The automotive equivalent of fashion’s haute couture, the Rolls-Royce Coachbuild division represents the pinnacle of luxury, allowing discerning customers to create a bespoke vehicle with emotional significance. The most recent coachbuilt Boat Tail is the second of three.
You’ll also enjoy:
The Rolls-Royce Spirit Of Ecstasy Gets An Electrifying Makeover
Can You Truly Be A Rebel In A Rolls? The Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost Sure Thinks So
Drake Has Achieved The Impossible & Made A Rolls-Royce Look Tacky
The sophomore Boat Tail debuted at the Concorso d’Eleganza, Villa d’Este in Italy in May earlier this year. Commissioned by a private buyer whose family has a history in the pearling industry, the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail is an emotional ode to the client’s father. A study in materiality, the second Rolls-Royce Boat Tail is characterised by its restraint; the result of the client’s extensive knowledge of the luxury industry.
The unnamed paint shade draws from the family’s pearling history, with the client presenting Rolls-Royce Coachbuild designers with a selection of four pearl shells, chosen for their unique colour and complexity. The shells served as inspiration for the exterior shade, which, according to Rolls-Royce, is one of the most complex finishes created by the British marque.
“Creating a motor car in honour of a revered client’s father and family history is an extraordinary privilege; a responsibility that we took very much to heart,” said Alex Innes, head of Coachbuild Design at Rolls-Royce. “The commissioning patron’s deep-rooted connection to Boat Tail is an inspiration – the result far exceeds a means of conveyance to become, quite literally, a moving work of art.”
The colour is built on a foundation of oyster and soft rose, with flecks of white and bronze mica flakes added in to create a pearlescent effect that subtly changes with the light. The darker cognac bonnet contains aluminium mica flakes in shades of bronze and gold, and is topped with a layer of crystal and iced matte clear coat, which imbues the car with warmth.
The rear deck, which plays host to the Boat Tail’s hosting suite (which contains a glamorous picnic setup), is clad in royal walnut veneer and inlaid with rose gold-plated pinstripes. The royal walnut timber was chosen for the way it matures over time, gradually transitioning into similar tones as the cognac bonnet. The result is a rose-coloured dream, with the satin effect of the iced bonnet complemented by the tactile wooden rear deck and high-gloss front and sides. At the front, a rose gold Spirit of Ecstasy sits atop the Panthenon grille, crafted from a monolithic billet of aluminium.
Inside, colour-matched leathers in cognac and oyster reighn supreme, with the royal walnut veneer also extending into the interior design. Rose gold and mother-of-pearl accents further contribute to the elegant feel. The transmission tunnel is crafted from royal walnut veneer with rose gold pinstripes, echoing the rear deck.
“This is the tale of two worlds: a modern motor car of contemporary design, made possible by historical techniques and time-honoured craft,” Innes noted. “It is truly, one-of-a-kind.”
While the exact cost of a Rolls-Royce Coachbuild design is unknown, it’s estimated to sit around the $40,000,000AUD mark. There is also speculation that Jay Z and Beyoncé are the owners of the first iteration.
Words by Theo Rosen
