<p>Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is privileged to present Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail, a dark, daring and dramatic coachbuilt masterpiece.</p>

<p>ROLLS-ROYCE DROPTAIL: ART IN MOTION</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span>The result of a four-year collaboration with a highly select constellation of the marque&rsquo;s most visionary clients, Droptail represents a modern interpretation of the roadster body type for the first time in the marque&rsquo;s contemporary era. Defined by its intimate and cosseting interior, Droptail celebrates the romance of two-seater motoring. Only four Droptails will be built in total, each a highly unique expression of the commissioning client&rsquo;s character.</span></p>
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    <p><span>Droptail is radically unique in its proportions: a low and assertive stance, snug and enveloping cabin space, and poised, taut surfacing underpin its driver-oriented nature. The profile is defined by the &lsquo;sail cowls&rsquo; &ndash; sharp, angular forms that rise behind the doors and curve gently inwards, denoting that it is a strict two-seater. The beautiful aft deck section, which sits behind the occupants, performs an aerodynamic function, producing downforce to improve stability when the motor car is travelling at speed.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p>
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    <p><span>For Droptail, designers dared to introduce a new interpretation of the marque&rsquo;s most precious iconography: the Pantheon grille and the Badge of Honour. The vanes of the grille are &lsquo;kinked&rsquo; towards the top of the radiator to create a &lsquo;temple brow&rsquo; overhang &ndash; a first for Rolls-Royce.&nbsp; To ensure that Droptail&rsquo;s monolithic surfaces are uninterrupted, the Rolls-Royce &lsquo;Badge of Honour&rsquo; is distilled into an elegant stainless steel &lsquo;Double R&rsquo; monogram.</span></p>
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    <p><span>A removable hard top has been designed to give Droptail two very distinct characters: without its roof, Droptail is a lithe, open-top roadster; with the roof installed, it is a formidable and dramatic coup&eacute;. T</span><span>he roof incorporates electrochromic glass that alters the amount of light entering the interior at the touch of a button</span><span>.</span></p>
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    <p><span>Droptail celebrates the intimacy of a two-seat roadster with a cocooning interior, cosseting and protecting occupants with a high waist-rail and low seating position. Its interior suite serves as an unprecedented canvas for highly bespoke wood craft. The most prominent surface is the curved shawl panel &ndash; a vast, uninterrupted section of wood that wraps around the driver and their companion. &nbsp;</span></p>
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    <p><span>The interior is defined by minimalism and analogue tactility &ndash; just three primary buttons are visible, yet all of the contemporary functionality remains.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span>A theatrical cantilevered plinth-like armrest between the two seats&nbsp;</span><span>elegantly hides the rotary information &ndash; at&nbsp;</span><span>the touch of a button, the plinth glides backwards and forwards, allowing effortless access to the entertainment system controller</span><span>.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p>LA ROSE NOIRE DROPTAIL: GLAMOUR DISTILLED</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;">La Rose Noire Droptail is inspired by the romantic nature of two-seater travel and the allure of the Black Baccara rose, beloved by the mother of the commissioning family. The dark pomegranate colour of its petals appears almost black in 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.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The upper coachwork is finished in a seductive, lustrous red tone with a deep black foundation, named &lsquo;True Love&rsquo;, which mimics the infinitely changing colouring of the Black Baccara rose &ndash; a result of over 150 iterations.<span>&nbsp;</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The brightwork is coated with a unique dark finish, named Hydroshade due to its liquid quality, which was developed specifically for this project. &lsquo;True Love&rsquo; paint is subtly hand-applied as an accent on the reverse surface of the kinked Pantheon Grille vanes. The striking alloy wheels feature the dark Mystery paint finish: like the flower itself, from afar the paint appears to be black, but the sunlight reveals shimmering dark red undertones.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The removable hard top of La Rose Noire Droptail was designed with an entirely unique shape: its low-slung appearance is further exaggerated by a faster and longer rake, underpinning its assertive, glamourous character. In a first for Rolls-Royce, the motor car&rsquo;s name is subtly visible, engraved on an ingot carefully inserted into the roof&rsquo;s edge.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The interior of La Rose Noir Droptail features the most complex parquetry ever created by Rolls-Royce. An abstract rendering of falling rose petals is formed using 1,600 pieces of Black Sycamore wood veneer pieces, each cut, sanded and positioned by hand. 1,070 symmetrical elements, made from wood with different natural patterns, form the background, and 533 asymmetrically positioned pieces hand-painted red represent the rose petals. The lacquer formula used to create the red pieces, which ensures the paint doesn&rsquo;t fade over time, took over a year to develop.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The pattern flows into the artwork on the aft deck, and it also appears on the sides of the Bespoke Champagne Chest, which contains champagne from<span>&nbsp;</span>one of the client's favourite wine properties in France. The rose theme continues with the trim on the seats, combining both dark red &lsquo;Mystery&rsquo; leather, and light red &lsquo;True Love&rsquo; leather, each finished with a subtle copper shimmer, evoking the pearlescent texture of the Black Baccara rose petals.</p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span>The fascia of Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail is provisioned with an integrated one-off timepiece by Audemars Piguet, which was specially commissioned by the client. The 43mm Royal Oak Concept Split-Seconds Chronograph GMT Large Date is powered by a unique self-winding Calibre 4407 movement, featuring a flyback chronograph and a split-seconds mechanism. Masterfully matched to La Rose Noire&rsquo;s colourway, it incorporates red counters and a red inner bezel, providing a bright contrast to the black &lsquo;openworked&rsquo; dial highlighted with rhodium-toned bevels.</span><br /><br /><span>Integrating the timepiece presented a significant challenge: the clients requested that it should both be mounted in the motor car and also be removable, so that it can be attached to a strap and worn. This was realised with a powered clasp mechanism that gently presents the timepiece at the touch of a button.</span><br /><br /><span>Once the timepiece has been removed, the aperture in the fascia is covered with an elegant titanium openworked blank head watch highlighting a white-gold coin displaying a rose engraving, hand-sculpted by Audemars Piguet artisans. Subtle rose engravings on the motor car&rsquo;s Bespoke Audio speaker frets mirror this motif. Each of the pieces were meticulously crafted by hand in the Swiss brand&rsquo;s atelier and represent the only literal expressions of the Baccara Rose in the whole motor car.</span><br /><br /><span>A slim, soft leather pouch in the door paniers houses the strap and the blank head watch while the timepiece is displayed in the fascia.</span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span>To celebrate their Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail, the owners commissioned an exclusive vintage of Champagne de Lossy, one of their favourite wine properties. This is of particular significance given the special wine created for La Rose Noire Droptail is one of only a precious handful of vintages produced by the Chateau in its 160-year history.</span><br /><br /><span>As the perfect staging point, the commissioning family requested a unique Rolls-Royce Champagne Chest. Appointed with matching rose petal parquetry and coordinated to match the colour palette and materials of the motor car, it is the product of the same meticulous attention to detail as the clients&rsquo; coachbuilt Rolls-Royce.</span><br /><br /><span>At the press of a button, the Champagne Chest opens, revealing an intricate champagne set replete with hand-blown crystal champagne flutes. The exterior lid converts to a serving tray made of bookmatched open pore Black Sycamore wood with a design of the Chateau central to the brushed and laser-cut stainless-steel inlay.</span><br /><br /><span>The sides are adorned with the same intricate parquetry work as La Rose Noire Droptail. Once deployed, they reveal two hammocks cradling the clients&rsquo; special edition Champagne de Lossy, designed to match the motor car&rsquo;s colour scheme. Stored thermal champagne coolers, made from black anodised aluminium and carbon fibre, are finished in the dark Mystery hue and ensure the champagne is maintained at the optimum drinking temperature.</span></p>

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span>This bold and historic motor car is a romantic celebration of the couple who created it, characterised by passion and a restless desire for meaningful experiences. In commissioning this extraordinary expression of Droptail, this remarkable family has not only shaped their own legacy but also participated in the legend of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.</span></p>

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

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