Earlier this week, Rolls-Royce announced their latest coachbuilt series, Project Nightingale. Unlike their previous three endeavors which produced fewer than a dozen cars, Nightingale will offer 100 brand enthusiasts an opportunity to own this custom commissioned, hand-built, all-electric drophead coupe.
Named after one of the buildings on Henry Royce’s winter home on the Côte d’Azur, Nightingale is envisioned as an homage to the experimental cars of the marque’s illustrious past with a nod toward the future. The cars will be available by invitation only, and offered, the company says, “to clients with a deep affinity for Rolls-Royce design.”
Nightingale will be built on the brand’s all-aluminum Architecture of Luxury and will be powered by an updated version of the electric powertrain in Spectre. Don’t be fooled by the sleek lines of the car in the photos. This two-door is massive. At just under 19 feet, it’s identical in length to their flagship sedan, Phantom. The low windscreen, long bonnet, short front overhang, and tapered rear deck give Nightingale unique proportions that are anchored in the art deco automotive design of the 1930s. The smooth sculped sides are capped by a character line that arcs softly from the top of the front fascia to the trailing edge along the top of the tail creating dynamic tension and a torpedo-like sense of speed. With massive 24-inch wheels and low profile tires, the design is both elegant, edgy.
The designers have dubbed the interior, “Starlight Breeze” thanks to its flowing constellation of ambient illumination that extend from the front of each door around the driver and companion seat. Made up of 10,500 individual ‘stars’ in three sizes, the pattern of light draws directly from the soundwave forms of the nightingales song studied by the designers.
For Project Nightingale, Rolls-Royce is developing an entirely new color and material palette and set of bespoke features, designed and reserved exclusively for this specific Collection. These will not be available on any other Rolls-Royce motor car. Every one of the 100 examples will be customized for each commissioning client to reflect their personal taste, character and vision.
Towards the rear, the surfacing swells around the rear wheel arches, creating an impression of planted, muscular strength. The deck above is purposefully horizontal, broken by two rear lamps of exceptional precision: these slim clusters fall from the upper surface to the lower at an almost perfect right angle.
A single longitudinal brake lamp is placed directly at the centerline on the rear of Project Nightingale, recalling the speed stripes of great Streamline Moderne design. Directly below, a recessed chrome number plate surround is set into the lower rear face with the precision of a watch bezel: a small detail that rewards the closest attention.
The prototype pictured reflects the spirit that shaped Project Nightingale’s design story. The exterior paint finish draws inspiration from the experimental Rolls-Royce 17EX of 1928, though it is interpreted rather than replicated. The pale, solid blue hue, named Côte d’Azur Blue, is infused with subtle red flakes that reveal themselves in changing light, reference to the red badges fitted to the ‘EX’ motor cars in period, and used today to denote Project Nightingale’s status as a production concept.
The seats are finished in soft pastel Charles Blue, paired with a warm Grace White tone, creating an environment of gentle, sunlit calm. The palette is resolved with Openpore Blackwood laid in a ‘V’ shape that opens upwards, encouraging the eye to the sky above.
Those interested in securing their place on the invitation list, should make an inquiry with a call to their dealer or via the Rolls-Royce website.