The world’s most costly and exclusive new car, unveiled by Rolls-Royce, costs £25 million and represents a five-year labor of love for the company and the vehicle’s mysterious, romantic buyer.
“La Rose Noire,” a unique two-door, two-seater convertible Droptail, was commissioned privately by an affluent couple from a glamorous champagne and fashion dynasty that loves art and is described as “the heads of a prominent international family” with a “deep connection to France.”
The Black Baccara Rose, a velvet-like flower native to France that is particularly “beloved by the mother of the commissioning family,” is said by Rolls-Royce to have a personal connection to the family and served as inspiration for the car.
Only in 2000 did the family-run Meilland International create the hybrid rose itself in France. In addition, the car, like the flower, changes color depending on the angle at which it is viewed. In the correct lighting, it also has a deep red hue.
It is one of four Droptails that Rolls-Royce plans to produce in the upcoming years, and the company describes it as “a romantic celebration of the couple who created it.”
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Most expensive new car in the world: This is the unique Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail, owned by a super-rich husband and wife from a glamorous champagne and fashion dynasty.
The unique piece was given to the customer and her family on a Saturday night during Monterey Car Week, an annual event that draws the wealthy, famous, and stylish from all over the globe, at a private event near Pebble Beach in California.
The wealthy commissioning client and her family have not been identified by Rolls-Royce, but there are some indications as to who they might be, such as their taste in cars, fashion, art, and champagne.
According to Rolls-Royce, the new “La Rose Noire” Droptail is a reflection of both the client’s “passion for detail” and “glaмour distilled,” having been designed in close collaboration with the client and her family.
A redesigned low-slung hard top transforms the car from an open-top, two-seater roadster into a dramatic coupe with an electrochromic glass roof section that can darken or remain clear to let in natural light with the touch of a button. This is just one of the many unique features and personal touches.
It also receives a specially made “True Loʋe” dark red paint shade, which was perfected after 150 iterations and is associated with the Black Baccara rose.
The interior is home to the most intricate wood parquetry inlays in Rolls-Royce history, consisting of 1,603 unique and complex triangle veneer pieces that represent stylized rose petals. These pieces were hand-finished and hand-placed over a period of nearly two years.
Due to the extreme level of concentration required, the craftsman performing this reportedly had to work in complete and silent isolation for just five hours a day, with breaks.
The watch also features a redesigned, high-end timepiece from renowned Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet, which doubles as both a dashboard clock and a wristwatch using a stored strap when released via a clasp mechanism.
The clients’ special edition Champagne de Lossy, which is one of only “a precious handful of ʋintages produced ̄y the Chateau in its 160-year history,” and fluted glasses are stored in a Rolls-Royce champagne chest and cooler. This is another unusual addition.