What's the news?
Built at the behest of a, doubtless, exceptionally wealthy customer, Rolls-Royce has unveiled this one-off coach built 'Sweptail' at the Concorzo D'Eleganza classic car event, held at the Villa D'Este on the shores of Lake Como.
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars said: "Sweptail is a truly magnificent car. It exudes the romance of travel for its own sake, and immediately places 'Sweptail' in the pantheon of the world's great intercontinental tourers. Rolls-Royce's history as the world's leading coachbuilder is at the very core of its identity as the world's leading luxury brand. The arrival of 103EX shone a light on the future of Rolls-Royce in this field, and 'Sweptail' is proof, today, that Rolls-Royce is at the pinnacle of coachbuilding. We are listening carefully to our most special customers and assessing their interest in investing in similar, completely exclusive coachbuilt masterpieces. At the same time we are looking into the resources which will allow us to offer this unique service to these discerning patrons of luxury."
Based on a Phantom chassis and V12 engine, the Sweptail is inspired both by racing yachts and classic coach built Rollers of the 1920s and 1930s. Up front it features the largest-ever version of Rolls-Royce's iconic 'Parthenon' grille (astonishingly, it's milled from a solid billet of aluminium), and unique headlights with a huge square sweep of chrome.
The rear end tapers almost to a point in the style of racing powerboats of the 1930s and up top, the Sweptail has one of the largest and most complex glass panoramic roofs ever made. Inside, it's a strict two seater, with a minimalist dashboard and the visible button count kept down to a minimum. There's copious wood trim and wood decking in the luggage compartment. The clock, inset into the dashboard, has its figures and dial picked out in titanium, as are the main instruments.
There are concealed side panniers for holding briefcases and slim bags, bespoke luggage and, our favourite feature, a system that deploys a bottle of vintage champagne and two crystal glasses from under the centre console.
Will Rolls turn it into a production model? Doubtful, but the styling and grille treatment probably give us at least a hint of what to expect from the upcoming new Phantom and the Cullinan SUV.
"Sweptail is the automotive equivalent of Haute Couture," comments Giles Taylor, Director of Design at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. "It is a Rolls-Royce designed and hand-tailored to fit a specific customer. This customer came to the House of Rolls-Royce with an idea, shared in the creative process where we advised him on his cloth, and then we tailored that cloth to him. You might say we cut the cloth for the suit of clothes that he will be judged by."