“In reviving the Dawn nameplate, Rolls-Royce reinvigorated something much more than a motor car – like the glamorous convertible it drew inspiration from, the contemporary Dawn has come to characterise a modern expression of ‘la dolce vita’; a way of living that embraces the beauty and richness of life. Dawn truly reflects the joy of good company, the thrill of adventure and the peace of quiet reflection. Indeed, this motor car is a testament to the modern art of living, recalling ‘la dolce vita’ spirit in every detail. As production of Dawn draws to a close, we can reflect on an extraordinary chapter in the marque’s history. This beautiful motor car perfectly embodies contemporary luxury while celebrating the marque’s founding principles and heritage.”
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars signals the end of a glorious, glamorous era as it ceases production of its Dawn convertible. In this retrospective, the marque reflects on the best-selling drophead in the brand’s history as it takes its own unique place in the pantheon of great Rolls-Royce motor cars.


CONTEMPORARY GLAMOUR AND ROMANCE
Following the success of Phantom VII, and its stablemates Phantom Coupé and Phantom Drophead Coupé, an increasingly youthful, universally self-confident and sociable client base was drawn to the Rolls-Royce brand. These new super-luxury consumers required a motor car that, like the first transformative models of Rolls-Royce’s Goodwood era, captured the glamour and romance of super-luxury motoring; but did so in a fashion completely in tune with their contemporary tastes and lifestyles.

Rolls-Royce CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, recognised that there was space in the marque's product portfolio to fulfil these clients’ desires. Accordingly, he challenged his designers to create not just a stablemate to Phantom Drophead Coupé, but an entirely new kind of super-luxury convertible. More than simply a beautiful motor car, it should evoke the romance and glamour that informs so much of Rolls-Royce’s legend, while offering a social, approachable and contemporary expression of open-top touring to an ascendant new generation.

Furthermore, it had to be completely new. Three years earlier, Rolls-Royce had launched its fastback coupé Wraith; but the idea of repurposing it was never considered. Instead, the marque’s designers found inspiration much earlier in the company's vast and storied history. Between 1950 and 1954, Rolls-Royce made just 28 examples of the Silver Dawn drophead coupé. The Dawn nameplate, with its connotations of new beginnings, fresh opportunities and glorious vistas, was unanimously approved as the perfect candidate for a 21^st Century reincarnation.

The seductively elegant original perfectly embodied the spirit of its age, immortalised in the expression ‘la dolce vita’ – ‘the sweet life’. A reminder to savour every moment and live fully in the present, ‘la dolce vita’ came to signify good company and quiet reflection ­– the importance of taking time to dwell on the pleasures of life in all its beauty and richness.

Most famously, La Dolce Vita was also the title of the classic 1960 film directed by Federico Fellini. Now widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, it made a global star of actress Anita Eckberg, and the Trevi Fountain, until today one of Rome's most visited tourist attractions. Naturally, it also featured on mood boards within the Rolls-Royce design studio.


EXQUISITE ELEGANCE PAIRED WITH LUXURIOUS COMFORT
In the context of the film, ‘la dolce vita’ was a life filled with passion, adventure and romance. It was sensuous and sensual, a celebration of decadence, indulgence and pleasure in all its forms. It was this spirit that Rolls-Royce wanted to capture in its new drophead, expressed through timeless form language, contemporary craft and an effortless yet potent dynamic character.

The boldness of that vision was reflected in Dawn’s design. Its pure, simple form was inspired by fifties and sixties fashion, which evoked glamour by removing superfluous lines and textures, focussing instead on how it amplified the form of the wearer. Similarly, Dawn’s supple, flowing coachwork wraps around its occupants akin to raising a collar on an overcoat, affording those inside a cossetting, private and chic cabin experience.

Indeed, in creating Dawn, 80% of the panels were entirely unique, including a ‘wake channel’ on the bonnet emanating from the Spirit of Ecstasy, evoking the sensation of quietly gathering energy while provisioning drivers with a permanent vanishing point – a design feature that endures on Rolls-Royce motor cars today.

However, in one vital respect, Dawn broke with a long-established automotive design convention. Almost without exception, convertibles are designed in a 2+2 configuration, with full-size seating for the driver and one passenger in the front, plus two smaller seats for occasional passengers or children in the rear. The lack of rear-seat space, and particularly legroom, reduces the car’s comfort and practicality – a shortcoming Rolls-Royce refused to accept. Dawn was therefore a full four-seater with comfortable, individual seating for all occupants.

The very simplicity of Dawn’s design belied a host of complex engineering challenges, most notably the intricate roof mechanism, dubbed the ‘Silent Ballet’ for its precision, elegance and noiseless operation. A convertible hardtop had been briefly considered, however the marque’s designers decided Dawn’s roof should be created from fabric to retain the romance of listening to raindrops on canvas. Instead, a unique blend of materials, including fabric, cashmere and high-performance acoustic composites, made Dawn the world’s quietest convertible: with its roof closed, Dawn equalled the Rolls-Royce Wraith for noise-isolating performance.


A MODEL TESTING PROGRAMME
In quintessential Rolls-Royce style, engineers spent months optimising the convertible experience with an exhaustive testing programme – neither eliminating airflow completely nor permitting disruptive levels into the cabin. To achieve this, the test subject was a modified mannequin provisioned with a wig of long, flowing hair. It was chauffeured for hundreds of hours while a bank of sensors and cameras faithfully recorded how the hair was displaced by the moving air. The resulting data enabled engineers to make Dawn the world leader in aerodynamic comfort with the roof open.

Rolls-Royce also recognised the centrality of the driving experience for many of the younger clients Dawn was created for. Thus, beneath its svelte, minimal lines, Dawn received the marque’s near-silent 6.6-litre, 563bhp twin-turbo V12 engine. The chassis, naturally, delivered the brand’s signature ‘Magic Carpet Ride’, combining responsiveness and engagement with an almost supernatural smoothness.

Indeed, during a product experience later in Dawn’s life, an American journalist passed through an area as it was struck by an earthquake measuring 3.6 on the Richter scale, followed by a 2.7 aftershock; such was the smoothness of the ride, he learned of this only when he read about it in the press the following morning.


BLACK BADGE DAWN
In 2017, Rolls-Royce added a Black Badge variant of Dawn to its model family. Like the Ghost and Wraith that preceded it, Dawn’s alter ego derived its character from a series of engineering and design treatments. An entirely new exhaust system added a bass baritone quality to the engine note; the engine itself was tuned to deliver an extra 30bhp and boost torque to 840Nm. While appealing to the rebel spirit that attracts so many to this noire expression of the brand, Black Badge Dawn created its own singular place in the Rolls-Royce Pantheon – one characterised by the romance and seduction of the city at night.


A LASTING LEGACY
Beyond its desirability, Dawn brought the spirit of ‘la dolce vita’ to Rolls-Royce’s contemporary brand promise through an exquisite marriage of seductive design, contemporary materials, and a social, open-air driving experience. In doing so, Dawn has ensured its legacy by compelling an entirely new generation to the marque.

• Rolls-Royce celebrates the first 20 years of production at its Goodwood manufacturing centre
• A story of continuous progress and evolution, told through 20 individual models
• Each created and handmade at the Home of Rolls-Royce since 2003
• Includes EX experimental cars, which revived a naming convention last seen in the 1950s
• Describes an arc of technical innovation and responses to changing client requirements
• Leads to the new all-electric era ushered in by the Rolls-Royce Spectre

“Rolls-Royce has always stood for innovation and progress, constantly pushing technical and creative boundaries in the relentless pursuit of perfection demanded by its co-founder, ##Sir Henry Royce##. Our remarkable record of creating 20 different models in our first 20 years at the Home of Rolls-Royce is a direct result of that restless, adventurous spirit. Each of these models is a magnificent achievement in itself; together, they demonstrate our unique understanding of – and ability to respond to – our clients’ changing needs, tastes and desires over time.”
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

When Rolls-Royce Motor Cars began full-scale manufacturing at Goodwood, it produced just a single model: the original, seventh-generation Phantom. The first completed motor car was handed over to its new owner in a special ceremony at one minute past midnight on 1 January 2003.

Since that historic moment, no fewer than 20 different models and variants have been created and handmade at #Goodwood – equivalent to one for every year. Today's Rolls-Royce model family reflects two decades of continuous innovation and progress in design, technology, materials and methods, as the marque seeks to satisfy its clients' ever-changing needs, tastes and desires.

Phantom, and its siblings Phantom Drophead Coupé and Phantom Coupé, were followed by the more approachable Ghost, which went on to become the best-selling model the marque has ever produced since its foundation in 1904. The product family grew further with Wraith (2013) and Dawn (2016), respectively the most powerful and seductive models in the marque’s portfolio; they were joined in 2018 by Cullinan, the 'Rolls-Royce of SUVs', which is now ranked among the world's most desirable and in-demand luxury products.

With the exception of Phantom, all models in the current product family are available as Black Badge variants. Created for a new breed of client who desired a more subversive, rebellious expression of the Rolls-Royce brand, this permanent Bespoke series now accounts for more than a third of the marque’s total output.

Since 2003, the Home of Rolls-Royce’s design and engineering teams have produced a number of experimental motor cars. In keeping with tradition, these were given the ‘EX’ designation, used until the 1950s by Rolls-Royce engineers to maintain secrecy during testing and development, and the distinctive red-on-silver 'RR' badge. Never intended for series production, they were fundamental to the process of creating some of the most technically significant and commercially successful products in the marque's history.

Two Coachbuild masterpieces that represent the ultimate expression of Rolls-Royce's Bespoke capabilities also grace the list. Individually commissioned and entirely hand-built, they echo the coachbuilding traditions of the marque's early years, while employing the very latest in contemporary design, engineering, manufacturing and craft techniques to create true works of art.

The first 20 years at #Goodwood have culminated in the launch of Spectre. The first all-electric Rolls-Royce in history, this landmark motor car also marks the beginning of a new technological era, in which every new Rolls-Royce model will be fully electric from 2030 onwards. With series production yet to begin, Spectre is not strictly among the 20 cars produced between 2003 and 2023, so does not appear in the list that follows. However, it is both the next evolutionary step in the model family's development, and the technical and philosophical foundation for all that will follow in future.

This remarkable period in the marque’s history has seen the creation of a countless deeply personal, complex and beautiful expressions of the marque’s motor cars. While it is nearly impossible to edit a selection of the best of the last twenty years, here are some truly exemplary examples:

20 CARS FOR 20 YEARS

1. Phantom, 2003
The original 'Goodwood Phantom' was the seventh generation to wear what is now the longest-established nameplate in automotive history. With its marriage of technology, comfort, performance and the signature 'Magic Carpet Ride', it set a new standard for every model that has followed.

2. 100EX, 2004
Produced to mark the centenary of the first meeting between Charles Rolls and Henry Royce, this was the first Experimental Car produced by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars under BMW Group ownership. Powered by an extraordinary 9-litre V16 engine, it was never intended for production, but was the direct forebear for what would become the celebrated Phantom Drophead Coupé.

3. Phantom Extended, 2005
Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2005, Phantom Extended was 250 mm (9.8 in) longer than the 'standard' Phantom. This created additional legroom in the rear cabin, making this model especially popular with clients who prefer to be chauffeur-driven.

4. 101EX, 2006
Like 100EX, this experimental prototype was built on a shortened version of Phantom's aluminium space frame, with the body panels constructed in carbon-fibre composite. It would find enduring life and global fame in its eventual production guise as Phantom Coupé, powered by the iconic 6.75-litre V12 engine.

5. Phantom Drophead Coupé, 2007
One of the most sought-after models ever produced at Goodwood, the Phantom Drophead Coupé stunned the world on its debut. With distinctive styling derived from 100EX (see above), its defining feature is the interior wood veneering that flows around the cabin into the teak tonneau cover, inspired by a racing yacht deck.

6. Phantom Coupé, 2008
With its pillarless construction, this was a true hardtop two-door coupé – the first Rolls-Royce of its type to be produced in more than two decades. Like its drophead sibling, Phantom Coupé incorporated many of the design features and construction techniques developed on the experimental 101EX.

7. 200EX, 2009
Presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2009, 200EX was the experimental car that responded to client feedback for a more approachable and driver-orientated Rolls-Royce.

8. Ghost, 2010
Designed for a new generation of ascendent Rolls-Royce clients, Ghost immediately won praise for its simple, contemporary design and effortless, dynamic performance. To date it is the most commercially successful model in Rolls-Royce history.

9. 102EX, 2011
Known as the Phantom Experimental Electric (EE), this one-off electric prototype version of Phantom began Rolls-Royce's exploration into suitable technology to power future generations of its motor cars. The world’s first super-luxury battery electric vehicle, it toured the world gauging reactions from clients, enthusiasts, the media and the wider public.

10. Ghost Extended, 2011
Responding to feedback from clients who prefer to be chauffeur-driven, Rolls-Royce introduced an Extended version of Ghost, offering additional space and comfort for rear-seat passengers while maintaining the motor car’s more focussed driving characteristics.

11. Wraith, 2013
The fastback Wraith was intended as the ultimate gran turismo; a car that embodied the bold, pioneering spirit, sense of adventure and love of speed that inspired the marque's co-founder, The Hon Charles Stewart Rolls.

12. Dawn, 2016
The definitive super-luxury four-seater convertible, Dawn was designed to enable four adults to travel sociably together in complete comfort. The roof is a design and engineering masterpiece: dubbed 'the Silent Ballet' the mechanism operates in complete silence in just 22 seconds, and at cruising speeds of up to 50km/h; with the roof closed, the interior is as silent as a Rolls-Royce Wraith.

13. Black Badge Wraith and Black Badge Ghost, 2016
The Black Badge family introduced the world to the marque’s enfants terribles, subverting perceptions of what a Rolls-Royce ‘should’ be. These variants are more powerful and specifically engineered to deliver an even more direct, engaging driving experience, while still offering near-limitless opportunities for Bespoke personalisation. In Black Badge guise, both Wraith and Ghost received additional torque, unique air-suspension set-up and drive shafts, Intuitive Throttle Response and crisper, more urgent 8-speed automatic transmission. The result was an even more agile and involving motoring experience, without compromising the intrinsic elements of the effortless Rolls-Royce ‘Magic Carpet Ride’.

14. 103EX, 2016
Perhaps the most radical experimental car ever produced at Goodwood, Rolls-Royce Vision Next 100, codenamed 103EX, presented the marque’s uncompromised view of the future of luxury mobility. Fully electric, with a completely autonomous drive and enhanced artificial intelligence, it made an unequivocal statement about Rolls-Royce's future direction, both in terms of electric power and effortless, highly personalised travel.

15. ‘Sweptail’, 2017
Rolls-Royce revived the art of coachbuilding with the magnificent ‘Sweptail’, described at the time as ‘automotive Haute Couture’. Inspired by coachbuilt Rolls-Royces and racing yachts of the 1920s and 30s, this unique two-seat coupé featured a panoramic glass roof and a pair of attaché cases concealed behind the coach doors.

16. Phantom 8, 2017
No nameplate occupies a more revered place in the pantheon of great cars and indeed, luxury goods as Phantom. The task to re-invent it for a bold, new era was therefore approached with exquisite care. The result was a Phantom that responded to the changing sensibilities of a new generation whilst maintaining the iconic presence that ensures its ongoing status as the “Best Car in the World”.

17. Cullinan, 2018
Cullinan is truly the ‘Rolls-Royce of SUVs’, designed and built to take younger, successful high-net-worth individuals to the ends of the Earth in ultimate comfort. With its ‘effortless, everywhere’ capabilities, endless Bespoke possibilities and unique lifestyle features – including the Recreation Module – it has become one of the most desirable luxury goods on the planet.

18. Black Badge Cullinan, 2019
Cullinan revelled in its new, darker persona, which included a more powerful 6.7-litre V12 engine, black 22-inch forged alloy wheels, Pantheon grille and Spirit of Ecstasy mascot, plus the first painted brake callipers ever fitted to a factory-delivered Rolls-Royce.

19. New Ghost, 2020
When it came to present a new Ghost, Rolls-Royce responded to the requirement from a new ascendent generation of successful women and men for a motor car, perfectly aligned with new codes of luxury. The result is an aesthetic that prioritises minimalist design and celebrates material substance. The motor car was also engineered to possess an engaging and dynamic character with no compromise to the serenity and comfort in the rear suite.

20. Boat Tail, 2021
The Boat Tail commissions took Rolls-Royce Coachbuild into new realms of complexity and audacity, in a demanding technical and creative project that lasted almost four years. A genuine objet d'art, this entirely handcrafted motor car demonstrated the marque's commitment to coachbuilding as a central part of its future direction and strategy.

• Bespoke Rolls-Royce Dawn in collaboration with architect Kengo Kuma
• One-of-a-kind creation bridges luxury automotive and architectural worlds
• Created for unique Japanese residence, The Kita Tea House
• Dawn’s styling reflects residence’s clarity of structure with prevailing sense of calm
• Architect famed for design of the reborn Japan National Stadium

“It was an honour to collaborate with Kengo Kuma to create a serene and timeless motor car for a serene and timeless building. From the inception of the marque over 100 years ago, Rolls-Royce has transcended the automotive field, taking the tangible entity of a car and delivering its patrons the intangible: a truly unique experience. As this project demonstrates, through the authentic application of unique designs and materials, we can provide rare sensory experiences that reflect and enhance our owners’ multi-faceted lifestyles.”
Gavin Hartley, Head of Bespoke Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Kengo Kuma have bridged the luxury automotive and architectural worlds with the unveiling of a first-of-its-kind Bespoke Rolls-Royce Dawn. The singular motor car will debut as a moving representation of the new luxury residence ‘The Kita’ in central Tokyo, designed by Kengo Kuma upon commission by global luxury property developer Westbank.

The Bespoke Dawn was created for the exclusive use of the owner of the unique multi-level penthouse, ‘The Kita Tea House’, which sits atop the newly completed property in the tranquil yet central Kitasando neighbourhood. The penthouse is so named for its rooftop tea house which is framed by views of the Eternal Forest of the Meiji Shrine and Kengo Kuma’s reborn Japan National Stadium.

As is characteristic of Kengo Kuma’s architecture, ‘The Kita’ challenges the relationship between interior and exterior. The open-top Dawn was therefore a natural canvas for the accompanying motor car, a peaceful and cocooning private space where you are conversely never disconnected from the outside world.

The Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective worked in consultation with Mr Kuma and Westbank to ensure that the interior and exterior design reflected ‘The Kita’ in terms of materials, colour palette, texture and ambience to offer the resident a seamless aesthetic and atmospheric transition from property to conveyance. The overriding aim for Dawn’s styling was one of Japanese delicacy with a sense of precision seen in the clean lines of the building, creating a clarity of structure with a prevailing sense of calm, the design’s depth revealing itself softly and subtly. At the same time, both car and residence have a strong visual identity and a generosity of proportion that breaks norms: deceptively neutral yet deeply atmospheric; inherently practical, yet extremely comfortable.

Dawn’s exterior is rendered in Silver Haze, a multi-faceted colour that speaks of the silver-grey of the building’s core structural materials. When illuminated by the sun, it reveals a bronze sheen, a warmth that reflects the bronze koshi screen louvers on the exterior of the building and the bronze detailing of the interior. It is finished with a sleek Silver hood and clean-cut Black coachline. Bringing the interior and exterior together is the warm, intimate feel of natural open-pore Royal Walnut panelling on the rear deck, a nod to the rich Walnut panelling of the towering penthouse entrance lobby.

Inside, the sweeping contours of the Selby Grey leather interior are highlighted by Arctic White and Black accents, with seatbelts in Slate Grey. In the first application of its kind for Rolls-Royce, the finish of the front fascia is gradated. Running the full width of the interior, the horizontal ombré transitions from Piano Selby Grey to Piano Black, a representation of the blended and fluid nature of the building’s luscious and innovative materials. The colour transitions from the residence’s luminescent grey-flecked Bianco Carrara marble, through to the light greys of soft brushed stainless steel and ceramic tile, and finally, to the dark granite and metallic tile.

Into the fascia is set a stainless steel inlay of ‘The Kita’s’ logo, the most delicate example of such an inlay that the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective has produced and a gesture of solidarity with the great skill that went into crafting the residence’s unique hand-finished stainless steel fittings. The same lattice motif is applied in embroidery to the front headrests and the waterfall between the rear seats. Final touches include a specially designed Bespoke clock and Bespoke umbrellas colour matched to the interior, reflecting the discerning tastes of the architect.

“This is the first time I have consulted on a project of this kind and I am proud that I was able to do so for Rolls-Royce, a company with which I share a respect for traditional craftsmanship and a desire to bring out the best in natural materials.” shared Kengo Kuma. “Rolls-Royce has brought the essence of ‘The Kita’ into the car’s aesthetic, allowing the owner of ‘The Kita Tea House’ to take in their surrounding city environment. It is a great honour to see the car finally here at home in Tokyo.”

“The Bespoke Dawn is a beautiful addition to our body of work,” noted Ian Gillespie, founder of Westbank. “Kuma-san’s influence on the Rolls-Royce Dawn is the embodiment of the serenity and beauty he has created in ‘The Kita Tea House’, as an extension of that memory for the individual to enjoy.”

• Rolls-Royce announces limited ‘Neon Nights’ variants of Dawn, Wraith and Cullinan Black Badge
• Vibrant colour palette inspired by exotic plants and animals
• Innovative neon-effect paint finish applied to Technical Fibre fascia
• Created following highly successful ‘Pastel’ Collection in 2019

“Neon Nights is a vibrant trilogy of Rolls-Royce Black Badges, whose inspiration come from nature. The newly developed Bespoke paint is applied to the Black Badge variants of Wraith, Dawn and Cullinan - the darker and edgier ‘enfants terribles’ of the Rolls-Royce family.  Taking cues from the natural world, including an Australian green tree frog, a Hawaiian tree flower and an exotic butterfly, these limited hues show Black Badge bolder in colour, appealing to patrons around the world who really do dare to be different.”
Sami Coultas, Bespoke Designer Colour & Trim, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Any pre-conceived notion that Rolls-Royce’s Black Badge variants all have to be black is comprehensively laid to rest by the super-solid Neon Nights colours.

Created initially for clients in the United States, three further iterations of each colour are available for commission worldwide, making a limited run of just four of each colour. Comprising here of Wraith, Dawn and Cullinan Black Badge, each in a different hue, inspiration comes from the natural world.

Wraith Black Badge is finished in Lime Rock Green, a near-luminous hue naturally bestowed on the Australian green tree frog, which Rolls-Royce Bespoke Paint Specialist Sami Coultas first encountered on a trip to Tamworth, north of Sydney. The interior is swathed in Scivaro Grey leather, with Lime Rock Green accents in the form of stitching and piping.

The striking Eagle Rock Red created for this Dawn Black Badge mimics the flowers of ‘Ōhi‘a lehua, an evergreen tree native to Hawaii. The interior is finished in Selby Grey leather with Koi Red stitching and piping details.

For Cullinan, the Bespoke Collective looked to an exotic butterfly, Rhetus periander for inspiration. Known as the Periander metalmark, this species is found across Central and South America; the vibrancy of its wings is faithfully captured in Cullinan’s Mirabeau Blue finish. The Arctic White leather interior detailed in Lime Rock Green provides a dramatic contrast.

In all three cars, the Technical Fibre fascia is embellished with a spectacular graphic. The paint effect provides an intense neon glow and depicts the distortion of artificial light with speed.

The Neon Nights cars follow a suite of Black Badges that grabbed headlines at the 2019 Pebble Beach event, which saw Ghost, Wraith and Dawn finished in Bespoke pastel colours. Such was the demand for these cars, the colour palette was embraced and developed, inspiring a new and dynamic colour palette for Black Badge.

Just three further examples of each colour will be made available for commission worldwide.

Rolls-Royce today releases the first official images showing Dawn Silver Bullet in its natural habitat – on the open road, as the first of the client commissioned Collection Cars roll off the production line at the Global Centre of Luxury Manufacturing Excellence, in Goodwood, West Sussex.

Photographed on the shores of Lake Garda, a series of in-motion and drone shots capture Dawn Silver Bullet in locations including mountain hairpins and corniche roads. The new photographic portfolio also includes static images, taken in the open air, highlighting the car’s charismatic expression.

Under the Italian sun, Dawn Silver Bullet lives up to its name, travelling with speed and precision. Its ultra-metallic Brewster Silver Paint is a vibrant nod to the epic trials cars of the past, such as the Silver Dawn, Silver King, Silver Silence and Silver Spectre.

The four-seat Rolls-Royce Drophead is transformed into an adaptable two-seat roadster, by the addition of a rakish Aero Cowling with vapour-blasted titanium finisher, heightening the Collection’s sense of speed and purpose.

Launched in 2020, Dawn Silver Bullet is a contemporary interpretation of the classic roadster spirit and driving experience, offering committed drivers a sublime blend of serenity and sophistication with an exhilarating sense of uncompromised freedom.

Dawn Silver Bullet is strictly limited to just 50 examples worldwide.

The Rolls-Royce Dawn was created to deliver the world’s most social, seductive open-top motoring experience for four people. In doing so, it attracted a new type of client to the marque – successful, young and dynamic men and women drawn to Dawn’s contemporary aesthetic and compelled by its owner/driver appeal.

To add yet more aesthetic appeal to this remarkable motor car, the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective of designers, engineers and craftspeople created a removable Aero Cowling. Introduced in 2018, this modern and meticulously constructed piece converts the aesthetic of Dawn into a two-seat roadster-style motor car with an extended tonneau cover sitting atop the two rear seats. By creating a higher-shouldered silhouette, Aero Cowling alters Dawn’s persona and heightens its sense of dynamic intent.

The Aero Cowling, which can be fitted and removed at a client’s discretion, encloses the rear seats beneath a beautifully hand-made cover, with two cowls rising from the leading edge of the tonneau area, to a point just behind each front seat headrest. The form of the cowls was precisely sculpted to funnel air gracefully over the cabin, so to enhance driver comfort.

Each cowl is equipped with a pair of lockable leather-lined storage compartments for personal effects, while the cover itself is made of carbon fibre and aluminium. This choice of materials makes Aero Cowling incredibly light yet strong. The lids of the cowls are swathed in finest Rolls-Royce leather, perfectly matching the interior of the car as commissioned by the owner.

A remarkable Bespoke canvas

The Aero Cowling is not designed to simply transform the appearance of the Dawn, but to complement it. Bespoke canvases for colour and detail atop the cowl lids allow for a harmonious flow of colour between motor car and tonneau.

Originally presented at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, the first Dawn Aero Cowling was matched perfectly with the Cassiopeia Silver and Casden Tan colour scheme of the motor car it adorned. The central spine was finished in exposed carbon fibre, showcasing its lightweight structure, with a weave book-matched to a contemporary chevron graphic. This intricately detailed spine harmoniously ran down the centre of the car, through the centre console and onto the dashboard.

Since its launch, Aero Cowling has enhanced many Bespoke commissions. One of the first was the Bayside Dawn Aero Cowling, commissioned by a customer in Yokohama, Japan, to pay tribute to his seafaring home city. It matched cutting-edge technical fibre with open-pore teak Canadel panelling, drawing inspiration from yacht decking. The Aero Cowling’s colourway evoked blue seas and white sails in the finest traditions of Yokohama Bay.

Most recently, Aero Cowling adorned Dawn Silver Bullet, revealed in early 2020. Inspired by rare, glamorous and rakish roadsters of the 1920s, this motor car’s tonneau was finished with an ultra-metallic silver-painted central spine and a vapour-blasted titanium windbreak, etched with the Silver Bullet nameplate and silhouette.

Aero Cowling is able to amplify a more striking aesthetic as well as elegantly contribute to its form. Arguably, its boldest appearance was part of the marque’s 2019 Pebble Beach Collection where it was incorporated into a Dawn Black Badge finished in striking Coral. This new pastel colour carried over to the Aero Cowling itself, creating an appearance reminiscent of the Speedster two-seater body style so closely associated with the USA’s western seaboard.

As we move into the 2020’s, Rolls-Royce embodies the spirit of the roaring twenties by introducing its first Collection Car of the new decade. The Dawn Silver Bullet Collection is an ode to decadence, to frivolity, to heady heydays and irreverent past times. Traversing the landscape with supreme accuracy, travelling great distances with speed and precision, this open-top roadster iteration of Dawn, is, like a silver bullet.

Drawing inspiration from the fabled roadsters of the 1920’s – rare, glamorous machines forever associated with bright young things and rakish Hollywood rebels, the Dawn Silver Bullet Collection captures the carefree attitude of those far-off days in a bold, contemporary expression designed for today’s non-conformists and pleasure-seekers.

Seductive and effortlessly cool, this Collection is limited to just 50 cars world-wide. The Dawn Silver Bullet Collection is a powerful, artfully tailored addition to the Rolls-Royce Collection Car ensemble.

Silver can be found frequently in the marque’s enigmatic history on special trails cars such as the Silver Dawn, Silver King, Silver Silence and Silver Spectre. The Dawn Silver Bullet Collection cuts a dash in a newly commissioned ultra-metallic silver Bespoke paint finish.

The hero of the Collection is undoubtedly the Aero Cowling, which shifts the persona of the car’s high-shouldered silhouette, heightening the sense of speed and purpose. The rakish silver centre spine brings the bodywork into the cabin, giving it the intimate, connected feel of a true two-seater. A vapour-blasted titanium finisher completes the Aero Cowling windbreak and proudly displays the Silver Bullet name and silhouette.

The Dawn Silver Bullet Collection features dark exterior detailing; dark headlights and a new dark front bumper finisher, providing a dominant and determined expression in heighted contrast to the silver hue. The part-polished wheels offer a translucent shadow finish with a single silver pinstripe.

Inside, the Dawn Silver Bullet Collection is alluringly tactile, resplendent in materials and craftsmanship of our own time. A unique open-pore carbon fibre fascia greets the driver and companion in a contemporary, dashing fashion. A quilted transmission tunnel, with design cues taken from the quintessentially rebellious fashion accessory, the leather jacket, runs through the centre of the cabin in a tailored fashion.

Imbued with British eccentricity and class, this model melds the nostalgia of the past with the sophisticated innovation of the future, making the Dawn Silver Bullet Collection the perfect platform from which to experience the very best journeys around the world. This Collection updates the classic roadster spirit and offers an exhilarating sense of uncompromised freedom.

With this in mind, Rolls-Royce will curate a series of ‘Silver Bullet Drives’, epic road-trips for owners of this contemporary collection, made available via Whispers, Rolls-Royce’s exclusive, digital home for Rolls-Royce clients around the world.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars revealed today the ‘Pebble Beach 2019 Collection’. Inspired by the hills, sand and sea surrounding Pebble Beach, this year’s collection is the most colorful yet. The Collection includes 13 beautiful Bespoke Commissions, offered exclusively for the clients attending Monterey Car Week 2019, and will be revealed at a series of exclusive activities hosted by the luxury brand throughout the week.

The collection is headlined by the brand’s flagship, Phantom. Rolls-Royce Bespoke designers have cloaked this Phantom in a shimmering Black Diamond and Gold Bespoke exterior. The interior features the Rolls-Royce Phantom Gallery, an individuality available in no other motor car in the world, designed to house personalized art making the Phantom an extension of its owner’s art and design collection. The ‘Best Car in the World’ raised the bar of luxury with the introduction of the new Rolls-Royce ‘Architecture of Luxury’ which delivers the ‘Magic Carpet Ride’, defining Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. 

Cullinan marks its second year at Pebble Beach with some of the most extensive Bespoke designs in the ‘Pebble Beach 2019 Collection’. The four vehicles on display during the week feature colors including Burnout Grey, Black Green, Iced Gunmetal and Galilea Blue. The iced finish showcases one of the most popular innovations from the paint specialists at Rolls-Royce. The subtle finish offers the solid effect of matte colors with an elegant shine. Color innovations are nothing new to a design group that has built finishes using glass, silver, gold and even diamonds for Bespoke Commissions.

The ‘Pebble Beach 2019 Pastel Collection’ – Black Badge goes beyond Black
Following recent years of alternating drought, fire and rain, the Monterey Peninsula this year is awash in seas of colorful wildflowers. Highlighting this year’s debuts are a trio of Bespoke motor cars showcasing the creative color capabilities of the artisan designers in Goodwood, Home of Rolls-Royce. The Pastel Collection draws upon painter’s palette of colors from this year’s ‘wildflower superbloom’ on the Monterey Peninsula. The collection includes three one-of-one Black Badge Commissions adding new colors to the Rolls-Royce Bespoke palette and reaffirming the idea that a Rolls-Royce Black Badge doesn’t have to be black.

The collection starts with Ghost Black Badge in Light Green Solid, a new Bespoke exterior finish. The pastel green represents the rebirth of the flora on the peninsula following the years of drought and fire. The hand-crafted leather interior is Black with a striking Serenity Green splash highlighting the iconic Black Badge technical Fiber.

The drophead creation among the collection is Dawn Black Badge in Coral Solid which showcases the Bespoke finish that can only come after seven coats of paint and more than nine hours of hand polishing in the Surface Finish Centre at the Home of Rolls-Royce, Goodwood. The new pastel color carries over to the Bespoke Aero Cowling, giving Dawn a colorful yet aggressive exterior. The Dawn Black Badge interior is finished in Artic White and Sunset carrying over the visual imagery of the blooming northern California hills and valleys.

The final piece of the trio is Wraith Black Badge in Semaphore Yellow, a bright and sunny finish for the most powerful member of the Rolls-Royce family. Wraith Black Badge features a Selby Grey and Lemon interior with the iconic Rolls-Royce Black Badge Starlight Headliner. The ‘Rolls-Royce 2019 Pastel Collection’ presents Black Badge unlike you’ve ever seen before.

This collection showcases the alter ego of Rolls-Royce Bespoke as the brand highlights the potential of its Black Badge Bespoke offer. The combined skills of the Bespoke craftspeople from the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, England, and the rebellious spirit of Black Badge has propelled the brand into the 21^st century appealing to the risk-taker who is not afraid to embrace a bold and progressive statement of true and modern luxury, in an aggressive form. All Black Badge commissions feature a stunning technical fiber fascia and interior accents as well as custom Black Badge Bespoke Starlight Headliners and Bespoke ‘Pebble Beach 2019 – special commission’ treadplates.

“Every year, thousands of Rolls-Royce patrons come together for Monterey Car Week. It’s one of our most important family gatherings around the world, especially for our American owners. This year we present the largest offering of Rolls-Royce motor cars ever and in the most vivid Bespoke colors and configurations in history. Each and every commission has been created by the designers and craftspeople at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, working with the finest leather, wood and precious materials. It’s thrilling to introduce the 2019 Pebble Beach Collection as the world gathers to view the classics the brand has created over the past 115 years.” Martin Fritsches, President of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars North America.

The full family on display
The full collection of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars on display includes one Phantom, four Cullinans, four Dawns, two Ghosts and two Wraiths. The special vehicles will be on display at ‘Quail, A Motorsports Gathering’ as well as at the exclusive Rolls-Royce Villa in Carmel. 

“ Our new Rolls-Royce Dawn promises a striking, seductive encounter like no other Rolls-Royce to date, and begins a new age of open-top, super-luxury motoring. Dawn is a beautiful new motor car that offers the most uncompromised open-top motoring experience in the world. It will be the most social of super-luxury drophead motor cars for those who wish to bathe in the sunlight of the world’s most exclusive social hotspots. 

Quite simply, it is the sexiest Rolls-Royce ever built.

The name ‘Dawn’ perfectly suggests the fresh opportunities that every new day holds – an awakening, an opening up of one’s senses and a burst of sunshine. In its tentative, inchoate, anticipatory state, dawn is the world coming to light from the ethereal dark of the night. The early-day chill of dawn provides an erotic tingle on the skin, awakening the senses and passions as the day begins. 

Like Eleanor Thornton, thought by many to be the inspiration behind the Spirit of Ecstasy, the  Rolls-Royce Dawn will itself prove to be the muse that leads its owner to believe that at the start of the day, anything is possible.”

Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars 

INTRODUCTION

“…Accept nothing nearly right or good enough.”

Compromise is not a word recognised in the Rolls-Royce lexicon. Indeed the company continues to live by the clarion cry of co-founder Sir Henry Royce to “Strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the best that exists and make it better. When it does not exist, design it. Accept nothing nearly right or good enough.”

The first part of this maxim – “Strive for perfection in everything you do” – guides the company’s every action particularly during the creation of a new motor car. The second – “Take the best that exists and make it better” – has been clearly evidenced in the success of both Phantom Series II and Ghost Series II as they were carefully updated in 2012 and 2014 respectively. And when Rolls-Royce judged that it was time for an authentic gentleman’s Gran Turismo to return to the world stage, it was guided by the third part of Sir Henry’s maxim: “When it does not exist, design it.” And thus, Wraith was born.

Now, the final part of this maxim has guided the Rolls-Royce design and engineering teams as they have worked to initiate a new age for open-top, super-luxury motoring. In a sector exclusively populated by the biggest of automotive compromises – the 2+2 seat configuration – Rolls-Royce has chosen to “accept nothing nearly right or good enough.”

And so, the new Rolls-Royce Dawn, the world’s only true modern four-seater super-luxury drophead, is born.

“It is always darkest just before the dawn”

In the most challenging times, the phrase “It is always darkest just before the dawn” – originally coined by English Restoration preacher Thomas Fuller – resonates as a beacon of hope. This early morning darkness, where apparitions such as phantoms, ghosts or wraiths have been imagined, and where one’s apprehensions lurk, is brushed aside by an energising burst of early morning sunlight as one awakens to a new dawn and the endless possibilities of a new day.

Such was the feeling in 1952 as the world was finally emerging from a period of economic austerity following protracted war. That year, the world looked forward in hope as the world’s first passenger jet , the British deHavilland Comet, made its first commercial flight; the Big Bang Theory of the creation of the Universe was first propounded, and Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne of the United Kingdom.

That very same year, the Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn drophead, which became the muse for the designers of the new Rolls-Royce Dawn, was finished by Rolls-Royce coachbuilders Park Ward and delivered to its first customer, Colonel W.A. Phillips in Canada.

A new beginning for Rolls-Royce at the time, the original Silver Dawn was the first Rolls-Royce to be offered with a factory-built body. However, the drophead Rolls-Royces that carried the name Silver Dawn continued to be coach-built for individual customers, ensuring their uniqueness and rarity, and embodied the optimism of the age as we began to enjoy life again and pursue La Dolce Vita.

This famous and rare Rolls-Royce name was only ever applied to 28 very special drophead bodies between 1950 and 1954.

Rolls-Royce’s new Dawn has taken inspiration from the Silver Dawn, whilst delivering a world first in super-luxury motoring – a cool, contemporary interpretation of what a super-luxury four-seater convertible motor car should be in 2015 – rare, refined and the most social super-luxury car there is.

Much like the 1952 Silver Dawn drophead, the new Rolls-Royce Dawn stands apart from its stable mates, featuring 80% unique body panels.

Indeed such attention has been paid to ensuring this amazing new dawn for super-luxury motoring delivers on its promise, even the tyres that connect the new Rolls-Royce Dawn to the roads it will glide over have been specially developed to deliver the pinnacle ‘magic carpet’ ride expected of every Rolls-Royce that leaves The Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, England.

And, specific engineering and manufacturing attention has been paid to the creation of the Dawn’s roof. Unheard of anywhere in the modern motor industry until now, the roof of the Rolls-Royce Dawn delivers the silence of a Wraith when up and operates in almost complete silence in just over 20 seconds at a cruising speed of up to 50kph.

It is safe to say that the new Rolls-Royce Dawn is the quietest open top car ever made.

DESIGN

2+2 ≠ 4

“In the world of Rolls-Royce, day to day mathematical norms don’t always apply. That’s why I say in the case of the new Rolls-Royce Dawn, 2+2 does not equal 4.” 

Giles Taylor, Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

Studying the open-top motor car sector, and specifically its high-value luxury niche, it became apparent to Rolls-Royce’s designers that customers were being short-changed. The myopic focus on one specific configuration – the 2+2 setup – was, in the view of Rolls-Royce, a compromise too far.

Commonly held, a 2+2 is a configuration with seating for the driver and one passenger in the front plus two smaller seats for occasional passengers or children in the rear. Space in the rear is most noticeably absent in terms of longitudinal leg-room, thereby reducing the comfort and practicality of the car. In the case of a convertible body type, this reduction in space is often the result of the manufacturer’s inability to package the convertible roof together with boot and rear passenger space. The result is a sector populated exclusively by open-top cars that Rolls-Royce would consider compromised and ‘anti-social’.

“At Rolls-Royce, we pride ourselves as creators of fine motor cars that also serve as social spaces,” comments Taylor. “The idea of creating a car like Dawn that can be used in comfort by only two adults on a day to day basis is anathema. In creating Dawn we have accepted no compromise to the comfort and luxury of four adults who want to travel together in the pinnacle of style.”

A striking, seductive encounter

“Dawn is a Rolls-Royce that feels completely at home on the Route Napoleon. It is a contemporary homage to a life on the Côte d’Azur. The car is a contemporary take on the ‘Casino’ lifestyle. Perhaps seen as cavalier in character it is intended to attract people who relish both freedom and sophistication,” comments Giles Taylor, Director of Design.

“At Rolls-Royce Motor Cars we design without compromise, and this uncompromising approach brings new challenges with each new motor car,” continues Taylor. “In the case of the new Rolls-Royce Dawn, we have designed it from the road up to deliver a striking, seductive encounter.”

The new Rolls-Royce Dawn greets the observer with a striking yet elegant exterior design with classic Rolls-Royce appearance and presence. It is the most vibrant Rolls-Royce yet with charming and alluring qualities that bring a new level of finesse, sophistication and refinement in a drophead coupé – a serene yet exhilarating sense of uncompromised freedom.

It offers a new level of effortlessness and a relaxed sensory experience with an underlying exhilaration and dynamism. All this without a single compromise to comfort and space. This new Rolls-Royce embodies dynamic and social qualities that will attract a broader, younger and more socially-aware audience around the world.

Contrary to media speculation, the new Rolls-Royce Dawn is not a Wraith drophead. 80% of the exterior body panels of the new Dawn are newly designed to accommodate an evolution of Rolls-Royce’s design language and to encapsulate highly contemporary, four-seat super-luxury drophead architecture.

The aim was clear. To do what no other car manufacturer had achieved so far – make a car that looks as beautiful with its roof up as with it down. One could almost say that the result of the design team’s restless endeavours has been to make the new Rolls-Royce Dawn two cars in one.

Exterior design

The Rolls-Royce Dawn maintains timeless Rolls-Royce design principles – 2:1 wheel height to body height, a long bonnet, short front overhang, a long rear overhang, an elegant tapering rear graphic and a high shoulder line.

All this tradition is delivered in a beautiful and thoroughly contemporary design. Like an athlete, Rolls-Royce Dawn appears poised, taught and ready to go. The latent acceleration and tension in the surfaces are increased through completely new panels which evince curvature that creates a tighter surface and a more powerful silhouette which hints at what lies beneath.

Dawn’s powerful and striking front end gives it a sensuous yet edgy, almost masculine look whilst the bold sweeping shoulder line becomes more sensuous as it flows over the swell of the rear wheels, accommodating a wider track. A tapered ‘wake channel’ on the bonnet, emanating from the Spirit of Ecstasy’s wings, evokes the sight of a jet’s vapour trail, hinting at the car’s dynamism. With its high shoulder line, massive C-pillar and horizontally narrow side window aperture, when viewed from side-on and roof up, the car looks akin to a low-slung ‘hot rod’.

At the front, the grille is recessed by approximately 45mm whilst the lower front bumper has been extended 53mm compared to Wraith. This has been done to focus the eye on the jet air intake face and to make the car feel focused, even when standing still. The grille design helps accelerate the tension of the car towards the rear shoulders, again emphasising the unique elegance of Dawn.

The grille and bumper focus attention on the horizontal lines of the car rather than the traditional vertical lines of the other members of the Rolls-Royce family. The bumper now incorporates the number plate surround and a new focused lower air dam. The mesh in the lower valance is recessed and black in colour, helping create a sense of depth which supplements the depth in the grille. Also, chrome ‘blades’ act to plant the car while also complementing the horizontal lines and accelerating the flow of the eye around the car thus increasing the impression of power and width.

When viewing the Rolls-Royce Dawn in side profile, one’s eye is instantly drawn to the elegant profile of the car. The soft top shape is completely harmonious and homogenous without the ugly concave areas or sharp struts seen in other manufacturers’ soft tops. In addition, new 21” polished and 21’’ and 20” painted wheels ensure Dawn remains a perfectly executed, contemporary expression of Rolls-Royce luxury.

The rear end of the car, having swelled over the feminine ‘hips’ of Dawn, tapers in towards the rear, echoing the elegant design of early ‘boat tail’ Rolls-Royce drophead coupés and indeed the beautiful motor launches of the early 20th Century that inspired them.

The silent lowering of the soft top transforms the Rolls-Royce Dawn, delivering a true Dawn moment. In hero specification of Midnight Sapphire exterior and Mandarin leather interior, night becomes day as rays of sunshine burst forth, bringing the inside out, joining this social space with the wider world of possibilities.

Roof down, the sexiness of the Rolls-Royce Dawn is even more apparent. From the side the steep rake of the windscreen, the swage line that flows over the rear haunches plus the high beltline that rises along the profile give the impression of effortless swiftness. The very same rising beltline wraps around the rear passenger cabin akin to the collar of a jacket pulled up to protect the neck.

The stainless steel waist line finisher that wraps around the cabin encompasses the deck that covers the soft top when stowed, and integrates the high-level brake light. This beautiful metal feature works in harmony with the stainless steel door handles, polished wheels, visible exhausts and front and rear bumper jewellery, to create a priceless look and feel.

The deck itself is an amazing work of modern craftsmanship. Clothed in open-pore Canadel panelling that traces the horse-shoe shape of the rear cabin, it demonstrates the great advances that the craftspeople in the Woodshop at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood have made in wood crafting technology and techniques.

The wood on the deck, chosen by the customer to suit their individual taste, flows down the ‘Waterfall’ between the rear seats, and around the cabin clothing the interior door panels and enticing the owner to enter Dawn.

Interior design

Once again Rolls-Royce’s unique coach doors come into their own in a drophead format. The coach doors are impressive and graceful. The doors complement the long front wings and relaxed waft line, creating a long body profile and a cosseted cabin.

Evocative of the classic sports car profile, they add considerably to the easy entry and egress of rear passengers from Dawn’s luxurious embrace. The rear passengers do not merely ‘get out’ of a Rolls-Royce Dawn, but rather stand and disembark as if from a Riva motor launch onto a glamorous private jetty in Monaco or on Lake Como.

Of course as one would expect of a Rolls-Royce, the coach doors also serve a more fundamental purpose than simply a means of access. Perhaps just as importantly, they also add significantly to the overall strength and stiffness of the body as they allow the construction of an uninterrupted A-pillar.

The first impression upon entering Dawn is of the four separate bucket seats set in the midst of a sumptuous and sartorial slingshot of wood and leather. The slingshot concept runs from the driver’s A-post towards the rear of the car, around the rear seats before returning to the passenger A-Pillar.

The slingshot form is reminiscent of a barchetta, pulled back, poised and ready to launch the occupants of the car to the horizon, even whilst stationary. This design complements the accelerated tension seen in the exterior of the car. The interior complements the exterior, a place of opulence, security and presence.

The Rolls-Royce Dawn offers four very individual, cosseting seats. The vehicle is a full four seater and so there is no compromise in comfort wherever you sit. The seats have been designed to help emphasise the energetic, yet elegant intent and sense of purpose of the car, complemented by an intersecting full length centre console. The upper seat back houses the seat belt harness, which together with the pillarless bodywork enhances and emphasises the slingshot of wood or leather with no breaks in the flow-lines. The wood on the surfaces of the trays are also book-matched down the centre console in a chevron pattern pointing forward providing an accelerated feel.

The instrument dials have also undergone subtle enhancements with individually applied polished metal chaplets around the dials evoking the precision design of hand-made, luxury wrist watches, whilst the matt chrome centres ‘float’ in the middle of each instrument. In addition, a new clock design featuring the new motor car’s name has been introduced.

ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY 

The Silent Ballet

Without question, the engineering highlight of the new Rolls-Royce Dawn is the new roof. To be a true Rolls-Royce, Dawn had to deliver the hushed driving experience associated with all Rolls-Royces. At the same time the only choice for a Rolls-Royce was a fabric roof for reasons of aesthetics, romance and brand appropriateness. There is nothing more romantic than driving a convertible in the rain at night and hearing the drops pattering on the roof. In conversation with its customers, Rolls-Royce realised that they felt the same way.

Working with a fabric roof configuration, the Rolls-Royce engineering team set themselves a challenging goal which they were unwilling to compromise on – to make the quietest convertible car in the world today. This quest for silence applied to all aspects of the engineering of the new roof and by extension the new motor car.

Firstly, the passengers’ on-board aural experience roof up and roof down while in motion had to be pure Rolls-Royce. The design of the roof had to be graceful, beautiful and sensuous whilst remaining one of the largest canopies to grace a convertible car.

Of particular note is how the canopy wraps around the rear seats and down over the window tops of Dawn thereby optically lowering the roofline of the car to contribute to its low-slung appearance.

Another point to note is the small size of the rear glass – a carefully-judged proportion which heightens the sense of a private sanctuary when motoring with the roof up.

Two key techniques were employed to ensure the roof not only appears beautiful and sensuous in its form, but also contributes to the silence of the car in its function. A perfectly smooth surface, combined with an innovative tailored ‘French Seam’ ensures that the air flow over the car with the roof up creates no noticeable wind noise. Inside, the Rolls-Royce Dawn is as silent as a Rolls-Royce Wraith – a first in convertible motoring.

Secondly, the actual opening and closing of the roof mechanism had to be both beautiful and unobtrusive at the same time. The engineering team even went so far as to invent a phrase for what they wished to achieve with the roof mechanism. The Silent Ballet.

And a Silent Ballet is what they achieved.

Operating in complete silence in just 22 seconds, and at cruising speeds of up to 50km/h this ‘Silent Ballet’ engages the majority of one’s senses as silence and seclusion are exchanged for the sounds, light and aromas of the outside world. As if opening an airlock, Dawn lifts the lid on the outside world and its cabin becomes a wider part of the owner’s social space.

Bespoke Audio 

For those not so worried about silence and more interested in sharing music and entertainment with their friends, Rolls-Royce’s Bespoke Audio system has been specially calibrated for the unique configuration of the Rolls-Royce Dawn. Finely tuned by expert Rolls-Royce audio engineers, Bespoke Audio is the most exhaustively designed automotive hi-fi system ever developed and has been minutely calibrated to compensate for the dual personality of Dawn.

Whether the roof is open or closed, Bespoke Audio ensures perfect acoustic balance and performance. Audio engineers were consulted throughout the design process of the car on the effect proposed changes may have had on the performance of the audio system – a practice unparalleled in the automotive world.

Sixteen individually-tuned speakers, with both theatre and studio settings, deliver a pure ‘larger than live’ sensation. Two bass speakers located in the boot complement seven tweeters meticulously placed throughout the cabin. The system utilises a highly sensitive microphone to constantly monitor ambient exterior noise, subtly adjusting the volume and tone settings accordingly to ensure the system delivers consistent perfection. The technology complements this, with frequency and phase correction for individual speakers eliminating potential loud and dead spots caused by outside influences.

Engineering a new Dawn for open-top motoring

In addition to the undisputed leaps forward made in the engineering of soft-top cars by the Rolls-Royce team, the new Rolls-Royce Dawn also introduces several other tailor-made engineering innovations.

The challenge in designing any convertible lies in retaining a high degree of torsional rigidity throughout the body while keeping weight down. Torsional rigidity is vital to minimise the scuttle shake associated with most convertible cars and to help maintain the car’s dynamic composure.

Extensive testing and research were carried out before the engineering team were completely satisfied. Tens of thousands of kilometres were driven over rough road surfaces to help identify and eliminate potential problems. The result is a chassis that makes the Rolls-Royce Dawn the most rigid four-seater convertible available today.

A newly designed suspension configuration takes care of the specific behaviour of this open top motor car in the areas of body stiffness and mass distribution, guaranteeing ultimate cruising comfort and the expected Rolls-Royce ‘magic carpet’ ride.

Fewer aerodynamic lifts in front and rear and a lower centre of gravity, in combination with newly designed air springs and active roll bars, deliver surprisingly agile handling capabilities for this super-luxury boulevardier.

The flared, sensuous rear flanks of the Dawn indicate a rear track that is 24mm wider compared to Ghost, giving Dawn a lower, sleeker profile. In addition, the car’s wide hip not only adds to the seductiveness of the car, its broad shoulders underline the masculine muscularity and strength of the vehicle, helped by the 180mm shorter wheelbase.

The heart of the Rolls-Royce Dawn driving experience

The beating heart and soul of any Rolls-Royce motor car is the beloved twin-turbo 6.6-litre V12 powertrain. With a power output of 563bhp or 420kW @ 5,250rpm and a torque rating of 780Nm or 575 lb ft @ 1,500rpm, Dawn’s driving experience is exceptional.

This experience is enhanced by dynamic accelerator pedal mapping which delivers up to 30% increased response at medium throttle.

Dawn maintains Rolls-Royce’s typical steering characteristics providing superb driver feedback thereby ensuring that the car is effortless but precise to drive, while also providing a great sense of safety, even at higher speeds, no matter if the top is up or down.

The result is that the new Dawn is Rolls-Royce’s most powerful full four-seat drophead motor car to date, and thanks to its advanced engineering is lighter and more fuel efficient than the majority of compromised 2+2 convertibles in the market.

Grip is provided by runflat tyres, metrically sized at 540mm (20 inches) in diameter. These tyres enable the Dawn to run on a deflated tyre for at least 100 miles/160km at speeds up to 50mph/80km/h before needing a replacement. A remarkable level of control still exists, even with a tyre fully deflated. Optional 21” wheels are also available, mounted on 10-spoke rims. The inclusion of runflat tyre technology removes the need for a spare wheel and jack, freeing up space in the luggage compartment.

Discreet technology for an effortless drive

In common with the entire Rolls-Royce family of fine motor cars, the new Dawn is at the very vanguard of automotive design and technology. Dawn presents drivers with a suite of discreet technologies that ensure their leisure time in the car is a super-luxurious effortless experience. Key is the discreet placement of the car’s technological functions. Dawn is therefore fitted with the Spirit of Ecstasy Rotary Controller, an intuitive, one-touch solution that allows the user effortless access to media and navigation functions.

For example, characters for navigation input or media searches can be finger-drawn onto its surface, echoing seamless smartphone functionality. A one-touch call button located conveniently on the steering wheel allows users to summon the car’s functions using simple voice commands. Both features remove the need for superfluous buttons and ensure absolute ease of use. For example, simply press the button and say the command: “Navigate to St. Tropez” and the car’s Satellite Navigation system will plot the fastest possible route.

This Spirit of Ecstasy Rotary Controller presents a touch pad (rather than a touch screen which might leave unsightly fingerprints at driver and passenger eye level), with the ability to write characters by finger, as well as the ability to scroll through function menus by turning the chrome dial and pressing down to select its functions.

The system recognises Latin and Arabic characters as well as Mandarin.

The Rotary Controller’s touch pad also allows ‘pull and pinch’ features, replicating intuitive smart phone functionality. These help the user pinpoint chosen areas on the screen or make them larger.

Information from the significantly updated Multimedia Interface and Navigation system is displayed beautifully on a new 10.25” high-definition screen, whilst hardware and software changes have improved processing speeds for faster route calculations.

An Automatic Cruise Control system helps to reduce constant small precision adjustments of distance and speed, reducing continuous creep, stop and start. The driver can now move along in city traffic in a confident and relaxed manner relying on the system to monitor conditions and react to changes in traffic patterns – for example when entering a new road or slip road.

New software for the radar and camera – located in the front bumper valance and centre upper windscreen respectively – provides faster system response times, including faster pre-conditioning of the brakes to expect emergency pressure.

Should the worst of circumstances arise, Dawn will deploy a concealed roll-over protection system from behind the rear head restraints in just a fraction of a second. A ratchet system then locks them in place. This roll-over protection system also encompasses the entire windscreen surround of the car.

Satellite Aided Transmission 

The Rolls-Royce Dawn’s effortless dynamism is augmented with the addition of Satellite Aided Transmission, a technology that made its global debut on Wraith in 2013.

Satellite Aided Transmission utilises GPS data to allow the car to see beyond what the driver sees, anticipating their next move based on location and driving style.

It uses this information to select the most appropriate gear from the Dawn’s 8-speed ZF gearbox to ensure the driver is able to appropriately exploit the power from the Rolls-Royce 6.6 litre twin-turbo V12, ensuring an effortless and seamless drive experience.

For example when approaching a sweeping bend, the car will predict how you wish to drive through it. When the driver lifts the accelerator it will hold the lower gear to ensure maximum power is available on accelerating through the exit of the corner.

Satellite Aided Transmission comes as standard on Dawn.

From dusk ‘til dawn – Illuminating technology shows the way 

The most recent developments in LED lighting technology have also been applied to the Rolls-Royce Dawn. The way this light is managed is significantly enhanced by adaptive technology. Electronically controlled reflectors move in the direction of travel in response to wheel turns to give a greater depth of vision when cornering and a whiter, brighter light ensures effortless and safe driving on dark roads whilst helping reduce driver tiredness.

In addition, automatic dipping of full-beam headlights has been replaced with revolutionary new glare-free technology. When a car approaches, light is deflected to ensure the oncoming driver is not dazzled. Dawn drivers therefore enjoy the safety benefits of constant full-beam visibility. A day-time running bar frames Dawn’s contemporary front light graphic, giving the car a distinctive signature whilst augmenting safety at the same time.

Night-time driving safety is boosted by the head-up display and heat detection system that detects both human and animal heat signatures, and issues an audible warning to the driver of possible danger.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

These figures are subject to final verification.