How much would you sell a product you hand-made for four years? Surely, you would place a high price on it or better still, you would sell it to the highest bidder. What if it is a special order you have never made its type, and after it, you would never make another? No doubt, you would state a high price for it. That is the story of the world’s most expensive car. It is called the “Rolls-Royce Boat Tail.”

The Boat Tail is the world’s most expensive car, costing $28 million. It was designed to perfection by the coachbuild division of the Rolls Royce company. Unlike other cars that you can easily find with multiple people, this unique innovation was made for three lovers of Rolls Royce cars, who the company refers to as three of its best customers. Most people only find its picture on the internet.

The company, Rolls Royce, even admitted that it has never done anything like it. Chief Executive, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, said it is the most ambitious project ever by the company. He said: “Boat Tail is our most ambitious project yet. Coachbuild, in collaboration with its clients, has ignored all preconceived notions of possibility and set a new standard. This is Bespoke at its purest.”

He said the unique car was designed not just as a means of transportation and it gave a “new definition to what a motor car means.” 

”Boat Tail exists far beyond a mere means of transport. It is not just the method to reach a destination, but the destination itself,” Mr Torsten said. “It is an ambition realised with a remarkable cohort of women and men who empowered the marque to create a concept of extraordinary scope.”

Why did the company spend so much time making a car that won’t accommodate more than four people at the same time? Because the patrons asked for it.

“Show me something I’ve never seen before”

Three Rolls Royce clients approached the carmaker and their request was one. They wanted a car that had never been made. But there is a picture in their minds. The picture of a J-class yacht. Hence, it is said that the J-Class Yatch was the inspiration behind the wonderful innovation. No wonder, the car was shaped like one of those yachts and named “boat tail.” Like in previous times, the company delivered, and the world’s most expensive car was the result, and the unknown clients couldn’t be more satisfied. 

“Far more than just a beautiful motor car, a coachbuilt creation becomes a legacy that embodies something extraordinarily personal and emotionally resonant for each client,” Torsten said. 

A car patiently made

One might wonder what is so unique about this small car that makes it worth $28 million. Apart from tailoring it to the specification of the clients, the process of making the Boat Tail is complex enough to make it the most expensive car in the world. 

The four-year process began with an accurate hand drawing of a picture of what the client wanted. Then a clay model of the drawing was handcrafted with some imperfections still on it. After this, digital tools were used to correct the imperfections before metal sheets are fused by hand over the clay version to get the perfect picture of what was about to be created. 

To make a never-seen-before car, one also needs parts that have never been seen before. A total of 1813 new parts were made specifically for the three cars. The company said a total of 20 collective years were expended in making these new parts. That explains how much patience and dedication these cars needed to come alive. 

When a car becomes a picnic facility

No doubt, the boat tail car was made for luxury. Most of the car’s designs were hand-made and its parts were properly arranged, making it able to accommodate so much, despite not being the biggest.

The boot space of the car opens uniquely. There are two wooden lids, housing two compartments. The lids open like butterfly wings. On one compartment, there is a dual champagne cooler to fit bottles of the patrons’ favourite wines. On the other compartment, there is a set of crockery by Christofle of Paris. Besides the food compartments is a fridge that keeps wines cool until they are needed. 

What else is unique about this marvel? There are carefully designed picnic chairs that could be removed at ease by the occupants of the car. What is a picnic without snacks? Hence, there are removable trays that for snacks. What about the music needed for the picnic? There is a 15-speaker sound system which uses the car’s stereo as a sound box. The entire floor space can produce sound for the enjoyment of the car’s occupant. 

No wonder CEO of Rolls-Royce, Torsten Muller-Otvos, said: “What you see here in the back is probably, technically, the most refined picnic facility on Earth.”

If you are a lover of cars and you are interested in this one, you probably had to look elsewhere because only three of them were made and tailored towards the specifications of the clients. However, Rolls-Royce is never scared of making cars to fit the need of its clients, as it has done severally. 

The boat tail, which came into existence in 2021, remains the world’s most car because of the dedication and diligence it took to make it. 

“Boat Tail is the culmination of collaboration, ambition, endeavour, and time. It was born from a desire to celebrate success and create a lasting legacy. In its remarkable realisation,” Torsten Müller-Ötvös, said when it was launched. “Rolls-Royce Boat Tail forges a pivotal moment in our marque’s history and in the contemporary luxury landscape.”