In the same week as giving the first details of its 2023 debut EV, the ultra-exclusive, coach-built Rolls-Royce Boat Tail has been showcased for the first time at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in Italy.
The most expensive model that the British marque has yet produced takes a name last used for a series of coachbuilt Rolls-Royces in the 1920s and 1930s, it refers to a distinctive rear end that mimics a J-class yacht’s hull.
A bold and imposing two-door, four-seat grand tourer, the car is 5900mm long and has a removable ‘canopy’ roof. Three examples have been hand-built, heavily customised to the desires of their buyers, who were involved throughout the entire design process.
Rolls-Royce Coachbuild Design boss Alex Innes called the creation of the Boat Tail “a unique collaboration” between Rolls-Royce and its clients.
He added: “The clients were totally empowering and encouraging for us to project our future of the brand, and I can stand proudly and say that this is our car; this is the car that we wanted it to be.”
Innes said the Boat Tail showcases the refinement of Rolls-Royce’s ‘post-opulent’ design trend, which began with the Mk2 Rolls-Royce Ghost last year.
“The clients established at the very beginning that they wanted to create something they had never seen before,” Innes said. “They appreciated the hallmarks of Rolls-Royce design and encouraged us to move beyond the familiar traits that we see today and design something that points towards the future.”
Rolls-Royce boss Torsten Müller-Ötvös said the project has led to the expansion of Goodwood’s bespoke commissioning service into a full Coachbuild division that will henceforth become a core part of its business plan.
“Rolls-Royce Coachbuild is the return to the very roots of our brand,” Müller-Ötvös said. “It represents an opportunity for a select few to participate in the creation of utterly unique and truly personal commissions of future historical significance.”
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There are more positive posts than negative on the Car, there are the impatient ones too,and there are the ones who can't get their point over without resorting to taunting others, your opinion is your opinion,I've tried to not comment on others because it's a fruitless journey, Cars like these which are made in tiny numbers of 3,5,10 aren't cars we're going to see sitting in a child space at a shopping Mall, they may even only turn a wheel to put it in its own heated climate controlled Garage,and, as I said, there are a few posts on here who would pay the asking price, and I guess,because your only make a limited number, you can charge what you think some of your repeat customers will be prepared to pay, the Car in a way isn't worth the asking price,probably all the materials used to make it don't cost £20million, what your paying for is a Car that'll go up in value, you'd maybe only drive it two, three times a year, and I might add, it's not the fault of the well off that the World is in a state as it is,no, that's down everybody on this Planet, and, tell me, do we like paying Tax?, wouldn't you offset as much is legally allowed?, after all, you've worked hard for it, at the moment it's get on with your life never mind others.
Quite unstyLish ItaLian coach buiLt roLLs, onLy 20miLL !
Hardly!, there only making three, a cool £60 million, not a lot in the Car making business, where's the harm?, besides, would you if you had the folding to be offered one, never mind what the World is like today, you'd buy it, well, there are nice people just like us who can, granted, not all are nice, why shouldn't they buy it?, after all, it's not our business.