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If there’s one thing more decadent than a Rolls-Royce, it’s a convertible Rolls-Royce - and the Rolls-Royce Dawn arrived in 2016 to ensure buyers at the very top of the market weren’t to be left hanging when it discontinued the Phantom Drophead Coupe that had been on sale since 2007.
The Dawn was based on the Ghost, making it slightly smaller and less profligate than its predecessor, absurd though that sounds for a 5.3-metre long convertible with a 6.6-litre twin-turbocharged V12 under the bonnet. It is, nevertheless, an absolutely wonderful way to travel.
It probably does the Dawn a disservice to suggest it has any rivals, but if you’re looking for a car in this section of the market, particularly a pre-owned one that may be tens of thousands of pounds cheaper than when new, there are certainly alternatives. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet, Bentley Continental GTC, Ferrari Roma Spider and Aston Martin DB11 Volante are all possibilities.
If you’re considering a Rolls-Royce Dawn, ask yourself whether you prioritise luxury and badge prestige over all other things in a convertible. If the answer to either, or both, is yes, then there probably aren’t many other cars, short of the Dawn’s Phantom Drophead Coupe predecessor, that answer those questions with such conviction.
The Dawn was offered between 2016 and 2021 and unlike its Phantom-based predecessor, was based on the (slightly) smaller Ghost. Amazingly, despite its size and weight, it’s still smaller than the old Phantom Drophead, but is perhaps slightly more usable in extreme circumstances than the car it replaced.
Power came from a 6.6-litre twin-turbocharged BMW V12 and it’s simply one of the smoothest and most effortless powertrains in existence, while the six-layer convertible hood drowns out what little noise there is almost as effectively as a fixed metal roof. Don’t expect any shakes on rough roads like some drop-tops either - partly because the structure is so stiff, but partly because like all Rolls-Royces, the Dawn rides beautifully.
The interior is rather magnificent too, with hand-stitched leather surfaces everywhere, thick carpets, metal switches and of course, wood panelling, though as every Dawn was crafted to its original buyer’s specifications, the exact colours and materials will vary almost between every car on the market.
All this came at an enormous price when new, starting at more than £250,000, though today you’ll find pre-owned examples for tens of thousands less. That still puts it in rarefied company; few cars come close to the Dawn experience, but a Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet probably gets closest. Other options from prestige manufacturers - albeit with a sportier drive than the Dawn - include the Aston Martin DB11 Volante, Bentley Continental GTC, and the Ferrari Roma Spider.
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Dawns are not a common sight on the used market, so the answer to this question rather depends on whether you can get your hands on one at all. As we cover below with the car’s specification nearly every one will be different too, so you might be hanging around for a while for one to appear in your preferred colour or specification. That said, with only one engine and no trim levels, all Dawns are largely identical at their core, so if you simply wish to cruise around in one of the world’s most luxurious and elegant convertibles, any Dawn will do.
Trim levels are somewhat beneath Rolls-Royce, so you’ll search in vain for a Rolls-Royce Dawn ‘Popular’ or ‘Start’ or ‘LX’. Instead the Dawn came with a baseline (and predictably generous) level of standard equipment onto which the original owner could hand Rolls-Royce large sums of money to personalise to their own tastes. This means no two Dawns are likely to be exactly alike.
The Rolls-Royce Dawn’s dimensions are:
The Rolls-Royce Dawn’s boot size is:
Dawns registered before April 2017 will be subject to VED based on their lofty 330g/km CO2 rating, putting it into the top band and currently attracting an annual bill of £695. After this date, the Dawn’s list price comfortably lifts it above the government’s £40,000 VED surcharge threshold so tax for years two to six of registration comes in at £570 - though cars entering their seventh year of service and onward will drop down to a pretty reasonable £180, at current rates.
Rolls-Royce didn’t officially announce an insurance group for the Dawn - it’s one of those “if you have to ask, you probably can’t afford it” situations. A group 50 rating by any normal standards is a certainty, as is the fact insurance will likely cost more than say, an S-Class Cabriolet in the same group 50. Most buyers though will be insuring their Dawn as part of a fleet.
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