[wheelguy]

Rolls-Royce is returning to their roots as the company is embracing coachbuilding once again. The company will share additional details in the future, but they noted their Coachbuild division will allow customers to “go beyond the existing restraints” and explore “almost limitless possibilities.” In essence, everything about coachbuilt models will be unique except for the powertrain and architecture.

According to the automaker, the creation of the one-off Sweptail was the “start of a journey” which ultimately led to their Coachbuild department being “formally reestablished.”

While Rolls-Royce didn’t go into many specifics, they noted their Architecture of Luxury was “designed and engineered from the ground up to be scalable for a range of different … models.” It has four fixed points, but the distance between them can be whatever designers and engineers want them to be. Furthermore, the bulkhead, floor, crossmember and sill panels can be stretched or shrunk.

The company says the architecture allows them to create almost any body shape customers can imagine, and the only constraints are “fundamental design and engineering requirements.” Rolls-Royce added the platform echoes many of the traits of rolling chassis, which were used in coachbuilding at the turn of the century.

As Rolls-Royce explained, in the early days of motoring, automakers typically made a rolling chassis and then sent it to coachbuilders for bodywork. By the early 1920’s, companies were starting to bring coachbuilding in-house but many luxury marquees still enabled customers to order a rolling chassis for completion by coachbuilders.

This spawned some iconic vehicles, but the automotive industry was changing and the shift to semi-monocoque construction made “all but the simplest of adaptations to the body design itself impossible.” At Rolls-Royce, this occurred in 1965 when the Silver Shadow replaced the Silver Cloud. However, this didn’t mark the end of coachbuilt Rolls-Royces as the Phantom VI remained in production until 1993 and could be outfitted with unique bodywork from subsidiary H. J. Mulliner, Park Ward Ltd.

While customers were free to let their imaginations run wild, Rolls-Royce did impose limitations. In particular, the company insisted on “fixed dimensions for the bulkhead behind the radiator” and this ensured bodywork “maintained the essential proportions that visually identified it as a ‘true’ Rolls‑Royce.”

The future of coachbuilt Rolls-Royces remains to be seen, but the company said the capability builds on their highly successful bespoke program. As they noted, every single car built in the first quarter of this year included bespoke elements and that was a first for the company as well as something that makes “Rolls-Royce a true luxury house, not merely an automotive manufacturer.”

The company also highlighted past coachbuilt models including ones with flower vases, exterior tables, and a then state-of-the-art sound and television system.

Source: carscoops

[SnS_12]

Hopefully, we would see some iconic designs like the round door Rolls Royce built by Belgian coachbuilder Henri Jonckheere for the Raja of Nanpara

[Turbojc]

Here's their latest Coachbuilt creation - the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail. A total of three cars will be made, at an estimated GBP 20 million a piece. Its party piece - a fully-decked out 'hosting area', inspired by the clients' collective love for hosting.

Here's more info on the Boat Tail: https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/cars/a...oyce-boat-tail











Image Sources: GQ/Rolls-Royce

[Venkatesh]

From initial sketch to finishing touches of Rolls-Royce Boat Tail

https://youtu.be/qcEmHLKX2_w

The creation of Rolls-Royce Boat Tail

https://youtu.be/n5oaZ-TQGLo

[Jeroen]

I think this is a slight twist on history; really. Rolls used build chassis and all kinds of independent coach builder used Rolls chassis to build their creation on.

When Royce joined Rolls they brought he chassis and coach building together. But effectively RR from then on produced small volume, highly customised, cars, build on the same chassis and mostly the same (standard) coach.

It was actually the independent coach builders that helped establish the Rolls reputation.

RR started building their own bodies/coaches from 1946. Prior to that, from they owned a coach builder Park Ward.

I don’t have the numbers at hand. But the numbers of Rolls with independent build coachers probably outnumbers the number of unique RR build coaches.


Jeroen

[SnS_12]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

I think this is a slight twist on history; really. Rolls used build chassis and all kinds of independent coach builder used Rolls chassis to build their creation on.

When Royce joined Rolls they brought he chassis and coach building together. But effectively RR from then on produced small volume, highly customised, cars, build on the same chassis and mostly the same (standard) coach.

It was actually the independent coach builders that helped establish the Rolls reputation

True. Most of the Rolls built in the day were handed over to coach builders along with the chassis who would make them as per their client’s taste.

Infact the boat design was originally done on a 1933 Phantom II.

The history of this vehicle is as thrilling as the car itself. The chassis was built in 1933 in Derby. At first it was equipped with a five-seater sport saloon body by the coach builders Barker of London, and sold to a rich English gentleman. In the early fifties the car showed up again at the Kenya Tea Company in then British East Africa, who charged a local boatbuilder with the replacement of the old coachwork by a teakwood body in boatform, built to a design by Hooper of London.

[RahulNagaraj]

Rolls Royce unveils coachbuilt Boat Tail

Rolls Royce recently announced the formal re-establishment of its Coachbuild department. To commemorate this, the company has now introduced - the Boat Tail.

The Boat Tail is the first coachbuilt product from the brand since the 'Sweptail' back in 2017. Rolls Royce has confirmed that the Boat Tail is based on a true commission model and will be a permanent fixture in its future portfolio.



The company also stated that it will be building three Boat Tails in total. However, while all three models will sport the same body style, each of them will be personalised according to the requirements of the clients.

The Boat Tail design draws inspiration from a yacht and the original Rolls Royce Phantom II Continental Boattail Tourer from 1932. The 2021 coachbuilt model is said to measure 5.8 metres in length and comes with a soft-top convertible.



At the front, the Boat Tail features the company's signature Pantheon grille, flanked by circular headlamps and LED DRLs on either side. The Boat Tail also features a wraparound windshield, reminiscent of the visors on luxury yachts.

At the rear, the Rolls Royce Boat Tail features relatively low positioned LED tail lights. There is also an aft wooden deck evoking the appearance of a boat's stern. This deck further opens up to reveal what Rolls Royce calls 'hosting suite', featuring cutlery, silverware, two fold-out picnic tables and two refrigerators.



The Rolls Royce Boat Tail comes finished in a dual shade of blue in line with the nautical theme of the car. It comes with matching multi-spoke alloy wheels as well.



The interiors also feature a nautical theme with leather upholstery finished in a dark blue hue at the front and a lighter tone at the rear. The client of the Boat Tail has also got the car customised with a unique BOVET 1822 timepiece and a Montblanc pen housed in a hand-crafted aluminium and leather case in the glove box.



Rolls Royce hasn’t revealed the powertrain specifications of the Boat Tail. However, being based on the Phantom, it is expected to carry forward the same 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 engine that develops 571 BHP and 900 Nm.

Link to Team-BHP news

[giri1.8]

Rear design theme is a bit too close to the Vision Mercedes concept.

[aashishnb]

Reading some of the history, one can conclude that historically RR built chassis+engines that would last really long, probably more than a Toyota!!

Or maybe, because it is so expensive, it is not put through hard usage and therfore last long.

I guess simpler engines, all mechanical components, almost NIL electronics in earlier days made it easier to have separate chassis supplier & coach builders - a kind of practice still followed for most trucks sold in India - Tata & Ashok Leyland sell chassis and the buyers build the body elsewhere as per their requirements.
It would be quite difficult to do so in the modern cars with so much electronics. Imagine a coachbuilder trying to properly assemble curtain airbags, reverse cameras, rear vents, rear controls, etc. etc.

[ajmat]

Strong rumour that JayZ and Beyonce commissioned this. More here

[nakul0888]

Really? 20 million pounds? More than 5 times the price of a chiron? For a convertible version of the existing phantom that retails for less than 1/20th of the price? Come on people. This is a ripoff.

[lemedico]

This looks good. But riddle me this, most of us car enthusiasts deter the consumption of food and drink in our prized possessions. Not even using the bonnet or boot lid as a make-do table. I personally cannot bear to see crumbs and liquid splashes over my upholstery.

So, would they really re-stow the sticky glasses and dirty crockery within the stowage space? Or does the butler take them away in his Range Rover

[Autocaptive]

Originally Posted by ajmat

Strong rumour that JayZ and Beyonce commissioned this. More here

I think this rumor might be true since Jay-Z even has a colour of his own called "Jay-Z Blue" which is darker than the one we see here and has a pearlescent finish. GM in 2007 came out with a Yukon that debuted this shade, it never made it to production.

[aayusht]

Originally Posted by lemedico

So, would they really re-stow the sticky glasses and dirty crockery within the stowage space?

I was about to type the exact same questions

Maybe for the price they will throw in a second pilot car with a dishwasher in the trunk

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by aayusht

I was about to type the exact same questions

Maybe for the price they will throw in a second pilot car with a dishwasher in the trunk

Thats why the Cullinan was created!

Originally Posted by Autocaptive

I think this rumor might be true since Jay-Z even has a colour of his own called "Jay-Z Blue" which is darker than the one we see here and has a pearlescent finish. GM in 2007 came out with a Yukon that debuted this shade, it never made it to production.

and their daughter is called Blue Madonna or something like that