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The Rolls-Royce Boat Tail is the incredible result of four years of meticulous design and planning. The British luxury car maker’s Coachbuilding division in collaboration with the three clients who will get to own this revolutionary vehicle, decided they would introduced a new standard of authentic luxury and contemporary patronage with their unique vision for the prestigious automobile.
The unveiling of the vehicle marked Rolls-Royce’s official return to coachbuilding, a concept that allows their customers to take part in the creation process, allowing for the creation and engineering of very bespoke cars. A luxury that few of us can only dream of. Although official reports haven’t been released, it is rumoured that the starting price for a Boat Tail stands at approximately GBP 20 million, making it the world’s most expensive vehicle.
Speaking about Rolls-Royce Coachbuild, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive of Rolls-Royce, said “Rolls-Royce has carefully listened to its closest clients, each of whom has expressed a desire to deepen their relationship with the brand by creating ambitious, personal statements of true luxury.
“Rolls-Royce Coachbuild clients are intimately and personally involved at each step of the creative and engineering process. We work in harmony with the client to gain complete fluency in the nuances of their character and personality. We carefully translate these qualities into the elements with which they wish to imbue their commission.
“Only the House of Rolls-Royce can offer its Coachbuild clients the inimitable opportunity to commission a product of future historical significance, that is as fundamentally unique as they are – and then participate in every detail of its creation.”
In a similar vein, Alex Innes, Head of Rolls-Royce Coachbuild Design, shared “At Rolls-Royce Coachbuild we break through that ceiling, embracing the freedom of expression afforded by coachbuilding to shape a concept directly with our commissioning patrons.
“With Boat Tail we have achieved this. We have created a trio of exceptional cars which, although they share a common body style, are each imbued with the unique, highly personal imprint of the commissioning patron, thereby telling differing stories.”
THE VISION
In 2017, the celebrated Rolls-Royce Sweptail defined the dawn of the contemporary coachbuilding movement, creating a definitive moment that raised the awareness of a new watermark in luxury and automotive possibility. This remarkable product set a new precedence, igniting a fascination among a rarefied cohort of collectors, patrons of the arts, and commissioning clients of now-iconic architecture, several of whom approached the carmakers to collaborate on a unique commission.
The decision to centre the vehicle on a nautical theme was born out of the discovery that three potential patrons shared an appreciation for J-Class yachts, which ended up being a point of inspiration due to their purity of form and requirement for hand craftsmanship. They also shared a single demand: “Show me something that I have never seen before.”
It was then decided that each of the three cars would share a common body, but each would also be highly personalised, reflecting the confluence between vision, capability and ambition of the marque and each of the individual commissioning patrons. Each spectacular Rolls-Royce Boat Tail was then conceived.
THE VEHICLE
“This car should mark a sense of occasion and serve that occasion like nothing else.”
The The Rolls-Royce Boat Tail measures 5.8 metres long, the same size as the Phantom sedan. The vehicle’s front profile boasts a new treatment of the carmakers iconic pantheon grille and lights. The rear is where the nautical references become apparent, the sloped aft deck takes inspiration from the wooden rear decks of historical Boat Tails. The open pore material features a linear wood grain and brushed stainless steel pinstripe inlays that serve as a nod to the typical wooden construction of yachts.
Beyond brilliant design, other standout aspects of the vehicle include the ‘hosting suite,’ where after a press of a button, the deck opens to reveal a sublime chest filled with aperitifs and engraved cutlery crafted by Christofle in Paris. Moreover, a double refrigerator has also been developed to store a client’s favourite vintages of champagne and fine wines.
To complete the concept of an al fresco dining experience, cocktail tables and a parasol open up from the rear, elegantly rotating to mimic the offering of an attendant. Placed on the sides of the hosting suite, they also provide access to minimally-styled stools that are discretely stowed.
Another unique touch, inside the cabin are a pair of clocks in the fascia that can be removed and worn as his and hers timepieces. An exciting collaboration between Rolls-Royce and Swiss watchmakers BOVET 1822, Pascal Raffy, the owner of BOVET 1822 commented, “I am so proud of the BOVET 1822 team, who worked in tandem with the elite design team at Rolls-Royce to produce something spectacular. These two pieces, and the mounting system, are completely unique and unlike anything we have ever done before.
For more information about Rolls-Royce, visit their website.