Sweeping fender flares sculpted by hand, luggage trunks affixed to the rear by the help, and huge headlamps housed in metal spheres. These details come to mind when considering the old era of coachbuilding. Grand vehicles reflected personal touches and design cues requested by the customer, which the coachbuilder was all too happy to include in the vehicle in exchange for large sums of money.
This tradition is alive and well today at Rolls-Royce, which recently debuted a one-off bespoke coupe for an unnamed customer of taste and subtlety in design.
I present to you the Sweptail.
This grand coupe looks very different to the current production coupe on offer from Rolls-Royce, known as the Wraith, or as Dawn in cabriolet format. Rolls-Royce published a long and breathless press release on the Sweptail, which one may read if one has chosen to enjoy such verbal finery in one’s life.
When putting this article together, I noticed something interesting. Although Sweptail is the name for this coupe, I’m not certain this was always the case. Almost all images downloaded from the Rolls-Royce media site contained “Rolls-Royce Torpedo” in their titles.
Another interesting item of note from the linked press release is the reference to the House of Rolls-Royce. The company has applied the “House of” moniker to their design and bespoke vehicles department. Though those particular words are normally applied to high-end clothing designers, the branding must be effective for cars as well. Media outlets are generally reporting Rolls-Royce received $12,000,000 for this two-seat giant.
The customer’s desire was to blend the design cues of golden era Rolls-Royce vehicles with those of classic and modern yachts. I’ll leave you to determine whether this implementation accomplishes the goal.
Two digits make up the permanent number plate embedded in the back of the vehicle. With just a two-digit, permanent plate, you won’t likely see this vehicle driving around North America.
As with any Rolls-Royce or yacht-based item, there is much impressive decking made from rare and valuable wood. The center chevron pattern is particularly appealing.
Though this vehicle is huge in proportion, the interior is suitable for only two persons of immense wealth. A rear seat is notably absent from the vehicle, but remaining passengers are entertained by the lighted hat shelf and wood sculpture area.
The tapered rear does allow for extensive use of wood and aluminum, and the Art Deco design cues really work from this angle. Kudos are due here, as it’s beautiful.
Up front, it’s all business. The Sweptail features the largest Rolls-Royce grill ever. Carved from a single block of aluminum, the grille is polished by hand to shine like all the coins you’ve spent.
What say you? For around $12,000,000, the House of Rolls-Royce will build you your very own bespoke luxury vehicle. Like it or not, this is really the ultimate expression of a Rare Ride.
[Photos via Rolls-Royce]
Needs wheelie bars… or a tailskid.
I find it fascinating, except for the front grill. That is awful, kind of reminds me of a cab-over Kenworth, certainly not a RR.
Exactly. Whole car elicits a wow except those headlights and chrome surround.
Agree, those single headlights look lost on that front end. This calls for at least some 60’s style vertically stacked headlights with chrome surrounds. Or clamshell style hidden headlights.
Fascinating indeed, what $12M will buy.
Definitely get the Riviera tail, as others have mentioned, and the half-assed faux-yachting motif. I can see where you’re seeing big-rig in the front, but I can’t help but think of the “face” of the titular vehicle from 1977’s horror flick The Car:
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTU3MTA5Nzk3MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMjk1OTM2._V1_.jpg
Cue the nightmares.
Looks like an old Riviera that Chip Foose was tinkering with.
From the side view it look like it has a wet diaper.
RR was supposed to call when this was ready for pickup, instead I read it here.
You are just the least reachable oil baron.
I can’t hear you over the sound of my bill counters.
And by the way, “House of…” is a moniker you’ll see occasionally among predominantly African-American Funeral Homes. House of Glover in Cincinnati springs to mind, for instance.
Huh, I’ve never heard of that.
Better than House of Cards, I suppose.
Needs longer rear side windows, more and/or bigger headlights, and a polished aluminium bonnet to go with that grille.
All that provided, count me in. Yummy.
And here’s a weird sidebar for you…Mr. Glover had to change his middle name to “House of” in order to use it as part of the name of the FH, due to a quirk in Ohio mortuary law. The name of the managing director has to be on the sign so “House of” would not otherwise be acceptable to the state board.
Well there’s a rule from 1885 nobody needs anymore.
Says the House of Lewis.
P.T. Barnum was right: There is a sucker born every minute!
If by “yacht” RR means a wooden travel suitcase with a keel stump attached to it, they nailed it. Neither old nor modern yachts carry those shapes. At the front the yachts are usually rounded, not bricked. The old yachts were swept upward at both ends. The modern yachts are sharp at the front, sometimes with reverse sheer, and wide and open at the back for lounging and dinghy storage.
Maybe they meant a Lake Winnipesaukee powerboat? Still those are prettier than this thing.
Maybe they took this for an inspiration?
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/russian-billionaires-360-million-superyacht-10335389
Before I sign up I want to know if I can afford to run it and whether I will be hurting the environment. What is the city/highway fuel economy and CO2 ratings? Also – is all that wood made from sustainable forests?
Gaudy, but I love it.
If it were any yacht I’d seen, there would be matching neon beer cozies and a floaty-foam pair of breasts for a keychain.
A pontoon boat on a river is not a yacht.
Is it wrong that the backseat reminds me of the passenger compartment in Stuntman Mike’s Chevy Nova from Death Proof?
It’s not a backseat, it’s a parcel shelf.
Twelve million and you still can’t get a sweeping DLO surround made of one continuous metal piece…
“Does this roofline make my ass look big?”
Looks like a modernized overpriced Impala fastback.
That press release was the most ostentatious, flamboyant lump of crap ever. Kind of like this car.
I absolutely concur. It was tiring to read.
I don’t know about yachts but a Vintage Chris-Craft has at least as much style and much more taste.
I think just about every BMW era Rolls-Royce looks vulgar. If someone were to produce an ultra luxury car that was tasteful, as Duesenbergs and senior Packards were in their day, they might find a ready market.
Doubt it. It’s simply not tasteful to spend this kind of coin on a mere car.
Isn’t this post about two weeks late?
Almost all our Rare Rides are 10+ years old. This isn’t about fast news.
I prefer my newly-acquired 1984 Buick LeSabre Limited Coupe. All American, l-o-n-g wheelbase, comfortable interior and I saved $11,998,050.
I prefer tacos.
Excelent.
It is nice that RR will actually build factory custom cars if you got the money to pay for it.
“The customer’s desire was to blend the design cues of golden era Rolls-Royce vehicles with those of classic and modern yachts. I’ll leave you to determine whether this implementation accomplishes the goal.”
No.
A lot of amazing workmanship wasted, if you ask me.
But the owner ain’t asking anyone, I’d imagine.
@awagliar; You are correct. Since ‘The Car’ was a Lincoln Mark III the grill was meant to emulate that of a Rolls Royce.
On an episode of Restoration Garage, a customer destroyed a perfectly good Mark III and all of his savings, having it converted to an exact replica of ‘The Car’. There is no accounting for taste or lack of common sense.
I’m in two minds about this.
I am reminded that over a decade ago they made the €1 million euro Bugatti Veyron and that was supposed to be the nadir of billionaries rides.
How things snowballed. In some ways you could say this was a symptom of wealth inequality but really, isnt this just an advertising exercise for RR?
They hand build one car and the put out breathless PR and they get their name out… do they even have a buyer? Who cares.
There’s many many people who wouldnt blink at a $12 mil car or even worse so of course there’s no shortage of loyal RR buyers.
As far as aesthetics goes… again, who cares. This is a tool. This thing will live out its days at Goodwood, aircon garages and exhibits.
I like it.
Not $12m like it, but I do like it.