In 2017, Rolls-Royce unveiled the Sweptail, a one-off Phantom-based coupe that became one of the most expensive new vehicles ever at $13 million. It showcased the brand’s prowess in coachbuilding, the process of designing a new body and interior on an existing platform. Following the success of the Sweptail, Rolls-Royce revealed the Boat Tail in 2021, another one-off creation priced at $28 million. Now, the company has unveiled the third car of the series, the Droptail, during Monterey Car Week.
Unlike its predecessors, the Droptail is not a one-off. Rolls-Royce plans to build four models in total, with the first one being “La Rose Noire,” shown in the photos above. The Droptail is slightly smaller than the one-off models, with dimensions similar to the Ghost sedan. It features two massive doors and seating for two, making it a true roadster.
The Droptail boasts a retractable carbon fiber roof, a departure from the cloth roofs found in previous Rolls-Royce convertibles. Its electrochromic glass allows the cabin’s light to be adjusted. Every body panel on the Droptail is new, along with its lighting elements and front grille. The design team angled the Pantheon grille and reduced the size of the headlights, creating a sleeker aesthetic. The daytime running lights align with the grille’s upper edge, creating a seamless line.
The Droptail model showcased above is named “La Rose Noire,” inspired by the Black Baccara rose. Its exterior features two red hues, “True Love” and “Mystery,” which were chosen by the customer who commissioned the vehicle. Rolls-Royce developed a new paint process to achieve the unique finish, blending different tones of red for a color-shift effect. The wheels feature a darker shade of red called “Mystery,” complementing the primary body color. The trim pieces are chrome plated using a unique finish called “Hydroshade.”
The Droptail’s interior is particularly impressive, featuring an intricate artwork display made of Black Sycamore wood. It consists of 1,603 hand-finished and hand-assembled triangles, with 533 red pieces depicting scattered roses. This art piece took nearly two years to complete. Additionally, the customer commissioned a one-off watch by Audemars Piguet, which matches the car’s color scheme and is integrated into the dashboard.
Under the hood, the Droptail is powered by Rolls-Royce’s 6.75-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine, producing 593 horsepower and 620 pound-feet of torque. These figures are slightly higher than the standard production model. Rolls-Royce has not announced the debut dates for the remaining three Droptail commissions.