Rolls-Royce returns to coachbuilidng

Rolls-Royce is getting back into the coachbuilding business. The re-established “Coachbuild” department will create one-off cars for Rolls-Royce aficionados for whom money is no object and “limited edition” will never mean more than one.

“We have formally re-established our Coachbuild department for those patrons who wish to go beyond the existing restraints, and explore the almost limitless possibilities this opens up for them. We are able to offer our customers the opportunity to create a motor car in which every single element is hand-built to their precise individual requirements, as befits our status as a true luxury house,” explains CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös.

Back at the turn of the 20th century when Charles Rolls and Henry Royce teamed up, coachbuilding was the norm. Car makers would build a rolling chassis and hand it over to a specialists to build the bodywork and interior to customer’s desires. The practice continued at Rolls-Royce for decades until the company adopted a semi-monocoque construction for its 1965 Silver Cloud, although even beyond that a small number of cars such as the Phantom VI retained a separate chassis enabling H.J. Mulliner Park Ward to work its magic.

When Rolls-Royce moved on to its “Architecture of Luxury” aluminum platform which underpins the Cullinan and Ghost the opportunity opened to return to the great tradition of the past. This spaceframe chassis is flexible and will allow Rolls-Royce designers to work with customers to create unique motor vehicles.

The 2017 Sweptail (top and below) is the most recent example of the Roll-Royce coachbuilders’ craft but it took four years to build thanks to the complexities of its panoramic glass roof and racing-yacht-inspired styling. Future coachbuilt Rollers shouldn’t take as along thanks to the new platform.

Drophead coupe, sedanca de ville, shooting brake, what would you like to see?