Second Rolls-Royce Boat Tail Has Brown Paint, Real Mother-of-Pearl Inside
What's happening
Rolls-Royce unveiled the second coachbuilt Boat Tail.
Why it matters
Only three of these incredible convertibles will ever be made.
What's next
The third Boat Tail should be revealed next year.
A year after unveiling the first coachbuilt Boat Tail droptop, Rolls-Royce has released photos of the second Boat Tail ahead of its public debut at Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este this weekend. While the overall shape and styling is the same as the first Boat Tail, this one has a completely unique spec inspired by the owner's family history with pearls.
As you may remember, Rolls-Royce will only be building three Boat Tails at a rumored cost of nearly $30 million each, with Rolls' coachbuilding division spearheading the design and development of the model, and each customer being extensively involved in choosing the individual configuration and details for their car.
Like the first car, the second Boat Tail has a hosting suite.
The owner of the second Boat Tail is described as being "cosmopolitan in his tastes and influences," with a family business that grew from his father's work in the pearling industry. He's also got an extensive collection of cars that are in a private museum, of which the Boat Tail will surely be the new centerpiece. He brought four unique pearl shells from his collection to Rolls' designers at the start of the project, which served as inspiration for the color scheme. The main hue is a blend of oyster and soft rose with large mica flakes of bronze and white that give it a pearlescent effect, while the contrasting color is a lovely cognac with bronze and gold aluminum flakes and a crystal matte clear-coat finish. Apparently it's one of the most complex custom paint finishes ever attempted by Rolls-Royce.
This Boat Tail's lower carbon-fiber trim pieces feature rose gold thread woven in, and the Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament is also made from rose gold. Like the first Boat Tail, this second one has an incredible "hosting suite" built into the long rear deck. Royal Walnut veneer covers the suite and features rose gold pinstripes with a satin finish, with this particular wood chosen because of the way it changes over time after being exposed to the elements. The car's picnic set features stunning porcelain and rose gold plates, glasses and utensils.
The removable timepiece is made from mother-of-pearl.
Cognac and oyster leather is perfectly matched to the exterior and used throughout the interior, as is the matte cognac paint, and the transmission tunnel is made from the pinstriped wood. The gauges and control knobs all feature real mother-of-pearl inlays, and the removable timepiece mounted in the dashboard is made from a piece of pearl supplied by the owner.
While I loved the bold blue look of the first Boat Tail, this second car is just delicious to look at. (I'm a sucker for brown and rose gold; what can I say.) This Boat Tail will be on display at this weekend's Concorso d'Eleganza on May 21 on the shores of Lake Como, Italy, before being delivered to the client. There's still one Boat Tail left to be revealed, and as it's likely still in the production stages, we might not see it for another year.
