Rolls-Royce has unveiled the second in its Boat Tail trio of the most expensive new cars in the world – worth a combined £60million – and it’s a pearl.
Commissioned by a secretive – and unnamed – family which made its fortune in the pearl trade, the bespoke £20million one-off coach-built luxury convertible grand tourer features a unique pearlescent exterior finish and interior detailing inspired by mother-of-pearl. This includes a dashboard clock and a host of luxurious gadgets and fripperies.
Rolls-Royce declined to name the specific client for the world’s joint most expensive car, but said the new Boat Tail had been created by its bespoke Coachbuild arm for him, ‘in homage to his father and family heritage’.
The second £20MILLION new Roller: This is the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail Pearl – the second of a trio of custom-made cars with a combined value of £60million. Here’s everything you need to know about the planet’s joint most expensive new motor…
Hand-crafted at Rolls-Royce’s headquarters at Goodwood in Sussex, which employs more than 2,000 people, the two-door four-seater will be unveiling at the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza event at the Villa d’Este on the shores of Lake Como in Northern Italy on Saturday.
The second ultra-exclusive Boat Tail model is entirely hand-built, with the body panels fashioned from vast, single sheets of aluminium to create a distinctive outline inspired by the racing yachts of the early 20th century.
It also uses four specially chosen pearl shells and mother of pearl highlights as the basis of its colour scheme and design.
Giving only a tantalising glimpse of the secret new owners, Rolls-Royce said: ‘It was commissioned by a patron whose family business has grown from his father’s origins in the pearling industry.
‘Widely travelled, internationally educated and cosmopolitan in his tastes and influences, the client is an established patron of the arts, who additionally owns a sizeable collection of classic and modern cars, housed in a dedicated private museum.’
The £20million Rolls-Royce Boat Tail Pearl has a removable roof. It is a single piece canvas wrapped over a carbon fibre fixed canopy. It has been tested in a wind tunnel to ensure it can cope at speeds over 150mph
The rear deck is swathed in Royal Walnut veneer, inlaid with rose gold-plated pinstripes with a satin-brushed finish. Royal Walnut was selected because, as it matures over time, it gradually transforms to a cognac colour
Rolls-Royce unveiled the first one-off Boat Tail creation last year, which is painted is a special shade of blue – ‘the client’s favourite colour’ – with embedded metallic and crystal flakes to catch the light. Here are the full details of the original £20million Roller
The dimensions of the new car are the same as the first spectacular Boat Tail unveiled in 2021, which was said to be commissioned by a ‘flamboyant’ couple with a love of chilled champagne and al fresco dining. Speculation that the mystery purchasers of that first model were pop diva Beyonce and rapper Jay-Z was dismissed by Rolls-Royce at the time as ‘unfounded’ and ‘wide of the mark’.
The new Boat Tail is also powered by a 6.75-litre V12 engine linked to an eight-speed automatic gearbox that will propel it from rest to 62mph in about five seconds to a top speed likely to be limited to 155mph.
However, that’s where the similarity ends as this second car is also a unique bespoke proposition.
Rolls-Royce stresses: ‘Although the trio of Boat Tails share a common body style, each are imbued with the unique, highly personal imprint of the commissioning patron, thereby telling differing stories.’
Under the massive bonnet is a 6.75-litre V12 engine linked to an eight-speed automatic gearbox that will propel it from rest to 62mph in about five seconds to a top speed likely to be limited to 155mph
The treats within: The Pearl Boat Tail has, what Rolls-Royce calls, a ‘Rear Hosting Suite’. It includes a pair of slim-line interlocking stools made by Promemoria in Italy, an umbrella, dinner set, drinks chiller and compartment to keep food warm
Inside the suite are all the luxuries you could ever want to experience glorious alfresco dining at the roadside
What’s new for the new Boat Tail Pearl model?
The rear of the limousine resembles the deck of a yacht and opens up like butterfly wings to reveal a ‘hosting suite’ with one side set out with glasses and bottles for chilled drinks and refreshments, and the other for serving fine cuisine or picnics.
The rear deck is swathed in Royal Walnut veneer, inlaid with rose gold-plated pinstripes with a satin-brushed finish. Royal Walnut was selected because, as it matures over time, it gradually transforms to a cognac colour.
An included rose gold-plated tableware and cutlery set is made by Christofle of Paris and you can use them alfresco once you pull over.
That’s because there’s a pair of slim-line interlocking stools made by Promemoria in Italy are formed from the same technical fibre with rose gold woven thread, which is also found on the exterior of the car. Stools are fashioned from the same oyster coloured leather used in the Boat Tail’s interior.
A parasol sun-shade is stowed in the rear of the car and opens with a smooth telescopic movement when a dining experience might about to be ruined by an unforeseen downpour.
At push of a button the rear deck opens up like butterfly wings to reveal the hosting suite. It comes with a couple of chairs and even this parasol that stows in the back
On one side a drinks area and chiller while the other has temperature controlled food warmers and rose gold-plated tableware and cutlery made by Christopfle of Paris
The stunning compartment is made of the finest materials and is designed to replicate the table service a customer would receive at the most luxurious restaurants and hotels
the main exterior colour is a shimmering blend of oyster and soft rose, with large white and bronze mica flakes adding a unique pearlescent quality that changes subtly under different light conditions.
A contrasting cognac-coloured bonnet contains fine bronze and gold coloured aluminium mica flakes complete with a layer of crystal and iced matt clear coat, designed to add warmth and depth to the car’s appearance. The lower sills incorporate a rose gold woven thread.
Finally, the Pantheon Grille is milled from a single block of aluminium and is topped by a Spirit of Ecstasy figurine fashioned in rose gold.
But it’s inside this opulent motor where things get even more interesting.
The centrepiece of the dashboard is a clock made from mother-of-pearl, which was chosen and supplied by the client from his own collection. The fascia is pure and minimal in appearance ‘so as not to detract from the precious material’.
Mother of pearl is also used on the control switches and instrument dials ‘creating a strong visual and material connection between the car, the owner, and his family heritage’.
The interior trim and seating comprises matched cognac and oyster-coloured leathers and Royal Walnut veneer, with rose gold and mother-of-pearl accents pearlescent finishes.
The transmission tunnel is formed from Royal Walnut veneer with rose gold pinstripes.
The centrepiece of the dashboard is a clock made from mother-of-pearl, which was chosen and supplied by the client from his own collection
Hand-crafted at Rolls-Royce’s headquarters at Goodwood in Sussex, the two-door four-seater will be unveiling at the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza event at the Villa d’Este on the shores of Lake Como in Northern Italy on Saturday
The transmission tunnel is formed from Royal Walnut veneer with rose gold pinstripes
The £20million car built as a homage to its owner’s father
Rolls-Royce said the influences for the second of their three Boat Tails were ‘very special and personal’ explaining: ‘The motor car was created by a client in homage to his father and his family heritage.
‘At the onset of the commissioning process, the client presented Rolls-Royce Coachbuild Designers with a selection of four pearl shells, personally chosen from his private collection for their unique colour and complexity.
‘The shells provided inspiration for the exterior colour, which is one of the most complex Bespoke finishes ever created by Rolls-Royce.’
It added: ‘In keeping with the client’s family heritage in the pearling industry, the centrepiece of the dashboard is a timepiece made from mother-of-pearl, chosen and supplied by the client from his own collection.’
Rolls-Royce said: ‘A level of sophistication, garnered from the client’s extensive knowledge of luxury, is clearly visible in this coveted objet d’art. The overall design aesthetic is restrained; a study in carefully considered materials and precise details that together create a highly personal and emotionally resonant homage to the client’s father.’
The company said: ‘Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is honoured to present the next chapter of its Boat Tail coachbuilt commission – one of just three that have been, and ever will be made. In every respect, this remarkable motor car is entirely unique.’
The car features a Pantheon Grille milled from a single block of aluminium and is topped by a Spirit of Ecstasy figurine fashioned in rose gold
‘The essence of Rolls-Royce Coachbuild is that each commission tells a story entirely unique and personal to its owner, reflecting their own history, tastes and sensibilities. With this in mind, Boat Tail, revealed at Concorso d’Eleganza, Villa d’Este 2022, on the shores of Lake Como in northern Italy, is a masterwork of restraint, sophistication, elegance and attention to detail.’
Rolls-Royce’s head of coachbuild design Alex Innes said they had created ‘a moving work of art’ noting: ‘Every Rolls-Royce Coachbuild commission is, of course, incredibly special. But in this case, there was an additional depth of feeling. Creating a motor car in honour of a revered client’s father and family history is an extraordinary privilege and a responsibility that we took very much to heart.’
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars chief executive Torsten Müller-Ötvös, said: ‘Coachbuild is the haute couture of our industry. For the commissioning patron it offers the ultimate in individuality, self-expression and Bespoke service.’
Rolls-Royce has unveiled the second Boat Tail – the world’s most expensive new car – with 24 hours of confirmation that a classic Mercedes has become the most valuable motor of all time.
The 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe became the planet’s most expensive vehicle when it sold for £115million at a top-secret RM Sotheby’s invitation-only auction, which was hosted at the German car maker’s museum in Stuttgart on 5 May.
