A muse in blue

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[ The CAR ]

A MUSE IN BLUE Inspired by the nautical world and a singular made-to-order model built in 1932, the Boat Tail is the pinnacle of Rolls-Royce’s Coachbuild concept. Absolutely unique – and it has a pair of Bovet timepieces…

by Diego Tamone

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The Boat Tail is the brilliant pinnacle of the one-off concept. A total of 1,813 components were made especially to create this dazzlingly radical Rolls-Royce.

The eponymous Boat Tail, of course, converts to an al fresco dining area

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[ The CAR ]

The side view, with the car’s high bonnet and tapered lines, is reminiscent of the silhouette of a motor launch. Facing page, an aerial view of the tail. Trimmed with Caleidolegno veneer to encapsulate the essence of teak, a favourite in the nautical arena

T

o protect the privacy of its owners, its exact price will

stamp of the person who imagined and commissioned it.

never be revealed. Rumours, however, are circulating of a

The Boat Tail is the perfect counterpoint to mass production. It

figure in the region of 20 to 28 million euro. This would

is no coincidence that in the good old-fashioned way, the Boat

make the Boat Tail, the car commissioned from Rolls-Royce by a

Tail took shape very gradually via a rigorously manual process:

pair of anonymous lovers of both exclusivity and uniqueness, the

from paper to clay to metal. It is a model of which Rolls-Royce

most expensive car ever built. Both its completely clean-sheet

will produce just three with different specs, inspired by a

technical development and styling were developed hand-in-glove

particularly joyous time in the history of “made to order” cars:

with the clients.

the 1930s during which the original, rather surprising “woodie”

This is a very different approach to the “Bespoke” service

Boat Tail was produced. Its name hints at its unconventional

that for many years allowed clients vast space for manoeuvre

aesthetic which somehow harmoniously married a four-wheel

in terms of personalisation but still imposed something of a

platform with an open-top cabin borrowed from a wooden boat.

controlled environment on them. The Boat Tail, on the other

A new take on that seductive nautical line is clear to see in

hand, is the product of the Rolls-Royce Coachbuild service,

the contemporary version. It has a high imposing bonnet with

which marks a spectacular return to the past. Not just any old

a tapering profile that ends in a conical tail reminiscent of

past but a glorious era in which authentic luxury was expressed

the silhouette of a motor launch. This impression is further

by imbuing the lines of each car with the owner’s personal taste

heightened by the rear deck trimmed in Caleidolegno, an

thanks to the creativity of incredibly talented panel-beaters

open pore teak-like veneer with a distinctive nautical look. An

whose mantra was “mind, hand, materials”.

element that is aesthetic and functional at once, with wings

That philosophy has now roared back to life and over a four-year

that open out to reveal an al fresco dining area complete with

arc spanned everything from the conception of the original idea

elegant parasol for shade. This is a completely unprecedented

to the building of the stunning one-off.

feature – as is the fixed canopy roof. A sophisticated flourish

As Alex Innes, Head of Rolls-Royce Coachbuild Design, is quick

for a car as expensive and exclusive as a megayacht.

to point out, the resulting automobile bears the very personal

www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com

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[ The CAR ]

Clockwise form top: the onboard timepiece, which detaches so it can be worn on the wrist, was made by Bovet 1822; the glove compartment complete with luxury pen; the rear “hosting area” shaded by a telescopic parasol

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