheon grille vanes exemplify the commissioning clients’ passion for detail. In a discreet embellishment, True Love paint is hand-applied as an accent on the reverse surface of the vanes themselves. This refined detail is only visible through indirect reflection.

This subtle flourish continues into the intricate lower front air intake. This highly detailed piece was digitally designed and 3D printed in a lightweight composite and incorporates 202 hand-polished stainless-steel ingots, each hand-painted in the True Love hue.

A significant exterior element is the treatment of the striking alloy wheels, which feature the dark Mystery paint finish. Like the flower, the finish appears black from afar, but the sunlight reveals shimmering dark red undertones upon closer examination.

The Mystery paint is applied to the entire surface of the rim. Then, through a high-precision diamond milling process, areas of the colour are removed to expose accents of the base alloy material that are then polished. This treatment emphasises the directional nature of the wheel and its bold 22-inch size, underpinning this Droptail’s formidable personality.