The Rolls-Royce Droptail is a

full-size Full-size car—also known as large car—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than mid-size cars. It is the largest size class for cars. In the United Kingdom, this class is referred to as ...

d luxury coach built

grand tourer A grand tourer (GT) is a type of car that is designed for high speed and long-distance driving with performance and luxury. The most common format is a Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-door coupé with ...

car produced by

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited is a British luxury automobile maker that has operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW, BMW AG since 2003 – as the exclusive manufacturer of ''Rolls-Royce''-branded motor cars. The company's administra ...

. It was introduced in August 2023 and is set to be produced with four variations. The Droptail succeeds the Boat Tail as the most expensive new car in the world with an estimated price of more than $32 million - rivaling the costs of the most expensive cars sold at auction. Like the Boat Tail, some variants include clocks that can be removed and worn as watches.

History

The Droptail was presented on 18 August 2023, at

Monterey Car Week Monterey Car Week is a week in August during which a number of car-related events are held in and around Monterey, California. It is globally recognized as one of the premier gatherings for auto enthusiasts, with auctions, rallies, races, competi ...

during the

Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is an annual automotive event held on the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California. It is widely considered the most prestigious car show in the world and it is the pinnacle ''Concours d'Elegance'' c ...

. The Droptail was presented in its "La Rose Noire" version, each of the four models receiving a different name, color and interior. The car's first sketches were drawn four years prior to release.

Specifications

The styling of the cars take cues from

yacht A yacht () is a sail- or marine propulsion, motor-propelled watercraft made for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a ...

s, classic Rolls-Royce

roadsters __NOTOC__ Roadster may refer to: Transportation * Roadster (automobile), an open, two-seat, often sporty car ** Roadster utility, an automobile with an open-topped roadster body and a rear cargo bed * Roadster (bicycle), a utilitarian bicycle, t ...

, and 1930s

hot rod Hot rods are typically American cars that might be old, classic, or modern and that have been rebuilt or modified with large engines optimized for speed and acceleration. One definition is: "a car that's been stripped down, souped up and ma ...

s from the

West Coast of the United States The West Coast of the United States, also known as the Pacific Coast and the Western Seaboard, is the coastline along which the Western United States meets the North Pacific Ocean. The term typically refers to the Contiguous United States, contig ...

, with additional styling and engineering cues taken from the world of

horology Chronometry or horology () is the science studying the measurement of time and timekeeping. Chronometry enables the establishment of standard measurements of time, which have applications in a broad range of social and scientific areas. ''Hor ...

. The first variation introduced is La Rose Noire, named for the French Black Baccara rose. The car includes black

sycamore Sycamore is a name which has been applied to several types of trees, but with somewhat similar leaf forms. The name derives from the Ancient Greek () meaning . Species of otherwise unrelated trees known as sycamore: * ''Acer pseudoplatanus'', a ...

wood sourced from France, and features a

Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet Holding SA () is a Swiss manufacturer of luxury good, luxury watches, headquartered in Le Brassus, Switzerland. The company was founded by Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet in the Vallée de Joux in 1875, acquiring ...

watch. The second variant is Amethyst. The name and styling draw inspiration from

amethyst Amethyst is a Violet (color), violet variety of quartz. The name comes from the Koine Greek from - , "not" and (Ancient Greek) / (Modern Greek), "intoxicate", a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from Alcohol into ...

, the

birthstone A birthstone is a gemstone that represents a person's birth period, usually the month or zodiac sign. Birthstones are often worn as jewelry or a pendant necklace. History of birthstones Western custom The first-century historian Josephus bel ...

of the owner's son. It features a

Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin SA () is a Swiss luxury watch and clock manufacturer founded in 1755. Since 1996, it has been a subsidiary of the Swiss Richemont Group. Vacheron Constantin is one of the oldest watch manufacturers in the world with an unint ...

watch and actual amethyst stones. The third variant is Arcadia. The name refers to a location in Greek mythology that's supposed to represent heaven on earth. It features a Rolls-Royce branded clock that was designed over the course of two years. The Droptail uses a new monocoque chassis instead of the aluminium spaceframe chassis mainly used in the other vehicles. It is thus not based on the Architecture of Luxury platform. It is powered by a twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre N74B68 V12 engine, which is a variant of BMW's N74.

References

External links

* {{Rolls-Royce vehicles Droptail Retro-style automobiles