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Rolls-Royce has unveiled the Amethyst Droptail, the second of four bespoke Droptail commissions. It follows the recently-revealed La Rose Noire Droptail that debuted at Monterey Car Week, and as its name suggests, this Droptail draws inspiration from amethyst gems.
The Amethyst Droptail was commissioned by the owner of a "collection of precious jewels, significant motor cars, and contemporary artworks … housed in a specially commissioned private museum." The client's identity is being kept under wraps for now, but the gem is said to be the birthstone of their son.
On the outside, the bespoke droptop features a two-tone color scheme inspired by the Globe Amaranth wildflower, with most of the bodywork covered in a shade of soft purple that's accentuated by a silver undertone. This color is paired with a darker hue of purple, which incorporates red, blue, and violet mica flakes to create a metallic sheen effect.
The Amethyst Droptail rides on 22-inch wheels with a polished aluminum finish, while featuring a prominent Pantheon grille up front that's been meticulously hand-brushed and hand-polished. Just above the grille stands the Spirit of Ecstasy, which is surrounded by a ring of small amethyst cabochons. Meanwhile, the lower bodywork consists of carbon fiber, which features an Amethyst-tinted lacquer finish that matches the paint on the main bodywork in most lighting conditions.
While the Amethyst Droptail's paint job is definitely eye-catching, the real showstopper here is the sheer amount of wood that can be found inside and out. The car's aerodynamic rear deck serves as the "largest wood surface ever produced by Rolls-Royce," and the company says that the mere texture of the wood and the angle of the veneer had to be fine-tuned to perfect the car's downforce.
As requested by the client themselves, Rolls-Royce added color-shifting electrochromic glass to the removable hardtop. The company tested 60 samples of glass before finding the perfect piece. The glass becomes completely opaque when deactivated, and mimics the car's Amethyst exterior paint with a subtle purple hue. When translucent, the glass matches the Sand Dunes color found in the cabin below.
The wood theme continues inside, where dark open-pore wood is paired with shades of light brown and purple leather. The wood surfaces add up to become the "most extensive wooden surface area" from the automaker, and to ensure that the interior wood met the same endurance standards as the panels used for the exterior, Rolls-Royce tested over 150 samples before the car's final construction. Elsewhere, amethyst gems are directly integrated into the instument cluster and switchgear, while the floor mats are made of woven leather. Taking center stage on the dashboard is an exclusive timepiece crafted by Swiss maker Vacheron Constantin, featuring amethyst-colored inserts, a hand-wound movement, and a white and gold color combination for the baseplate in a sunburst guilloché pattern. Just like the watch found in the La Rose Noire Droptail, this one can be removed from its place on the dashboard and kept elsewhere.
Rolls-Royce isn't focusing on performance specifications, as each Droptail is made to be a rolling work of art. However, the company did mention a 6.7 liter twin-turbo V12 under the hood when it first announced the La Rose Noire Droptail, and we expect that to be no different in the Amethyst Droptail.
Which Droptail is your favorite: Amethyst or La Rose Noire?
Image Credits: Rolls-Royce
Revealed
Aug 25, 2023
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Rolls-Royce Amethyst Droptail Revealed With Gem-Inspired Touches, Plenty Of Wood
The Amethyst's rear deck serves as the company's largest aerodynamic wood panel ever made.
Rolls-Royce has unveiled the Amethyst Droptail, the second of four bespoke Droptail commissions. It follows the recently-revealed La Rose Noire Droptail that debuted at Monterey Car Week, and as its name suggests, this Droptail draws inspiration from amethyst gems.
The Amethyst Droptail was commissioned by the owner of a "collection of precious jewels, significant motor cars, and contemporary artworks … housed in a specially commissioned private museum." The client's identity is being kept under wraps for now, but the gem is said to be the birthstone of their son.
On the outside, the bespoke droptop features a two-tone color scheme inspired by the Globe Amaranth wildflower, with most of the bodywork covered in a shade of soft purple that's accentuated by a silver undertone. This color is paired with a darker hue of purple, which incorporates red, blue, and violet mica flakes to create a metallic sheen effect.
The Amethyst Droptail rides on 22-inch wheels with a polished aluminum finish, while featuring a prominent Pantheon grille up front that's been meticulously hand-brushed and hand-polished. Just above the grille stands the Spirit of Ecstasy, which is surrounded by a ring of small amethyst cabochons. Meanwhile, the lower bodywork consists of carbon fiber, which features an Amethyst-tinted lacquer finish that matches the paint on the main bodywork in most lighting conditions.
While the Amethyst Droptail's paint job is definitely eye-catching, the real showstopper here is the sheer amount of wood that can be found inside and out. The car's aerodynamic rear deck serves as the "largest wood surface ever produced by Rolls-Royce," and the company says that the mere texture of the wood and the angle of the veneer had to be fine-tuned to perfect the car's downforce.
As requested by the client themselves, Rolls-Royce added color-shifting electrochromic glass to the removable hardtop. The company tested 60 samples of glass before finding the perfect piece. The glass becomes completely opaque when deactivated, and mimics the car's Amethyst exterior paint with a subtle purple hue. When translucent, the glass matches the Sand Dunes color found in the cabin below.
The wood theme continues inside, where dark open-pore wood is paired with shades of light brown and purple leather. The wood surfaces add up to become the "most extensive wooden surface area" from the automaker, and to ensure that the interior wood met the same endurance standards as the panels used for the exterior, Rolls-Royce tested over 150 samples before the car's final construction. Elsewhere, amethyst gems are directly integrated into the instument cluster and switchgear, while the floor mats are made of woven leather. Taking center stage on the dashboard is an exclusive timepiece crafted by Swiss maker Vacheron Constantin, featuring amethyst-colored inserts, a hand-wound movement, and a white and gold color combination for the baseplate in a sunburst guilloché pattern. Just like the watch found in the La Rose Noire Droptail, this one can be removed from its place on the dashboard and kept elsewhere.
Rolls-Royce isn't focusing on performance specifications, as each Droptail is made to be a rolling work of art. However, the company did mention a 6.7 liter twin-turbo V12 under the hood when it first announced the La Rose Noire Droptail, and we expect that to be no different in the Amethyst Droptail.
Which Droptail is your favorite: Amethyst or La Rose Noire?
Image Credits: Rolls-Royce
