Rolls-Royce Amethyst Droptail debuts as the only car with an aerodynamically functional wood finish

The Amethyst Droptail by Rolls-Royce is among four vehicles commissioned for a specific client. Its unveiling comes after the recent debut of the La Rose Noire.

On the outside, the unique Rolls-Royce has a two-tone color scheme. The car's main finish is a delicate purplish shade inspired by the Globe Amaranth flower, which the automaker matched with a deep Amethyst paint. The soft purple has a silver undertone, while the darker hue combines blue, red, and violet mica flakes to enhance its glossy appearance.

22-inch shiny aluminum wheels are at each corner, with a touch of mauve paint on the inside. For the first time, the car manufacturer created a hand-polished and hand-brushed grille. It took more than 50 hours of collective work to get a uniform finish.

Beneath the grill lies the lower intake. It's created using a light and composite material that Rolls-Royce printed and has 202 hand-polished stainless-steel ingots painted with the Globe Amaranth color. The aerodynamic rear deck has a sizable wood surface that functions effectively. According to the company, it's the only raw wood surface that produces downforce on a new car globally. 

The client encouraged the automaker to create electrochromic glass that could change color. Rolls-Royce had to test 60 versions of glass before they were happy. The glass appears completely opaque when not in use, and has a purple shade. When it is translucent, it is the same hue as the Sand Dunes brown leather seats inside. 

The interior features a mix of dark wood and contrasting leather, blended with gentle purples. The automaker tested all the wood to confirm that it met the same endurance standards as the external pieces. The company tested more than 150 samples for more than 8,000 hours before constructing the car's final design, subjecting them to sunlight, rain, and changes in temperature.

The main feature of the dashboard is a handcrafted clock from Vacheron Constantin in Geneva that runs on hand-winding. It has an amethyst-colored face with a bi-retrograde display and a bi-axial tourbillon. The clock can be detached and stored by the owner separately from the vehicle. Rolls-Royce worked together with Vacheron Constantin in designing the clock and integrating it into the white-gold baseplate.

Earlier this week, Rolls-Royce introduced the La Rose Noire. It's a hand-built car model with a dark red color that the company's paint experts took 150 iterations to perfect. The Droptail models showcase the brand's bespoke cars. In the previous year, Rolls-Royce disclosed that they had received the largest number of commissions in their history.

Source: Rolls-Royce