The Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail is an ultra-rare, coachbuilt two-seat roadster revealed during Monterey Car Week 2023. Inspired by the Black Baccara rose, it features a twin-turbo V12, a removable carbon-fibre hardtop with electrochromic glass, an extraordinary wood marquetry installation (around 1,600 pieces), and a bespoke Audemars Piguet timepiece integrated into the dash. Estimated price: $25–30+ million; availability: one-off commission within the Droptail series.
Key facts
- Reveal: Monterey Car Week, 2023
- Inspiration: Black Baccara rose (deep near-black with red undertones)
- Body style: Coachbuilt two-seat roadster with removable hardtop
- Craft highlight: ~1,603 wood marquetry pieces forming a “petal fall” motif
- Timepiece: Bespoke Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept, removable/dash-mounted
- Powertrain: Twin-turbocharged V12 with effortless grand-touring performance
- Finish: Deep, near-black exterior with a red pearlescent reveal in direct light
- Estimated price: $25–30+ million (coachbuilt commission)
Design & presence
La Rose Noire reimagines the classic Rolls-Royce roadster as a low, long, two-seat sculpture. The Pantheon grille is pared back and framed by exquisitely finished brightwork; surfaces flow like petals, with a paint that reads almost black until sunlight unlocks a red glow. Proportions are dramatic yet restrained, the stance confident without aggression—romance rendered in aluminium, steel and carbon fibre.
Removable roof & open-air drama
A single-piece carbon-fibre hardtop transforms the Droptail from an open roadster to an intimate coupé. Its electrochromic glass lets occupants tune the light from clear to softly tinted at the touch of a switch, shaping the cabin’s mood without interrupting the car’s pure silhouette. Roof on or off, the Droptail’s waistline and rear deck read as one continuous gesture.
Interior art & materials
The cabin is defined by the most complex parquetry ever attempted by the marque: approximately 1,603 hand-finished Black Sycamore veneer pieces set in motion like rose petals across the rear deck and fascia. Leathers echo the rose theme in deep shades, stitching and piping trace floral arcs, and metal controls are soft-edge machined with a jewellery-grade finish. Every surface carries a narrative thread, from hidden motifs to hand-mixed tints.
Bespoke timekeeping
Centred in the dashboard is a one-off Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept split-seconds chronograph, engineered to be both a removable wristwatch and a perfectly integrated clock. Its red accents and finishing harmonise with the car’s palette, while a dedicated receptacle locks it into the dash with watchmaker precision.
Effortless performance
Power comes from a twin-turbocharged V12 tuned for near-silent, surging torque and unruffled progress—an experience defined less by numbers and more by the sensation of limitless reserve. A bespoke chassis and suspension calibration deliver a supple grand-touring ride, insulating occupants from vibration while keeping responses calm and precise.
Commissioning & rarity
La Rose Noire is the dramatic debut within the four-car Droptail series, each a unique, client-led commission. Coachbuilt Rolls-Royces are created over years of design dialogue and artisanal development. Pricing is not published; industry estimates place such commissions in the tens of millions of dollars, reflecting singular craft, bespoke engineering, and absolute rarity.
Specs (high level)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Coachbuilt, two-seat roadster (Droptail series) |
| Reveal | Monterey Car Week, 2023 |
| Inspiration | Black Baccara rose theme |
| Powertrain | Twin-turbo V12 (bespoke calibration) |
| Transmission/drive | Automatic, grand-touring oriented |
| Roof | Single-piece carbon-fibre hardtop with electrochromic glass |
| Cabin craft | ~1,603-piece marquetry “petal fall” in Black Sycamore |
| Signature feature | Bespoke Audemars Piguet timepiece (removable/dash-mounted) |
| Estimated price | $25–30+ million (coachbuilt commission) |
| Availability | One-off commission within the Droptail series |
Note: As a coachbuilt commission, detailed performance figures and many specifications remain private to the commissioning client. Descriptions above reflect publicly shared highlights of the La Rose Noire Droptail’s design and craft.
