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Rolls-Royce builds the Sweptail, a beautiful one-off boattail coupe

When it comes to custom-built cars, Rolls-Royce rarely fails to impress. Its latest creation is this one-off coupe called the Sweptail. According to Rolls-Royce, it was commissioned by a collector of bespoke machinery, and the car's design inspiration was the coachbuilt Rolls-Royces of the 1920s. The end result is an enormous Rolls-Royce coupe with a beautiful trailing boattail design. It looks like a hyper-expensive boattail Buick Riviera in the best way possible. A glass roof sheds light on a particularly plush interior. There are only two seats in the massive coupe. Where rear seats would have gone, are shelves made of wood and glass for storage. Wood veneer, consisting of ebony and paldao, is found everywhere in the car, even in the cargo areas. The darker wood trim is also accompanied by light colored leather. The Sweptail has a few little tricks up its sleeve, too. Opening the suicide doors on either side will reveal platforms for attache cases. The cases are designed to carry the occupants' laptop computers, and they're constructed from carbon fiber, wrapped in leather, and finished with aluminum and titanium hardware. Between the seats is a chiller that comes complete with crystal champagne flutes and a bottle of champagne from the year the owner was born. The trunk is also filled with custom-fitted luggage. Being a one-off, you won't be able to buy one of these coupes yourself. But it does show the capabilities of Rolls-Royce for doing special automobiles. And, who knows, if you have the money and connections, you might be able to have your own unique Rolls-Royce commissioned. Related Video: Featured Gallery Rolls-Royce Sweptail View 14 Photos Image Credit: Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce Coupe Luxury Special and Limited Editions

Rolls-Royce Spectre EV is revealed, and it's production-bound

Rolls-Royce has formally announced plans to introduce a battery-electric coupe. Dubbed Spectre, the British super-luxe automaker's first EV will begin deliveries in late 2023, which has now become a key milestone in Rolls-Royce's roadmap to full electrification by the end of the decade. Apart from the name and layout, Rolls is being stingy with specifics, telling us only that, despite what appears to be a somewhat familiar silhouette, this is an all-new model built on the company's latest architecture, like Phantom, Ghost and Cullinan. Spectre is not merely a derivative of the Wraith, RR says. And with good reason, because Wraith was engineered around the essence of its V12. Spectre's character, we expect, will be defined by its near-silent, vibration-free electric powertrain, which makes for a very different acoustic backdrop, but that's a challenge Rolls-Royce engineers are prepared – arguably even predestined – to overcome. Even more than a century ago, both Charles Rolls and Sir Henry Royce were fascinated by electric powertrains. The automaker even shared some of Rolls' impressions of an EV he drove in April 1900 from Connecticut-based manufacturer Columbia:  "The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean," he noted. "There is no smell or vibration, and they should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged. But for now, I do not anticipate that they will be very serviceable – at least for many years to come." View 9 Photos "Today, 117 years later, I am proud to announce that Rolls-Royce is to begin the on-road testing programme for an extraordinary new product that will elevate the global all-electric car revolution and create the first – and finest – super-luxury product of its type," said Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos.  "Charles RollsÂ’ prophecy has been the subject of constant consideration during the marqueÂ’s Goodwood era," he said. "But we have not been satisfied that available technology could support the Rolls-Royce experience. Until now." If there's any coherent theme to the message coming from Rolls-Royce, it's that the company intends to do right by its first EV. To that end,it  says it will develop Spectre "in plain sight," holding it to some of the most stringent development requirements of any vehicle that has carried the Spirit of Ecstasy.  "To do this, we have conceived the most demanding testing programme in Rolls-RoyceÂ’s history.

Muhammad Ali's 1970 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow is going for auction

Boxing fans and Rolls-Royce fans, get your wallets ready. A very special car is going to cross the Bonhams auction block this October. It's a 1970 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow Mulliner Park Ward convertible that was owned by none other than Muhammad Ali, the boxer that ended George Foreman's undefeated streak. Bonhams reports that the car was owned by Ali for 6 years, meaning Ali must've enjoyed this car and used it quite a bit. The company postulates that since Ali bought the car in 1970, it may have been a celebratory purchase, since that was the first year Ali could box again after a five-year ban from the sport for being a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War. The car itself has a number of notable features. For one thing, Bonhams says the car is completely unrestored, and is in quite good condition as such. It also is apparently one of just 272 Silver Shadow Mulliner Park Wards that were built with left-hand drive. It ended up in Holland after Ali's tenure with it, which is partly why it will go for auction at a Bonhams auction in Belgium. Also interesting is that this is a celebrity car – a nice one, too – that is in the realm of affordability. Bonhams estimates it could sell for between $47,000 and $70,000. The low end of that price is actually a couple grand less than Hagerty's estimate of $49,200 for a concours-ready example without celebrity history. And even at the high end, you'll still be paying way less for this than, say, a new Rolls-Royce Ghost. So if you can get yourself to Holland and have the means to buy and ship the car, this could be a way to get a great celebrity car for not a massive amount of money. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.