The Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire is the first of four Droptail commissions
Rolls-Royce presents the La Rose Noire Droptail, a dark and daring coachbuilt masterpiece. This extraordinary vehicle, 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.
The 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 most conditions, but exudes a red, pearlescent shimmer in direct light.
Moreover, 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.
A significant exterior element of the Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire is its striking alloy wheels, which sport the dark Mystery paint finish. Like the flower itself, from afar the finish appears to be black, but when hit by sunlight, it reveals shimmering dark red undertones. 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 in the La Rose Noire 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. While this may seem impossible, it was done by Rolls-Royce.
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 Rolls-Royce 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.
