Rolls-Royce recently trademarked the “Droptail” name at the EU Intellectual Property Office, fuelling rumors about a new coachbuilt special in a similar fashion to the ultra-expensive Boat Tail trio. The patent filing from July 20, was first discovered by CarBuzz. While automakers usually trademark plenty of name variations that are related to their current or past models as a means to discourage potential copycats, the Droptail moniker sounds fitting for a new special-commission project from Rolls-Royce. After all, personalised one-offs and few-offs are becoming increasingly popular amongst collectors, generating profit for luxury automakers who are more than eager to satisfy their wishes.
The British automaker has used similar
names on two occasions in the past years. The $12-million Rolls-Royce Sweptail
one-off was introduced in 2017, while the $28-million Rolls-Royce Boat Tail
followed in 2021 with a limited production of three units as the world’s most
expensive automobile. The Boat Tail name was trademarked in 2018, with the
first production model arriving in September 2021, the second nicknamed “Mother
of Pearl” delivered in May 2022, and the third yet to be revealed. If
Rolls-Royce follows a similar timeframe with the Droptail, then a possible
launch could be expected by 2025 although we can only speculate at this point.
Rolls-Royce customers surely have a better idea since those matters are usually
being discussed behind closed doors years before the model sees the light of day,
from early phases of design development.
The previous special models by Rolls-Royce
were based on the tried-and-tested underpinnings of the series-production
Phantom, just like Bugatti uses the Chiron platform for its limited production
hypercars. The Architecture of Luxury, currently used by the entire Rolls-Royce
lineup including the Ghost, the Cullinan, and the Phantom, is compatible with
both the traditional V12 and fully electric powertrains, as proven by the
upcoming Spectre.
Thus, we wouldn’t be surprised if Droptail
had something to do with the latter, combining a bespoke coachbuilt body with a
completely silent, zero-emission powertrain. Rolls-Royce wants to become an
EV-only brand by 2030, although there is plenty of time until the end of the decade
for a few more V12-powered models. In any case, it is safe to assume that
Rolls-Royce will continue offering bespoke editions of the Phantom to its
special clients, and take the extra step for even more specialised products
with eye-watering price tags whenever they get the chance.