Buying a Rolls-Royce is very different from buying a mere car. One gets almost limitless customisation options and much of the work is done by hand. Like a bespoke tailored suit compared to an off-the-rack item.
However, a modern coachbuilt Rolls-Royce was not enough for one Rolls-Royce connoisseur, who approached the marque with his own idea of a two-seat Rolls-Royce in 2013. This is the vision of that gentleman, now reality and named the ‘Sweptail’. The name is a nod to the swept-tail of certain Rolls-Royces from the 1920s and 1930s, which the client wanted on his one-off machine. It had to also be a two-seater coupe with a large panoramic glass roof.
The grandeur and drama of the 1925 Phantom I Round Door built by Jonckheere; the svelte tapering glasshouse, dramatic dash to axle proportion and up-sweep of the rear departure angle of the 1934 Phantom II Streamline Saloon by Park Ward; the elegantly falling waist-rail, swept tail coachwork of the 1934 Gurney Nutting Phantom II Two Door Light Saloon, and the flowing roofline, rising departure angle, and again the swept tail coachwork of the 1934 Park Ward 20/25 Limousine Coupé were all considered by Rolls-Royce designers in the creation of the Sweptail.
The face gets a new treatment of the iconic Rolls-Royce pantheon grille. The largest of any modern era R-R, the grille is milled from solid aluminium before polished by hand to a mirror finish. The periphery of the front face is framed in brushed aluminium.
But it’s the silhouette that defines the Sweptail. From the leading edge of the windscreen, the roofline accelerates as it fires backwards towards the rear of car, overshooting the boot lid edge to emphasise its length. The longer side window graphic and wide C-pillar finisher underscore the length and proportions of this elegant beast.
The coup de gras of the rear is the ultimate homage to the world of racing yachts that inspired the client, with its raked stern. Seen directly from behind, the rear taper contrasts strongly with the front of the car. Both the roof line as it tapers towards the centre line of the car, concluding in a ‘bullet-tip’ that houses the centre brake light, and the sweeping lower bumper area of the motor car, combine to create a “greater feeling of elegance in motion.”
The cleanliness of the surface is maintained as the bodywork wraps under the car with no visible boundary, a treatment that is akin to the hull of a yacht. The underside was designed to deliver the visual of a progressive upward sweep at the rear departure angle of the car, culminating in the swept-tail that gives the car its name.
The uninterrupted glass roof, one of the largest and most complex ever seen on a car, allows the cabin to be flooded with natural light. Framed by polished aluminium rails, its curvature accentuates the speed and elegance of Sweptail.
Generous amounts of polished Macassar Ebony and open-pore Paldao adorn the cabin. This choice of dark and light wood is set off by contrasting light Moccasin and Dark Spice leathers on the seats and dashboard. In place of the rear seats is a vast expanse of wood creating a mid-shelf with an illuminated glass lip, and a hat shelf which flows to the outer limits of the interior volume. The latter sits under the rear opening backlight through which it can be accessed.
Behind the occupants, a feature named the Passarelle flows from the rear edge of the windscreen to resolve in a teardrop as it connects to the hat shelf. This element also includes the only visible presence of the ‘Sweptail’ name on the car, discreetly debossed into the surface on the centre line.
There are two final jaw-dropping features. Concealed in the outboard walls on either side of the car, behind the opening of the coach doors, are two identical panniers. Each, when activated, deploys forward to present the owner’s bespoke made attaché case which has been carefully packaged to exactly house his personal laptop device. The cases are handmade from carbon fibre, wrapped in leather and detailed with machined aluminium and titanium clasps and locks.
Lastly, the entire centre console now houses a one-off hand-built mechanism that, at the touch of a button, will deploy a bottle of the client’s favourite vintage champagne – the year of his birth – and two crystal champagne flutes. As the lid of the chiller opens, the mechanical action articulates the bottle to the perfect position for the owner to pick up! How about that?
Truly a dream come true.
