The Black Arrow pays homage to Rolls-Royce’s 1930s speed record car and features a unique gradient paint job.
Rolls-Royce has unveiled the Wraith Black Arrow, the automaker’s low-speed V-12-powered coupe. The Black Arrow is a reference to the 1930s land speed record car that used a Rolls-Royce engine, with a graphic of the engine appearing on the dashboard of the Wraith.
The Special Edition also features gradient color work, from silver to black, accentuated with yellow trim.
After ten years, the Rolls-Royce Wraith is finally saying goodbye. Although the coupe left the US market in 2021, it lived on overseas, and the new Black Badge Wraith Black Arrow Collection represents the end of the company’s V-12-powered coupe line.
The electric Specter will pick up the slack later this year, but before that Rolls-Royce will build 12 examples of the special Wraith as a final accessory.
The car pays homage to the Thunderbolt, an eight-wheeled land speed record car powered by two Rolls-Royce V-12 jet engines.
In 1938, Thunderbolt hit 357.497 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, a record he held for almost a year.
The onset of World War II slowed efforts to regain top status, but disruptive changes in transmission technology meant that the Thunderbolt remained the fastest V-12 car.
According to Rolls-Royce, the sleek aluminum body of the Thunderbolt reflects the bright rays of the Utah sun so that it cannot be absorbed by the weather, causing the driver to paint a large arrow.
black and purple circles on the sides. of the car, which inspires the name and design of a limited production Wraith.
Rolls-Royce says the Black Arrow’s glossy black paint job – with a Celebration Silver face paired with a Black Diamond back – took 18 months to perfect.
Bright yellow trim is used to accentuate the front bumper and adorn the wheels. Yellow also appears on the struts visible from the grille and at the base of the Ecstasy-inspired hood ornament on top.
The sleek interior continues the color scheme, with yellow leather adorning the seats, steering wheel and dashboard. The center console is decorated with a stylish arrow, while the in-dash analog clock displays the speed of the Thunderbolt.
The coach door has a dark wood finish with more than 320 pieces designed to mimic the rugged surface of the Salt Flats, while a representation of the Thunderbolt’s V-12 is encased in aluminum and placed behind the glass on the dashboard. Thunderbolt’s small aluminum display also lives under the glass on the center console.
Rolls-Royce has gone the extra mile with the headliner, adding 2,117 fiber optic lights to the roof, the most Rolls-Royce has ever fitted to a headliner.
The “stars” are designed to mimic the constellations as they would have been on the day of 1938, when Thunderbolt set his record.
