It’s not often that Rolls Royce brings the ax to members of its bespoke model lineup. But if you’re a fan of either elegant coupes or true open-top luxury convertibles, you’re not going to like hearing that both the Dawn and the Wraith will be leaving the U.S. after the 2021 model year concludes. So what led to their demise, and will they be replaced?
Simplifying The Lineup
First reported by the folks at Motor1 and later confirmed by a Rolls representative, the departure of the Wraith and Dawn will sadden some but will also help better the company moving forward. The ultra-luxury car market is one of the few places where the hourglass sands move slower, and the platform’s ability to weather the long periods between major updates becomes a paramount necessity. However, in this case, the Wraith and the Dawn have quite literally reached the end of their respective shelf lives in both of these regards.
The Wraith was first introduced to the market in 2013, with the shapely Dawn following suit in 2015. The duo was built on the old Ghost’s platform, which was sourced from the F01 platform underpinning the previous generation 7-Series. The platform itself is still a very potent one, but it simply cannot keep up with the newer technology that many customers crave. That’s a shame since both the Dawn and the Wraith are fun to drive, especially when we had a chance to get behind the wheel.
But some good will come out of all this with the U.S. lineup consisting of the Cullinan SUV, the flagship Phantom sedan, and the “entry-level” Ghost sedan. This simplified lineup will allow the company to have more flexibility in the U.S. market and enhance the ability of showrooms to draw more attention to the Cullinan SUV, which is expected to be a potent sales force for the British ultra-luxury car maker.
Will They Still Survive?
The answer is yes but only in other markets, especially China. The company is not replacing them right away in the U.S., and the chances are good that it will stay that way for the foreseeable future. This is due to the strong surge in SUV demand in the U.S., and that has caused sales for coupes, convertibles, and even sedans to outright collapse in some instances.
As mentioned, we will miss the Wraith and the Dawn mainly because they helped embody the reputation that Rolls Royce has created for itself in pushing the boundaries of the automobile. Their absence will undoubtedly take some of that mystique away from U.S. showrooms in the short term.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.