- Adds exclusivity to the bespoke models
- One of the few marques with a rich history of coach-built cars
Catering to the exclusive, aristocratic, affluent and resplendent customers since its inception, Rolls Royce has finally taken a step back to move forward. Establishing a new Coachbuilding division at its headquarters in Goodwood, it’s a step back because the art of coachbuilding is as old as the motor car itself. But going forward, customers can choose to make bespoke RR models for themselves, price of course being no object.
Rolls Royce is one of the few opulent carmakers in the world with a rich history of bespoke models, more so because the British marque was first to adopt the coach building procedure for their cars. So often we get to see a unique, one-off Rolls Royce custom made for a wealthy (often anonymous) customer who wants to stand out from the factory-made models. With a million ways to personalise even the ‘standard’ Rolls Royce, each model is bespoke in its way. Yet, the carmaker felt the need to add exclusivity by offering their high-paying customers a way to make a truly bespoke model in the future with a separate Coachbuilding division.
Each bespoke Rolls Royce made by this new-found arm will make use of lightweight ‘architecture of luxury’ aluminium space frame as the underpinning chassis. This space frame was introduced with the MkVIII Phantom and now underpins each new model rolling out of the West Sussex factory. By moving from the monocoque construction to the traditional rolling chassis, Rolls-Royce says they have the freedom to ‘construct almost any body shape its patrons can imagine, constrained only by fundamental design and engineering requirements’. So the connoisseurs can make a custom RR for themselves which aligns with their individual lifestyle in luxury, from property, clothing and jewellery to works of art, yachts or private aircraft.
What started with the 2017 Rolls Royce Sweptail, we now hope to see many more one-off, custom-made Rolls Royce that will be capable of changing the way we see cars altogether. More technical and concrete information regarding this new Coachbuilding department will be divulged imminently.
