State of the Art

BLUE FLUO ISSUE • n°38 • 2024

STATE OF THE ART

It took shape in RollsRoyce’s Coachbuild department at the express request of a committed petrolhedonist. Product in an exclusive run of just one example, the Amethyst is one of only four vehicles in the Droptail project. A roadster in a nautical design version, the ultimate expression of the bespoke concept

by Diego Tamone -

ph. courtesy by Rolls-Royce

A series of design studies for the Amethyst Droptail project, a luxurious two-seat roadster by Rolls-Royce with removable hard top (top). The details and interior lines take many cues from nautical design

Can a car be created in exactly the same way as a work of art? With the same passion, the same genius, the same sensitivity as a gifted, devoted artist? And can it arouse in observers a kind of Stendhal syndrome, inspired by a mechanical object? Such reflections, both romantic and philosophical, provide an idea of the current thinking at Rolls-Royce, an automobile manufacturer long regarded as the best of the best while always being in search of something different, something unique, never seen before despite an offer of almost unlimited opportunities for personalisation.

For some years the responses to this demand have taken shape in the Coachbuild department, an artisanal ideas workshop that plays the same role for the prestigious British automotive factory as an atelier does for an haute couture house – in other words, it’s a place where inspiration is drawn from a dialogue between mind, hands and materials, but where there’s also room for a touch of healthy madness. There’s only one rule, to reset what has been done before, or has been done by others, to go beyond. It was here that the idea of a sort of controlled creative

Below, the front of the car with the classic Pantheon grille, for the first time with a curved upper section. Opposite page, from top. this view highlights the unusual aft section of the Droptail, similar to an aft deck. The attention to detail lavished on the interiors, with the extensive use of wood

workshop was born, a place where it’s possible to recreate the methods used in the first half of the 20th Century. At this time Rolls-Royce would deliver their chassis to illustrious coachbuilders, which then made bodies and interiors that often reflected the client’s express demands. This artisanal workshop approach led to the creation of the Sweptail project in 2017, the Boat Tail programme in 2021 and now the Droptail initiative, the third chapter in a hedonistic journey through Rolls-Royce’s history. This dates back to the early decades of the 20th Century, a period

The Rolls-Royce Amethyst Droptail is an elegant expression of timeless design. It takes its colour from a wild desert flower, the Globe Amaranth, which is also used in the interiors alongside an open-pore Coromandel wood. The same material is used at the rear for the largest wood surface the marque has ever created

when a new generation of clients in America ushered in an entirely new concept of car ownership – two-seater roadsters to be enjoyed for the sheer pleasure of the driving experience. This luxurious vehicle captures the spirit of the Silver Ghost “Sluggard” of 1912, the Silver Ghost Piccadilly of 1925, the Phantom Brewster New York Roadster of 1930 but transport it into the future. It’s also clear that the style owes a great deal to the nautical world - take, for example, the rear section with its “aft deck”, designed to evoke the sail yachts of the 1930s. This may be the most striking example, but it’s not the only one - the removable hard top with electrochromic glass creates a shape reminiscent of highly streamlined craft, while the car’s interior design seems to be the result of the skilful work of an expert shipwright exploring the frontiers of his craft. The wood blends with the aluminium and carbon fibre, taking on fluid forms that at the rear of the vehicle evoke the shape of a jib sail filling out in the wind. The car is powered by a six-litre V12 engine – but for once, this is the least important detail! rolls-roycemotorcars.com