VIEWED up close or from a distance, the Rolls-Royce Arcadia Droptail is a sight to behold.
The gorgeous silhouette of this bespoke Rolls-Royce is sleek, sporty and stylish whether the top is in place or stored away.
More than four years in the making, the Arcadia Droptail is the third in a series of four “tail” models that have been crafted for discerning customers by Rolls-Royce Coachbuild.
The Sweptail two-seater grand tourer was launched in 2017, the Boat Tail grand tourer rolled out in 2021, and today the left-hand-drive Arcadia Droptail was handed over to its owner in Singapore.
The ‘tail’ models are a result of design and desire coming together.
The Coachbuild designers are always dreaming up possibilities for Rolls-Royce cars, and when a valued, long-term customer on the lookout for a special creation shows up, the bespoke ideas are rolled out.
That begins the process, explains Anders Warming, Director of Design, which involves several meetings and a deep appreciation of the customer’s likes and preferences. Even family members get involved in the discussions.
Cars Meant To Be Driven
All bespoke cars are roadworthy, and rank among the most expensive luxury cars in the world. Despite that, some are well used and sometimes show up in unexpected places. One customer took his bespoke car for a drive around the world.
While the owner and onlookers would have a street perspective of their precious bespoke car, the design is a 360° process, explains Alex Innes, Head of Coachbuild Design at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
Viewed from the top, the wood grain is perfectly positioned to draw your focus to the form of the car. Something that might be lost if you’re up close to it, or in one of the two comfortable seats.
But it would be a constant reminder of the beauty at hand, if you were looking down upon it from an upper floor of your mansion.
The Arcadia Droptail’s low stance with the stylish Pantheon grille sweeps up to the ‘sail cowls’ — the nautical reference that accompanies these ‘tails’ — which gently curve inwards behind the two occupants.
The rear of the car is tapered to a cutting edge, almost, with a transom continuing its nautical interpretations and serving as a spoiler.
“Rolls-Royce will never have something uncouth as a movable spoiler,” Innes explains.
On Closer Inspection
What you do appreciate up close is the sparkling clock. Telling time is almost irrelevant, as the dashboard is lit up by this ticking beauty.
It took five months to put it together and two years to develop this faceted and mesmerising guilloché pattern in raw metal.
Wooden Surfaces
The Santos Straight Grain is a delicate wood that tears easily, but was chosen for its rich texture and visual design. It is used throughout the Arcadia Droptail, requiring 76 pieces selected from a shortlist of 233 wood pieces.
To be perfect in any weather, the right lacquer for protection had to be selected. And to test for endurance, each piece was sprayed with water and left to dry, a process repeated for 1,000 hours. In total 8,000 hours of development was required. For the interior, the wood was layered using Formula 1 motor racing techniques.
The coming together of old values and new techniques will continue to drive Rolls-Royce forward.
As a new generation of owner joins the customer base, Rolls-Royce will invest in maintaining its reputation and continuing to stay relevant and informed of all things luxe that will define haute tastes and trends.
