We were intrigued with the Rolls Royce Droptail when the original La Rose Noire model first appeared. Just as we were about to sink our teeth into that model, Rolls Royce unveiled another Droptail, the Amethyst model, which adds its own share of bespoke touches to the elegant convertible.
Amethyst One Of Four Special Creations
Rolls Royce claims that the Amethyst is one of four special custom models the company created for an unnamed but probably wealthy client. While the La Rose embraced vivid red hues, the Amethyst goes for a subtler shade of duotone color with the main soft purple color supposedly inspired by the hue found on the Globe Amaranth flower with the aforementioned Amethyst color serving as the darker contrast color. The lighter purple features a silver undertone, while the Amethyst portion mixes blue, red, and violet mica hues together to create a distinct flake pattern when light is shined on it.
A sleek set of 22-inch polished rims adorn the corners, with Rolls Royce designers adding mauve paint in the inner portions of the wheels. The front grille retains the familiar Rolls Royce shape, but the piece has been adorned with a finish that’s both hand polished, and hand brushed (a first for Rolls Royce), with the company claiming that it took over 50 hours of collective work to help create full uniformity across all the various finishes. A bespoke lower intake hides underneath the large grille and is made out of a lightweight composite material that has 202 stainless steel ingots infused into it, with each one being painted in Amaranth purple.
The rear of the droptop features a large wood deck, but unlike other wood decks that Rolls has done over the years, this one was designed to be a functional piece of the car, and the company says that this bespoke trim element is the only “raw” wood surface in the industry that produces usable downforce on a production vehicle.
Color Changing Glass Added New Engineering Challenges For Rolls
In addition to all the other things that Rolls Royce did on this custom-built special, the aforementioned client also challenged the company to create electro-chromic glass that could change color. This request was easier said than done, with the company being forced to experiment and go through the trial and error routine with over 60 different types of glass before they found the one that could do the job.
The fancy windows have a purple tint when they are fully opaque, while the translucent mode has a color that’s very similar to the Sand Dunes-hued leather seats. The cabin is awash in wood accents, with the material complimenting the purple-hued leather and plastics. The client’s unusual requests even extended to the dash-mounted clock, and the custom handmade time face was created by Vacheron Constantin in Geneva and was created with a hand-wound movement. Unlike other dash-mounted clocks, this one is removable and is designed to be stored separately from the vehicle with the unique timepiece perhaps being a potent conversation starter at parties.
Like the La Rose Noire, the Amethyst Droptail is a one of a kind creation, with Rolls Royce claiming that the $30 million dollar car was the most expensive car that it ever produced. Two more Droptails will be appearing in the future, and we are curious to see what these final ones will embrace both in terms of design and luxury.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.