Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has unveiled Project Nightingale, an extraordinary addition to its Coachbuild Collection, marking a bold new chapter in the marque’s design and engineering evolution. Conceived as an open two-seat motor car, the project brings together three elements never before combined in the brand’s history: the complete creative freedom of coachbuilding, a fully electric powertrain, and a refined open-top driving experience defined by near-silent performance.
Chief Executive Chris Brownridge describes the project as a response to the brand’s most discerning clients, noting that it embodies “the most extravagant expression of what Rolls-Royce is capable of today,” drawing inspiration from the experimental ‘EX’ motor cars of the 1920s created by co-founder Henry Royce. Director of Design Domagoj Dukec adds that while the car is rooted in the marque’s defining principles“grand proportions, absolute surface discipline, and clarity of line” it simultaneously pushes them into entirely new territory.
Named after Le Rossignol, French for nightingale and a reference to the designers’ house near Royce’s winter residence on the Côte d’Azur, Project Nightingale is limited to just 100 hand-built examples, each crafted at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood. Developed for a highly select group of clients, the programme includes a multi-year series of curated experiences, from private gatherings to immersive design sessions.
Design-wise, Project Nightingale draws heavily on Streamline Moderne and late Art Deco influences, favouring monolithic surfaces and uninterrupted lines over ornamentation. It also pays homage to the rare ‘EX’ experimental models, specifically 16EX and 17EX from 1928, known for their torpedo-shaped forms, long bonnets, and bold engineering ambition.
These influences translate into three defining principles: a transition from upright to flowing forms, a continuous “central fuselage” line running the length of the car, and sculptural “flying wings” that create visual tension and movement. Measuring 5.76 metres in length, similar to the Phantom-the car dedicates its entire footprint to a dramatic two-seat convertible form.
The front elevation is reimagined through electrification, eliminating the need for large cooling intakes and allowing expansive, uninterrupted surfaces. A striking Pantheon grille, nearly a metre wide and carved from stainless steel, features 24 deep-set vanes and an integrated Spirit of Ecstasy that appears to flow seamlessly into the bonnet. Slender vertical headlamps and polished steel bands extend across the body, reinforcing its futuristic yet heritage-driven aesthetic.
In profile, the car adopts a torpedo-like silhouette, with an elongated bonnet, a sharply raked windscreen, and a compact, deeply set cabin for two. A single uninterrupted hull line flows from front to rear, inspired by yacht design, while sculptural elements envelop occupants and enhance the sense of intimacy within the grand proportions. Subtle detailing, including concealed door handles, a minimalist Double R monogram, and 24-inch wheels inspired by yacht propellers adds refinement without visual clutter.
At the rear, muscular forms balance elegance with strength, while a horizontal deck and precision tail lamps create a striking visual signature. A cantilevered “Piano Boot” opens sideways, transforming functionality into ceremony. Beneath, the fully electric drivetrain enables an Aero Afterdeck diffuser, maintaining aerodynamic stability without disrupting the car’s clean silhouette.
The driving experience is defined by near-total silence. With the roof lowered, the absence of mechanical and wind noise creates a sensation likened to sailing, where natural sounds, waves, wind, birdsong become part of the journey. With the roof raised, a bespoke sound-deadening material combining cashmere and advanced composites ensures continued serenity.
This acoustic experience directly inspired the interior’s centrepiece: the Starlight Breeze suite. Comprising 10,500 illuminated “stars,” the system translates the soundwave patterns of nightingale birdsong into flowing ambient light. This illumination wraps around occupants within the sculptural “Horseshoe” structure, creating a cocoon-like environment.
Inside, craftsmanship meets restraint. Leather surfaces reference saddle-making traditions, while a split armrest glides to reveal the Spirit of Ecstasy rotary controller, finished with jewellery-inspired detailing. Minimalist controls, hidden storage, and billet-machined aluminium accents reinforce both luxury and practicality for long-distance travel.
Each of the 100 examples will feature an entirely bespoke palette of colours and materials, developed exclusively for Project Nightingale. The debut model reflects its design heritage with a pale blue exterior inspired by the 1928 17EX, infused with subtle red flakes referencing historic red badges. Inside, a Côte d’Azur-inspired palette blends Charles Blue, Grace White, Deep Navy, and Peony Pink, complemented by Openpore Blackwood finishes.
Project Nightingale marks the beginning of the Coachbuild Collection story. The individuals who inspired it represent a growing community of passionate clients who seek Rolls-Royce design at its most ambitious and uncompromising. In drawing on the experimental spirit of Henry Royce and the glamour of the Art Deco era, it is a motor car that looks to the past with the confidence of a marque that has always known its future.
As Project Nightingale progresses through its global testing and development programme, Rolls-Royce will share further details of the motor car, its engineering and the extraordinary experiences that await its 100 clients.
