Who could better build a haven of tranquillity? The Arcadia is the third Coachbuild Droptail commission unveiled by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. 

A little slice of Heaven on a place called Earth.

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Photos: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

SINGAPORE

How about a little slice of Heaven on a place called Earth? Where inspiration comes from a city like Singapore. That is the Rolls-Royce Arcadia Droptail, the third Coachbuild Droptail commission, the storied carmaker set about to create.

And we learnt that in bringing the Arcadia to realisation, their client engaged the extended family to approve its final outcome. Such is the work that goes into capturing the soul of a couple, who appointed Rolls-Royce Motor Cars to build them their own exquisite expression of tranquillity on four wheels.

The Arcadia Droptail like its sister cars, the Amethyst Droptail and La Rose Noire Droptail while unmistakable as anything else but a Rolls-Royce, are unique on their own with their bold, low-slung roadster body style. They are easily recognisable due to their unique nautical-inspired ‘sail cowls’, which rise behind the doors and curve inwards; resembling a yacht’s jib.

But setting itself apart from its sister cars, Arcadia, takes inspiration from British ‘Biomimetic’ architecture, which is also paired with the client’s favourite regions around the world, which include tropical sky gardens seen in Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore.

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“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. This motor car is one of the most faithful expressions of an individual’s personal style and sensibilities we have ever created within the Coachbuild department. In capturing their spirit, we reveal a unique appreciation for simplicity, serenity and beautifully restrained elegance – one that was a privilege for me to have been a part of.”

Alex Innes, Head of Coachbuild Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

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Unlike its sister cars which employ darker hues, the Arcadia is further defined by the use of white paint, infused with aluminium and glass particles. The addition of the two materials creates depth, and an effervescent shimmer. Interestingly, the client even went on to insist that the aluminium particles in the paint have to be larger than usual, so that it would be able to achieve a stronger contrast against the white. As a nod to historical Rolls-Royce motor cars, the Arcadia’s grille, with its ‘kinked’ vane pieces, and 22-inch alloy wheels are finished with a mirror-polish.

As for the interior, wood is a central theme, with references taken from various residences, architecture and classic cars, to which the client put-forth as the mood board for Rolls-Royce Coachbuild designers and material specialists.

Santos Straight Grain was chosen for its rich texture and visual intrigue, complementing the Arcadia Droptail’s shimmering-white exterior body colour. However, the characteristics of this delicate wood also proved to be a challenge to handle, as it tore easily when machined. While engineers had the help of CAD tools to map the wood, so that it matched-up, extra care still had to be taken, to ensure that there were no flaws during application. Most of the wood inlays are found throughout the Arcadia’s aerodynamic rear deck section, where the open pore veneer is arranged at a perfect 55-degree angle, greatly contributing to the Arcadia’s visual identity. An astounding 233 wood pieces are used throughout the roller. And as a measure of effort, it took 8,000 hours to create just the wood sections.

While this is among the smaller details within the Arcadia Droptail, its timepiece set in the dashboard, is in itself a two-year development. It is fronted by the most complex face Rolls-Royce has ever created, which even include twelve ’chaplets’ – or hour makers, each at just 0.1mm thick, are painted by hand, with the assistance of a camera, capable of magnifying an image by up to 100x. Assembly of this exquisite geometric guilloché pattern, with its symbolic 119 facets (marking the brand’s anniversary for the same number of years), alone took five months to complete. 

At the heart of what is possibly the world’s most expensive car, lies a perfectly-balanced and buttery-smooth 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 engine, which also provides motion for the current Phantom, Ghost and Cullinan.

The guys at Goodwood have one more variant in the works, which will be the final instalment in a series of four Droptails.

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