Last year, during Monterey Car Week, Rolls-Royce unveiled La Rose Noire, an open-top two-door built as part of the brand’s Droptail collection. Four examples will be built, each adhering to a different theme set by the commissioning client. Not long after, the British carmaker announced the second Droptail known as Amethyst, whose exterior color draws inspiration from a Globe Amaranth flower. Today, the third piece of this collection arrives in the form of the Arcadia Droptail.
Of the three Droptails presented thus far, Arcadia is the one most closely aligned with the brand’s overall ethos, as its defining theme is tranquility. Its name stems from ancient Greek mythology, representing “Heaven on Earth.” According to Rolls-Royce, these themes tie to the commissioning client’s desire for a car that separates its occupants from the busy outside world.
“The significance of Rolls-Royce Arcadia Droptail lies in its subtlety. It is a projection of an individual who values clarity and precision in all areas of their life – from their passion for fine cuisine, their highly curated personal and professional spaces, and affinity with contemporary design.”
-Alex Innes, Head of Coachbuild Design at Rolls-Royce
To achieve the Arcadia Droptail’s exterior finish, Rolls-Royce painted the body white and infused it with aluminum and glass particles to create a shimmering effect under natural light. In contrast to the previously introduced iterations of this collection, the Arcadia’s carbon fiber sections feature a newly developed shade of silver to create a lifting effect, making the car appear taller overall.
Inside, the Arcadia Droptail counts on a two-tone leather interior, whose shades were designed for its owner and are thus named after them. While Rolls-Royce hasn’t made these names public, the carmaker did state that these new colors will only be available for use in future cars commissioned by the same owner.
As with previous Droptails, intricate woodwork remains a central theme to this car’s interior and exterior. The carmaker states these elements took over 8,000 hours and required the development of new substructures to support them. Nestled within the Santos Straight Grain veneer is a clock developed in-house by Rolls-Royce. Whereas La Rose Noire featured an Audemars Piguet watch embedded into its dashboard and Amethyst a watch from Vacheron Constantin, the Arcadia’s is the only one to come directly from the carmaker. It features a guilloché pattern in raw metal with 119 facets, a nod to the carmaker’s 119th anniversary.
While the cost of each Droptail varies greatly, the estimated range is between 25 to 30 million. As such, this series is not only limited to four units but is reserved for the brand’s most important customers. Rolls-Royce plans to deliver its latest creation to its new owner at an event in Singapore.
