Rolls-Royce Boat Tail Is Opening The Doors To Coachbuilt Perfection

British luxury house Rolls-Royce recently announced the revival of its Coachbuilt Department. And in true Rolls-Royce tradition, what better way to commemorate the return of coachbuilding than to create an entirely new, coachbuilt car? Meet the Boat Tail, the first properly coachbuilt car from Rolls-Royce since the magnificent Sweptail from 2017.

The Boat Tail is essentially a six-meter long Phantom with a removable canopy roof and an innovative hosting suite hiding underneath its 'boat tail' rear end. And yes, the umbrella is part of the package.

"Today marks a seminal moment for the House of Rolls-Royce. We are proud to unveil Rolls-Royce Boat Tail to the world, and with it, the confirmation of coachbuilding as a permanent fixture within our future portfolio," said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce. "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."

Inspired by vintage J-Class yachts and coachbuilt 'Boat Tail' Rolls-Royces from the early 1930s, Rolls-Royce has hand-built three examples of its newest Boat Tail, with each car unique between the three clients. In the early days, coachbuilders will graft the hulls of sailing boats to a Rolls-Royce rolling chassis to create a 'boat tail' inspired motor car.

But that was then. With the debut of Phantom VIII in 2017, Rolls-Royce has opened inifinite possibilities in commissioning a truly coachbuilt luxury motor car. "Rolls-Royce Boat Tail challenges the notion of what a motor car is and creates a new definition of what a motor car means," said Alex Innes, Head of Rolls-Royce Coachbuild Design.

Rolls-Royce claims the Boat Tail is road legal and has undergone similar dynamic testing phases as a regular Phantom. It features more than 1,813 custom parts, including a new 15-speaker stereo that utilizes the floor structure as a 'resonance chamber' to deliver unrivaled audio quality.

However, the Boat Tail's coup de grace is the rear hosting suite, complete with a parasol and a pair of stools. According to Rolls-Royce, it needed five ECUs and a unique wiring harness (which took nine months to develop) to make the hosting suite a reality. The rear deck opens with the push of a button to reveal a glorious picnic deck. What's more, it even has a double rapid-cool refrigerator and a snacks counter.

The owner of this Rolls Royce Boat Tail has a collection of fine Bovet watches. Knowing this well, Rolls-Royce partnered with Bovet to develop a pair of tourbillon watches that the owner can either wear on the wrist or mount on the dashboard.

How much, you ask? We reckon a million or two is the ballpark figure for commissioning a hand-made Rolls-Royce, although it could go higher.