The most overwhelming thing about the Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail is not on the outside of the car. Inside the cabin, 1,603 hand-placed pieces of wood veneer form an abstract pattern of falling rose petals. Rolls-Royce describes 1,070 symmetrical elements in the background and 533 asymmetrically placed red pieces. The work on the wood motif stretched over almost two years. [1]
A rose as the unifying motif
La Rose Noire was shown in August 2023 as the first of four individually commissioned Droptail cars. The inspiration is the dark Black Baccara rose, which has personal significance for the family behind the commission. The car’s red paint was meant to change character in the light; Rolls-Royce states that the colour process was refined through 150 attempts. [1]
The detachable hard roof section turns the car into either an open roadster or a closed coupé. The roof also contains glass that can change transparency. Details like these show that the project is not merely about a special colour on an existing model. Bodywork, materials and the way it is used have been developed around a single commission. [1]
Even the watch is personal. A bespoke Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept sits in the dashboard, but can be released and worn on the wrist. It is a small, precise illustration of the whole project’s idea: the owners’ taste determines not just the decoration, but how the car is used. [1]
1,603 pieces of veneer
The wood artwork required more than an unusual number of pieces. Rolls-Royce says one craftsperson assembled the pattern in short working sessions to maintain concentration; the assembly itself took more than nine months. The black and grey tones come from different pieces of naturally coloured wood, while the red petals are coloured. The pattern runs from behind the seats across the doors and onto the fascia, so occupants sit within it rather than looking at a decorative panel. [1]