Wind the clock back a century or so, and automotive coachbuilding was at its peak. Throughout the late 1920s and ’30s, we saw bespoke creations debuting across the world, from now sadly defunct automakers such as Delahaye, Hispano-Suiza, and Talbot Lago. These graceful, teardrop coupes and tourers still proudly sit among the finest automotive creations we have ever seen. As post-war economics and the mass production of luxury models set in, the art of coachbuilding largely died off.
Good news, though — it’s back. In honesty, the art was never entirely lost to time. We’ve been blessed with creations such as the 8C-based Alfa Romeo Disco Volante and the Pininfarina-penned Ferrari P4/5, but in recent years coachbuilt offerings have really gained traction. While none could truly be classed as anything remotely attainable, the products of one brand seem to be in a class all their own. That automaker is, of course, Rolls-Royce, and with over a century of experience behind the brand, it’s no surprise.
Coachbuilding Is Back In A Big Way
2024 ROLLS-ROYCE ARCADIA DROPTAIL Top Down ShotRolls-Royce
Perhaps the recent boom in coachbuilding can be attributed to models such as the one-off P4/5 and Disco Volante. Regardless of whatever got the wheels turning, we’re just glad the art form is now back in full swing, as shows and events (plus actual roads, if owners ever take such creations out from their climate-controlled garages) are far more appealing when the sculpted curves of a highly limited masterpiece are in the presence.
Truly notable examples include the Bentley Mulliner Batur and Ferrari Special Project cars, such as the Monza and the carbon-clad SP-8. Of course, among them are the Rolls-Royce Droptail cars, and what all these models have in common is almost unfathomable exclusivity.
Whereas a nice example of a regular model from any of those three marques likely lurks somewhere in your hometown or is a semi-common sight on your morning commute into the city, these coachbuilt specials are true automotive unicorns. As are their specifications, with body styles, interior finishes, and custom tweaks not seen anywhere else in the motoring world.
The Market For Ultra-Luxury Coachbuilt Cars Is Split Into Tiers
Bentley Batur Convertible from the frontBentley
It may sound as if these cars all exist within a very small niche, competing with one another, and while that’s true for the most part, there is one exception. The Droptail cars from Rolls-Royce take coachbuilding and ultra-luxury to an entirely new level, placing them in a class all their own.
That’s not to talk down on the Batur, or any of Ferrari’s Special Project cars; they are still very special machines indeed. The Batur is a highly limited model; only 18 coupes and 16 convertibles have been made. Prices began at $1.95 million, just slightly more than the limited-to-12 Bacalar, which preceded both. It’s the same with Ferrari’s coachbuilding efforts too.
Many are unique one-offs based around existing Ferrari platforms, and for those cars, the prices paid are often a mystery. Models such as the SP1 and SP2 Monza sold for around $1.8 million, and the Enzo-based P4/5 of 2014 demanded a cool $4 million. It’s hard to imagine the ceiling could be any higher for new cars like these, but Rolls-Royce managed to blow these efforts out of the water, both in terms of exclusivity and price point.
How Rolls-Royce Managed To Occupy The Top Spot
Rolls-Royce Droptail La Rose NoireRolls-Royce
Much as the automaker does with its regular road-going models, Rolls-Royce has injected an extra dose of luxury and exclusivity into its coachbuilt cars to ensure they make other such cars look mid-market by comparison. Each one is completely bespoke, built and finished to the customer’s demands. Only four have been made, making the Droptail cars many times scarcer than most Bentley or Ferrari coachbuilt models.
Rolls-Royce Droptail La Rose NoireRolls-Royce
With such scarcity — the model run is complete with those four — comes a high asking price. It might be natural to assume a price of $3 million or more, setting these apart from the aforementioned models by a cool million or so, but Rolls-Royce decided to ask a touch more. Rolls-Royce doesn’t publicly disclose the prices, but estimates generally run north of $30 million, firmly cementing these commissions as among the most expensive cars available anywhere. Usually, such prices are commanded only for historic models, such as the 250 GTO or McLaren F1, but Rolls-Royce has proven that new cars need not be excluded from the party.
It’s All In The Detail
Rolls-Royce Droptail La Rose NoireRolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce also takes customization to extremes. In the first commission, known as La Rose Noire Droptail, the curved shawl panel, dash fascia, and door panels boast a total of 1,603 pieces of Black Sycamore veneer, in what Rolls-Royce calls its most complex expression of Parquetry. The craftsperson responsible had to work in complete silence in a sound-insulated room, and the entire process took the best part of three years. There’s even an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak watch nestled into the dash, too.
That’s just one example. A later iteration, dubbed the Amethyst Droptail, is lined with precious gemstones. The choice of amethyst as the central theme was made because it’s the birthstone of the individual’s son, and one such gem sits proudly upon the nose of the Droptail. It was rounded, rather than being faceted, as the owner didn’t want a conspicuous finish. Being subtle isn’t exactly the Droptail’s strong point.
Luxury Features You Won’t Find Anywhere Else
2024 ROLLS-ROYCE ARCADIA DROPTAIL InteriorRolls-Royce
- An electro-chromic glass roof is fitted to each build, allowing the amount of light entering the cabin to be adjusted at the touch of a button.
- A sweeping rear deck consisting of hundreds or thousands of individual wooden components, more in line with luxury yacht craftsmanship than with anything one might typically find in automotive circles.
- The monocoque platform that underpins these four cars is unique to the Droptail cars, whereas other coachbuilt cars — such as Ferrari’s SP efforts and the Batur — use existing platforms.
What results is something more in line with haute couture rather than simple car design and development, and while other coachbuilt cars certainly impress from a design perspective, they simply cannot compare to what Rolls-Royce is offering here. Essentially, the others are already established cars with tweaked designs and lightly elevated interiors. The Rolls-Royce is an entirely bespoke creation, and instead of ‘just’ boasting an immaculate cabin with high-quality leather and a wide array of features — that’s what a normal Rolls-Royce does anyway — they intertwine rare materials, elements, and even timepieces, which in one way or another tell a personal story about the owner.
Rolls-Royce Is Selling Experiences
Rolls-Royce plans to make more bespoke vehicles.Rolls-Royce
What truly separates Rolls-Royce from the rest of this particularly niche crowd is not just the cash required nor the exclusivity; it’s that the automaker is selling much more than just a car: it’s selling a story unique to the individual that commissions it, and an experience. Only four people on Earth can experience motoring luxury like this, and if the 1% of the 1% decides that it’s an experience worth $30 million, then so be it.
Sources: Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Ferrari.
