Rolls-Royce Motor Cars PressClub · Article.
ROLLS-ROYCE UNVEILS LA ROSE NOIRE: THE FIRST DROPTAIL COACHBUILD COMMISSION
20.08.2023 Press Release
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is privileged to present Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail, a dark, daring and dramatic coachbuilt masterpiece.
Press Contact.
Georgina Cox
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Tel: +44 (0) 7815 370 878
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Author.
Malika Abdullaeva
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
- First of four unique Rolls-Royce Droptail commissions, named ‘La Rose Noire’
- Inspired by romance and the allure of the Black Baccara rose
- Incorporates most complex expression of parquetry in Rolls-Royce history
- 1,603 wood pieces hand-finished and hand-placed over almost two-year period
- New exterior paint process required 150 iterations to perfect
- Matching Champagne Chest commissioned to stage client’s exclusive vintage
- Features wearable Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept timepiece
“Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail is a love story, thoughtfully
captured and stunningly projected onto the canvas of a Rolls-Royce
motor car. It is an expression of the deep and passionate
partnership between a husband and wife who are the heads of a
prominent international family – to be part of their remarkable
story is a privilege. Furthermore, La Rose Noire Droptail stands as
a testament to our brand’s relentless pursuit of perfection, where
artistry and the vision of a single client truly harmonise. In every
detail of this historic commission, there are echoes of both
Rolls-Royce’s rich heritage and the commissioning clients’
character, from its captivating yet formidable form to its flawless
and elegant romantic gestures. La Rose Noire Droptail, like the
remarkable clients who dared to make such a potent and contemporary
statement, will be written into Rolls-Royce history forever.”
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce
Motor Cars
“Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail stands as one of the most
progressive expressions of Rolls-Royce Coachbuild ever conceived. In
capturing the romantic and glamorous spirit of the commissioning
clients, our design team explored bold new artisanal processes and
highly complex creative gestures in their pursuit of a deeply
personal language of luxury. The remarkable execution of the wood
elements of La Rose Noire Droptail in particular are a clear
statement that time-honoured exquisite crafts have a place at the
pinnacle of modern design. Indeed, the ambition of the marque’s
clients, and the peerless capabilities of its designers signal a
long and exciting future for Rolls-Royce Coachbuild and its standing
as the leading creative force in applied art at its highest level.”
Anders Warming, Design Director, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
“Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail is glamour distilled. The
guiding inspiration for this dark, bold and powerful commission was
the Black Baccara rose, which was a significant point of affection
for the client and a source of fascination for the design team. Its
rich and complex character informed our creative exploration,
influencing the palette, composition, and intricate detailing of the
motor car. It led us to blend radically modern design concepts with
age-old exquisite craft techniques, while using materials that
subtly reinforce the clients’ deep connection to France. Our shared
commitment to shaping a meaningful and progressive design statement
have culminated in a deeply significant expression of the patron’s
character and a new pinnacle for contemporary craftsmanship.”
Alex Innes, Head of Coachbuild Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
LA ROSE NOIRE: THE FIRST DROPTAIL
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is privileged to present Rolls-Royce La
Rose Noire Droptail, a dark, daring and dramatic coachbuilt
masterpiece. This extraordinary motor car, presented to the clients
who commissioned it at a private event close to Pebble Beach in
California today, 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 unto itself.
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
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, it was the essence of true love
and the mystery of exploration and travel that 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; rather, 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 of
which have been precision-polished by hand to achieve a high-gloss finish.
A removable hard top has been designed to give Droptail two
distinct characters: 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 roof is uniquely
low-slung, which is further exaggerated with a faster and longer rake
to underpin its assertive, glamourous character. Behind it, an ingot
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.
The commissioning clients’ passion for detail is exemplified on
La Rose Noire Droptail’s Pantheon grille vanes. In a discreet
embellishment, True Love paint is hand-applied as an accent on the
reverse surface of the vanes themselves – a refined detail that is
only visible by way of 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 itself, from afar the finish appears to be black, but upon
closer examination, the sunlight reveals shimmering dark red
undertones. The Mystery paint is applied to the entire surface of the
rim and then, through a high-precision diamond milling process, areas
of the paint 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.
LA ROSE NOIRE: GLAMOUR DISTILLED
The most remarkable element of this extraordinary
motor car is its cocooning interior. This reveals the most complex
expression of parquetry ever created at Rolls-Royce – the product of
nearly two years of development, intense experimentation and hand craftsmanship.
The artwork represents an abstract expression of falling rose
petals, formed using 1,603 pieces of black wood veneer triangles. The
highly complex pattern is formed with 1,070 perfectly symmetrical
elements forming the background, and 533 asymmetrically positioned red
pieces representing the rose petals. The asymmetry was requested by
the clients to represent a natural, organic ‘scattering’ of petals.
Made from Black Sycamore wood sourced in France as a subtle
tribute to the French provenance of La Rose Noire, each triangle is
cut, sanded and precisely positioned by hand. The pieces that appear
to be stained light and dark grey are in fact presented in their
natural hue; the colour difference is achieved by using veneer from
several logs with different ‘figures’ – the natural pattern on the
veneer. Paint was used only to create the red pieces – to avoid the
colour fading over time, the marque’s artisans spent a year developing
a new lacquer formula to protect this extraordinary projection of
contemporary craft.
This intricately detailed and embracing piece envelopes the
motor car’s occupants, stretching from the rear shawl panel through
the doors and onto the expansive fascia. Its assembly required such
intense concentration that the single craftsperson tasked with
creating it could only work in one-hour sessions for no more than five
hours total per day, to ensure they maintained the focus required for
perfect execution. The artisan, who has been with Rolls-Royce since
their apprenticeship, spent weeks working in absolute silence in a
sound-insulated space to mitigate against any potential distractions.
To create what is unquestionably a work of art in its own right took
more than nine months in total.
Resolving the interior, La Rose Noire Droptail’s two seats are
decorated at the edges with both dark red Mystery leather, and light
red True Love leather, each finished with a subtle copper shimmer,
evoking the pearlescent texture of the Black Baccara rose petals.
A SINGULAR TIMEPIECE
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’s colourway, it incorporates red counters and a red inner
bezel, providing a bright contrast to the black ‘openworked’ dial
highlighted with rhodium-toned bevels.
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.
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’s Bespoke Audio speaker frets mirror this motif. Each of
the pieces were meticulously crafted by hand in the Swiss brand’s
atelier and represent the only literal expressions of the Baccara Rose
in the whole motor car.
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.
A COMMISSION TO CELEBRATE
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.
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’ coachbuilt Rolls-Royce.
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.
The sides are adorned with the same intricate parquetry work as
La Rose Noire Droptail. Once deployed, they reveal two hammocks
cradling the clients’ special edition Champagne de Lossy, designed to
match the motor car’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.
LA ROSE NOIRE DROPTAIL: TAKING ITS PLACE IN THE ROLLS-ROYCE LEGEND
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.
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