Rolls-Royce has revealed Project Nightingale, a new all-electric open-top model that marks the start of what the brand calls its Coachbuild Collection – a series of highly exclusive, hand-built cars limited to just 100 examples worldwide.
The two-seat convertible is positioned as a production concept but looks suspiciously production ready, with a global testing and validation programme set to begin this summer ahead of first customer deliveries in 2028. Access to the programme will be by invitation only, aimed at what Rolls-Royce describes as clients with “a deep affinity” for the brand’s design.
The Nightingale name comes from ‘Le Rossignol’, a house where designers and engineers worked on Henry Royce’s French Riviera estate, and the car draws heavily on the marque’s experimental ‘EX’ models of the late 1920s. Those cars were created to push performance boundaries at the time, and Rolls-Royce says the same spirit has informed this latest project – albeit with a fully electric powertrain.
Chris Brownridge, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said: “Some of the most discerning Rolls-Royce clients in the world asked us for our most ambitious work. We responded by bringing three things together that have never coexisted within our brand: the complete design freedom of coachbuilding, our powerful, near-silent all-electric powertrain, and a uniquely potent yet serene expression of open-top motoring – an experience that only this technology makes possible.
“Achieving this required the same audacious mindset that drove our co-founder, Sir Henry Royce, to create his radically different experimental ‘EX’ motor cars of the 1920s. Project Nightingale shares the spirit of those landmark projects and is the most extravagant expression of what Rolls-Royce is capable of today.”
At 5,760mm long, Nightingale is similar in length to a Rolls-Royce Phantom, but with a dramatically different layout focused on a two-seat, open-top format. The design is heavily influenced by Streamline Moderne principles, with long, uninterrupted surfaces and what Rolls-Royce describes as a “sheer, monolithic” aesthetic.
Domagoj Dukec, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Director of Design, said: “Project Nightingale is built on the design principles that define this marque at its most compelling – grand proportions, absolute surface discipline, and a clarity of line that rewards the closest attention. And yet, it takes them somewhere entirely new. For me, this landmark motor car feels both inevitable and completely unexpected, and it will shape everything that follows.”
The car’s proportions are dominated by a long bonnet and tapered rear, with a compact cabin set deep within the body. A single uninterrupted “central fuselage” line runs from front to rear, while details such as 24-inch wheels – the largest ever fitted to a Rolls-Royce – and a bold Pantheon grille underline its presence.
Because the car is fully electric, designers have been able to rethink traditional proportions, removing the need for large cooling intakes and allowing for smoother, uninterrupted surfacing. Rolls-Royce says the drivetrain also plays a key role in delivering what it describes as an exceptionally quiet open-top driving experience.
Inside, that focus on serenity continues. The highlight is the ‘Starlight Breeze’ interior, featuring 10,500 illuminated elements inspired by the soundwaves of birdsong – a nod to the Nightingale name. The lighting wraps around occupants in what Rolls-Royce describes as a “celestial field”, while materials and detailing are tailored to each individual customer.
Each of the 100 cars will be built by hand at the Rolls-Royce factory in Goodwood, with buyers involved in a multi-year commissioning process that includes curated events and direct input into the final specification.
Further technical details are still to come, but Rolls-Royce says the project represents the beginning of a new chapter for its most exclusive creations – combining its traditional coachbuilding heritage with an all-electric future.
