The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé is a luxury

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manufactured by

Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...

that debuted at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in

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Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

, on 7 January 2007. It is based on the 2003

Rolls-Royce Phantom Rolls-Royce car, Rolls-Royce has used the Phantom name on full-sized luxury cars over the past century: *Rolls-Royce Phantom I, 1925–1931 *Rolls-Royce Phantom II, 1929–1936 *Rolls-Royce Phantom III, 1936–1939 *Rolls-Royce Phant ...

and has styling heavily derived from the 100EX, a

concept car A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle, show vehicle or prototype) is a car made to showcase new styling and/or new technology. They are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or ...

shown to celebrate the company's centennial in 2004. In 2015 it was the most expensive Rolls-Royce model at $533,000. Several Drophead Coupés were used in the

2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony The closing ceremony of the London 2012 Summer Olympics, also known as A Symphony of British Music, was held on 12 August 2012 in the Olympic Stadium, London. The chief guest was Prince Harry of Wales representing Queen Elizabeth II. The clo ...

Exterior

The exterior resembles that of the 100EX. The 2-door 4-seat

convertible A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...

has rearward opening coach doors and a two-tone color scheme that distinguishes between the upper and lower bodywork and frames the

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wood paneling of the convertible's tonneau cover. However, it eschews the EX's aluminum bonnet in favor of more easily maintained stainless steel. The front fascia resembles that of the 100EX but its middle bodywork/raised bonnet/grille assemblage stops midway down rather than continuing downwards and bisecting the front bumper. The headlamps are also those of the 100EX/101EX concept and are similar to the Phantom's. The deep set rectangular high beams are

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units while the round "faux-foglamp" driving lights are projector-style

xenon arc lamp A xenon arc lamp is a highly specialized type of gas discharge lamp, an electric light that produces light by passing electricity through ionized xenon gas at high pressure. It produces a bright white light to simulate sunlight, with applications ...

s. The exterior is available in more than 44,000 color combinations. It combines aluminum technology and hand-crafted materials. As with other current Rolls-Royce models, the hood ornament, the

Spirit of Ecstasy ''The Spirit of Ecstasy'' is the bonnet ornament sculpture on Rolls-Royce cars. It is in the form of a woman leaning forwards with her arms outstretched behind and above her. Billowing cloth runs from her arms to her back, resembling wings. ...

, automatically retracts into the

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whenever the car is locked or whenever the driver so chooses.

Interior

The interior has wood veneering that wraps around the 8/9ths top portion of the cabin from coach door to coach door and ends in a crafted convertible tonneau cover, finished in teak panelling sandwiched between an interior band of contrasting hardwood and the bare stainless steel motif of the car's upper exterior bodywork. Like the 100EX and 101EX, the dashboard and the steering wheel are from the Phantom. Triangular A-pillars with

quarter glass Quarter glass (or quarter light) on automobiles and closed carriages may be a side window in the front door or located on each side of the car just forward of the rear-facing rear window of the vehicle. Only some cars have them. In some cases ...

, and spring-loaded pop-up rollover hoops behind the rear seats, provide additional strength and protection for the

body.

Production

In its first year on the market (2007), 253 Drophead Coupés were sold worldwide. The first car destined for the U.S. market was

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ed at the 2007

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Winter Wine festival charity for $2 million, of which $1.6 million went to the Naples Children and Education Foundation. Bought by a local real estate developer, this was believed at the time to be the most expensive new car ever sold in the U.S.

Concepts

In 2007

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was commissioned to build a version called the Hyperion for collector Roland Hall, based on the Drophead Coupé. The car is a 2-seat roadster and was shown in 2008 at the

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. In 2009 it was sold for £4,000,000.

References

External links