Rolls Royce Project
The Rosa Black Baccara rose, known for its deep burgundy-red velvety blooms on elegant tall stems, inspired Rolls-Royce’s artistic endeavour, La Rose Noire Droptail.
![The Droptail being built at Rolls-Royce Coachbuild](https://imageio.forbes.com/specials-images/imageserve/64df9b943b2b0468910c8ded/The-Droptail-being-built-at-Rolls-Royce-Coachbuild/960x0.jpg?format=jpg&width=960)
Build in progress
Rosa Black Baccara
This project was brought to life by a customer who possessed a Black Baccara rose and wanted a car that captured its unique character and her love for France. The head of Rolls-Royce Coachbuild design, Alex Innes, mentioned how the rose’s rich and complex personality guided their creative exploration.
Standing in the studio La Rose Noire Droptail with roof
Creative Exploration
The collaboration resulted in La Rose Noire Droptail, a dark and dramatic masterpiece that explores a new body style for Rolls-Royce. This two-seat roadster features a detachable low-slung metal roof, transforming it into a coupé. The intricate craftsmanship behind this creation is truly remarkable. The exterior paint, meticulously refined through 150 iterations, matches the shade of the Black Baccara rose petals in direct light. The duotone theme extends to the dark finish brightwork, achieved through an innovative chrome plating process.
La Rose Noire Droptail without a roof
Innovative Craftsmanship
The attention to detail continues with unique design elements. The Pantheon grille vanes, for instance, sport the same red hue as the exterior, hand-painted on the reverse side. The lower front air intake showcases digitally designed and 3D-printed lightweight composite materials, incorporating hand-polished stainless-steel ingots painted in red.
You can see the Rose Petal pattern
The interior showcases an intricate wood pattern, the most complex expression of parquetry in Rolls-Royce’s history. Black Sycamore wood from France was meticulously hand-finished and placed, resulting in an artful design.
Symmetrical Elements
The cabin exudes a sensory feast, highlighting the human touch. The woodwork features a scattered rose pattern, reminiscent of artist Alexander Calder’s work, with over a thousand symmetrical elements forming the backdrop. An additional 533 asymmetrically positioned redwood pieces represent rose petals.
Unique Audemars Piguet timepiece
Special Timepiece
The project culminates with a special Audemars Piguet timepiece, perfectly matching the car’s aesthetics, and a bespoke Champagne Chest designed to evoke the essence of the Black Baccara rose. This limited edition creation, La Rose Noire Droptail, stands as a testament to the intersection of artistry, craftsmanship, and automotive design.
Conclusion
The collaboration between the exquisite Rosa Black Baccara rose and the visionary Rolls-Royce team resulted in the remarkable La Rose Noire Droptail project. This masterpiece showcases the convergence of artistic inspiration and innovative craftsmanship, bringing to life a dark and dramatic two-seat roadster with a detachable metal roof.
The meticulous attention to detail, from the refined exterior paint to the intricate woodwork inside, reflects the dedication to creating a sensory feast that captures the essence of the rose’s unique character. With its specially designed Audemars Piguet timepiece and bespoke Champagne Chest, La Rose Noire Droptail stands as a true testament to the marriage of artistry and automotive excellence.