The new Rolls-Royce Sweptail had it’s unveiling on May 27th at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on the shores of Lake Como, Italy. This world-famous event has been home to competition grounds for classic and vintage cars alike since 1929, as well as the host to some of the most legendary concept cars to make their debut in the auto industry. Demonstrating a sleek yet smart outer appearance and a ravishing interior design, the new one-off Rolls-Royce is the first factory-built custom coachwork to originate from the marque’s facility in Goodwood, England, in the last 70-years. The Rolls-Royce Sweptail, which was ordered by a client residing close by Villa d’Este, is the end-result of a four year collaboration boasting fortuitous contours and inclusive sheet metal that were specifically designed to embody the Rolls Royce name.
From the car’s striking twin rounded headlights to an array of design details influenced by the client’s own personal preferences, the two-seat Rolls-Royce has been made into a-one-of-a-kind, unrivaled luxury vehicle. Director of Design Giles Taylor developed Sweptail to be tailored explicitly towards the client, this is evidenced by the curvature of the stern that pays homage to the client’s love for classic and contemporary yachts. In addition, the car features an immense grille (larger than any other current Rolls-Royce model) forged with solid aluminum and hand-polished till an illuminated, mirror like appearance emerged.
The interior of the Rolls boasts a minimalistic approach due to concealing buttons and other controls from the eyes of the passenger and driver, in turn this offers the vehicle an exceptionally luxurious inner presence like no other. Stretches of polished Macassar ebony & open-pore Paldao are featured throughout the cabin. The back seats were swept out and in its place a middle wooden shelf heightened with a slim yet luminous glass lip was added. Set up behind the coach doors you will find a pair of boxes with two custom-made attaché cases inside them, which can be opened with just a press of a button. Encompassed by conflicting Moccasin and Dark Spice leather trim, the center console shelters a champagne holder along with two crystal flutes.
“Sweptail is the automotive equivalent of Haute Couture,” comments Taylor 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.” Rolls-Royce has demonstrated their time-honored design process alongside innovative enhancements in the Sweptail, which may very well lead Rolls-Royce to a new era of car-making that has the raw, un-tapped potential of revolutionizing the auto-industry.
For more information visit: Rolls-RoyceMotorCars.com
Photos by: James Lipman / JamesLipman.com
