ROLLS-ROYCE COUPÉS: A BOLD LEGACY OF POWER AND PRESENCE

• Rolls-Royce reflects on its bold heritage of powerful and beautiful coupé motor cars
• Chronicles Rolls-Royce coachbuilt two-door bodies from the earliest chassis
• Details Goodwood-era revival of the coupé with 100EX, 101EX and Phantom variants
• Highlights Wraith’s transformational influence on the Rolls-Royce brand
• Details Dawn’s impact as a modern expression of the classic drophead coupé
• Celebrates Spectre as the marque’s first ultra-luxury electric super coupé and continuation of a rich legacy

INTRODUCTION

This Press Kit explores the significance of the coupé in Rolls-Royce history – a body style associated with power, presence and proportion. From the earliest coachbuilt two-door motor cars commissioned on rolling chassis, through the return of fixed-head and drophead coupés in the Goodwood era, to Spectre – the world’s first ultra-luxury electric super coupé – it traces how this form has evolved alongside advances in technology and craftsmanship.


THE COUPÉ ORIGIN STORY

The term ‘coupé’ comes from the French word coupé, meaning ‘cut’. Originally applied to horse-drawn carriages in the 18th century, it was adopted in the early days of motoring to describe a two-door motor car with the driver and up to two passengers in an enclosure with a single bench seat.

Those pioneering days saw a rapid proliferation of automobile body styles, with an expansive variety of terminology in use. To bring order, in 1916, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) formally classified coupés into two primary categories. It defined a coupé as a fully enclosed motor car operated from the inside with seats for two or three and sometimes a rear-facing fourth seat. If the motor car had a folding top, it was properly called a Coupelet – a name now lost to time.


COUPÉS AND COACHBUILDERS

Until the mid-20th century, clients would purchase their motor car as a rolling chassis, then commission a coachbuilder of their choice to create a body to their exact specifications. The coachbuilder assembled a skeletal wooden frame, usually in ash, onto which aluminium or steel body panels were then pinned or welded.

This traditional construction method allowed for near-limitless design possibilities, with each body being as much a work of art as a feat of engineering. The process was entirely bespoke, with clients working hand-in-glove with designers and artisans to create designs tailored to their personal requirements.

During the 1920s and 1930s, British luxury marques introduced the terms ‘fixed-head coupé’ (FHC) and ‘drophead coupé’ (DHC). A fixed-head coupé featured a solid, non-removable roof; a drophead coupé had a mechanical canvas roof that opened and closed.

In Britain, firms such as Park Ward, H. J. Mulliner, Hooper, James Young, Vanden Plas and Freestone & Webb became legendary for their work on both types, all of which had two doors. This period saw stylists working alongside engineers, and the coupé acquired the graceful, athletic form we still associate with the concept today. That legacy continues to influence automotive design, with fixed-head and drophead coupé coachwork remaining highly prized by collectors and enthusiasts alike.

Some of the most valuable and celebrated Rolls-Royce motor cars ever created take the form of coupés; from the streamlined 1934-bodied ‘round-door’ Jonckheere Phantom I and the elegant 1939 Vanvooren Phantom III, to the theatrical 1957 Freestone & Webb ‘Honeymoon Express’ Silver Cloud and the timeless 2017 Sweptail, these motor cars affirm the coupé body style as the space in which Rolls-Royce has explored some of its boldest ideas.


COACHBUILT ROLLS-ROYCE COUPÉS

Rolls-Royce chassis – particularly the shorter wheelbase models – had been fitted with two- and four-seater coachwork with two doors (or, in the case of early Silver Ghosts, no doors) from the beginning. The style evolved through the 1920s from short, upright passenger compartments, often with external ‘dicky’ seats at the rear, to more stylish flowing coachwork that would come to define today’s coupés.

In the 1940s and 1950s, the drophead coupé was a popular alternative to Rolls-Royce’s new Standard Steel-bodied motor cars. While these factory-built bodies brought greater consistency, this shift in construction increasingly made true custom coachbuilding technically complex and economically unviable. By the early 1960s, most of the traditional coachbuilders had gone, with Rolls-Royce one of a small number of brands still producing rolling chassis on which a coachbuilder could create bespoke bodywork.

Against this backdrop, coachbuilders H.J. Mulliner and Park Ward merged and were subsumed into Rolls-Royce as a wholly owned division. Alongside James Young, the new entity offered drophead and fixed-head coupé designs built on the marque’s Silver Cloud chassis. Following the introduction of the SY (Silver Shadow) range of monocoque motor cars, Rolls-Royce continued to produce fixed-head and drophead coupés, in the guise of the Corniche two-door saloon and Corniche convertible.

The Corniche two-door saloon was discontinued in 1981. The convertible remained in production until 1987, despite the launch of the new Corniche II in 1986, which was itself replaced by Corniche III in 1989. The model’s last iteration, Corniche IV, was introduced in 1992, with the final run of 25 motor cars designated Corniche S. These were graced with numerous mechanical enhancements, including a Garrett T4 turbocharger that boosted engine power by 50%, making them the fastest, best-handling Corniches ever made. They were easily identifiable by their alloy wheels and red ‘RR’ badges.

With this final first chapter complete, the end of Corniche convertible production in 1995 also marked the conclusion of a line of Rolls-Royce coupés dating back to the marque’s inception. Yet, the legacy these motor cars left behind was indelible, as was the constellation of clients who chose them. Sammy Davis Jr., Elizabeth Taylor and Tony Curtis were among proud Rolls-Royce coupé owners, cementing the marque’s association with glamour, power and presence.


ROLLS-ROYCE COUPÉS IN THE GOODWOOD ERA

Production may have ended, but client demand for fixed-head and drophead Rolls-Royce coupés never ceased. Reviving these body styles was made possible by the innovative technology and construction techniques brought in with the first Rolls-Royce motor car produced at Goodwood, Phantom VII.

Phantom VII was constructed on an aluminium spaceframe with a modular, scalable design. This allowed designers to adapt the original four-door saloon into two-door fixed-head and drophead variants without compromise.

Creating a new two-door, four-seater drophead coupé derived from an existing model was very much in keeping with Rolls-Royce tradition and precedent. However, earlier motor cars’ rigidity had often been compromised, resulting in inferior handling as well as rattles and shakes – issues unacceptable for Rolls-Royce’s renaissance. The design team knew that Phantom’s aluminium spaceframe would provide the necessary torsional strength, so work began on an experimental model, which, following long-established Rolls-Royce practice, was codenamed 100EX – EX standing for ‘Experimental’.


100EX AND PHANTOM DROPHEAD COUPÉ

Chief designer Ian Cameron’s vision was for a full four-seater convertible with two coach doors, less formal than Phantom and more performance-oriented. His inspiration was Royce’s 1920s experimental motor car 16EX, which Royce himself described as “a motor car with fizz”. Exceptionally lightweight and aerodynamic for its time, Royce built it to demonstrate that greater horsepower and reduced bodyweight could increase performance.

Rolls-Royce unveiled 100EX at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2004. Arriving just 15 months after the start of production of Phantom VII, it was a remarkable technical achievement, and a fitting way to help commemorate the marque’s centenary year.

In true coupé style, 100EX’s spaceframe was 165mm (6.5in) shorter and 71mm (3in) lower than the more formal Phantom’s. Instead of Phantom’s 6.75-litre V12 engine, it was fitted with an indulgent 9-litre V16, 64-valve naturally aspirated unit. Most obviously, it was an open-top, four-seater, two-door drophead.

The exterior design, intended to evoke a classic motor yacht at speed, featured a dynamic rise in the waistline over the rear wheels, and graceful lines sweeping up towards the front. Completing the nautical theme, the tonneau cover, boot lining and rear passenger cabin were finished in teak decking.

The rear tapered into a boat-tail style that would inspire a suite of Coachbuild masterpieces almost two decades later. The split ‘Countryman’ boot featured a separate lower tailgate which, when opened, provided a completely flat surface with inlaid fibre matting, ideal for picnics or as an elevated viewing platform.

The tailored roof was made from an innovative fabric incorporating fine metallic threads, and lined with a cashmere and wool blend. The folding mechanism was carefully designed so the roof could be concealed in an extremely small storage area, minimising intrusion into the luggage and passenger spaces.

Everything the designers and engineers learned with 100EX found its final, stunning expression in the Phantom Drophead Coupé. Launched in 2007, this is now one of the rarest and most desirable models of the Goodwood era. In production, it adopted Rolls-Royce’s hallmark 6.75-litre V12 engine.


101EX AND PHANTOM COUPÉ

Two years later, a new experimental car, 101EX, made its debut, also at the Geneva Motor Show. This was a full four-seater coupé with twin coach doors, a lower roofline and shallower glass area than Phantom VII. The Pantheon grille was discreetly reclined and extended back across a brushed aluminium bonnet and windscreen surround.

Built on the same aluminium spaceframe, 101EX was 240mm shorter than Phantom VII: this, combined with bodywork constructed from carbon fibre composite and the proven 6.75-litre V12 engine, gave it a more performance- and driver-focused character.

The interior featured the first example of what would become a permanent feature of the Rolls-Royce design canon: the Starlight Headliner. Comprising hundreds of fibre-optic ‘stars’, it proved an instant sensation and is now a fixture in virtually every Rolls-Royce motor car, with its own almost unlimited potential for Bespoke individualisation.

Like its predecessor, 101EX would find lasting fame as a series production car – the legendary Phantom Coupé, launched in 2008, and rarer even than its Drophead sibling.

Both Phantom Coupé and Phantom Drophead Coupé were foundational to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ development as a true luxury brand. They introduced the world to the full possibilities of Bespoke, informed by the marque’s growing understanding of the wider luxury market and consumers, and the idea of a Rolls-Royce as canvas for deep, Bespoke individualisation.


WRAITH

In 2013, Rolls-Royce introduced Wraith – an imposing fastback coupé in the Gran Turismo mould. More performance-focused than its predecessors, Phantom and Ghost, Wraith fundamentally altered perceptions of Rolls-Royce and brought new, younger clients to the brand for the first time.

Wraith’s dramatic silhouette signalled its dynamic capabilities, which were further amplified in 2016 with the introduction of its Black Badge alter ego, offering some of the highest levels of performance ever achieved by a Rolls-Royce motor car. In 2023, Rolls-Royce marked the end of production with Wraith Black Badge Black Arrow, a Bespoke Collection comprising just 12 examples.


DAWN

In September 2015, Rolls-Royce unveiled Dawn online, introducing an entirely new kind of super-luxury convertible. More than simply a beautiful motor car, it was designed to evoke the romance and glamour of the great dropheads of the past, while offering a social, approachable and contemporary expression of open-top touring to a new generation of clients.

Convertibles are typically designed in a 2+2 configuration with full-size seating for the driver and front passenger, and two smaller rear seats for occasional passengers. The lack of rear-seat space, and particularly legroom, reduces the car’s comfort and practicality, so Dawn was presented as a full four-seater with comfortable, individual seating for all occupants, in line with the SAE’s Coupelet typology.

The roof, made from fabric, cashmere and high-performance acoustic composites, was operated by an intricate mechanism dubbed the ‘Silent Ballet’ for its precision, elegance and noiseless operation. With the roof closed, Dawn equalled Wraith for noise-isolating performance.

As with Wraith, Dawn was given a Black Badge expression in 2017, with the 6.6-litre, 563bhp twin-turbo V12 engine tuned to deliver an extra 30bhp and boost torque to 840Nm. Like Wraith, Dawn finally ceased production in 2023.


SWEPTAIL

In 2013, Rolls-Royce was commissioned by a client to create a fully coachbuilt two-seater coupé with a panoramic glass roof, drawing inspiration from the great bespoke motor cars of the 1920s and 1930s. Conceived as a modern interpretation of the classic Rolls-Royce coupé, Sweptail was designed around purity of line, proportion and audacious presence.

The first Coachbuild Rolls-Royce of the Goodwood era, Sweptail is defined by its raked rear profile, with the roofline tapering in a single, continuous gesture to a distinctive ‘bullet-tip’ housing the centre brake light. The coachbuilt coupé bodywork wraps under the motor car with no visible boundary to the surfaces, like the hull of a racing yacht. The underside reveals a progressive upward arc at the rear departure angle, producing the swept tail that gives the motor car its name.

Revealed in 2017 after four years of development, Sweptail was immediately recognised as a landmark in contemporary coachbuilding. With its two-seat configuration, fastback silhouette and restrained, handcrafted interior, it is now regarded as a true modern masterpiece and the world’s greatest intercontinental touring coupé.


SPECTRE

In 2023, Rolls-Royce introduced Spectre, bringing the marque’s defining qualities of effortlessness, presence and refinement into an electric future. With Spectre, an entirely new class of motor car was created: the ultra-luxury electric super coupé. A generously proportioned, visually striking two-door fastback, Spectre is the spiritual successor to the Phantom Coupé. Its interior provides a perfect canvas for Bespoke personalisation, complemented by a unique illuminated fascia and the first Starlight Doors ever specified in a production Rolls-Royce. Spectre’s Black Badge alter ego was introduced in 2025 and inherited Wraith’s crown as the most powerful Rolls-Royce in history.

Crucially, Spectre is a Rolls-Royce first and an electric car second: no concessions or compromises in terms of interior space, comfort, performance or ride quality have been made. Indeed, all have been refined and augmented by the car’s underpinning architecture and engineering.