The Best Back Seats in the Business

The striking new Rolls-Royce Wraith features some intriguing details, not least its wood panelling, inspired by the town in the South of France where Henry Royce lived and worked.

The house he built there still stands though sadly it hasn’t fared as well as his company. Amazingly it’s available for holidays.

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The ravishing rear seats of the Rolls-Royce Wraith, defined with striking new ‘Canadel Panelling’.

The ravishing rear seats of the Rolls-Royce Wraith, defined with ‘Canadel Panelling’.

This textured open pore - or open grain - wood is noted for its chatoyance, a shimmering 3D effect as light reflects off the fine ridges.

This textured open pore – or open grain – wood is noted for its chatoyance, a shimmering 3D effect as light reflects off the fine ridges.

Six woods are offered as standard. This is Royal Walnut - Juglans Regia - or English walnut, brought from Persia by the Romans. It’s best known as Common Walnut though we understand why they don’t call it that in the brochure.

Six woods are offered as standard. This is Royal Walnut – Juglans Regia – or English walnut, brought from Persia by the Romans. It’s best known as Common Walnut though we understand why they don’t call it that in the brochure.

The grain is angled at 55° along the centre line of the car to make the occupants feel like ‘an arrow sat within a bow waiting to be fired’.

The grain is angled at 55° along the centre line of the car to make the occupants feel, ‘like an arrow sat within a bow waiting to be fired’.

The name comes from Rayol-Le-Canadel, a town between Hyères and St Tropez on the western Côte d’Azur where Henry Royce lived and worked from 1910.

The name of the panelling comes from Rayol-Le-Canadel, a town between Hyères and St Tropez on the western Côte d’Azur where Henry Royce lived and worked from 1910.

In a shocking oversight, the massage and ventilation seats offered as an option for front seat passengers are not available in the rear.

(In a shocking oversight, the massage and ventilation seats offered as an option for front seat passengers are not available in the rear.)

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Villa Mimosa, the house Henry Royce built at Rayol-le-Canadel in 1910, still stands today. Considering its provenance – and six bedrooms, an uninterrupted view of the bay – weekly rental from €1,500 sounds eminently reasonable.

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