This is Amethyst, the second in the Rolls-Royce Droptail series

Rolls-Royce will likely never let slip how much each of its four Droptail creations cost its ‘patrons’, but a good guess would be at least tens of millions of pounds.

So, let’s just say that you were in a position to spend that much on a rather unique motor car. What would you choose as the inspiration for your creation? 

The unnamed buyer of this particular Droptail went for the amethyst gem – the birthstone of their son and something that was probably fairly easy to get hold of given that they run a family business which has grown “from a gemstone boutique to a multinational corporation with diversified interests".

It won’t come as a surprise to hear that there are actual amethysts included in the design, with the Spirit of Ecstasy figurine up front and the interior dials surrounded by the rare gems. 

The exterior is painted in two shades. The first is called (no surprises here) Amethyst and is a deep purple that covers the bonnet and roof. The second is a lighter shade inspired by the globe amaranth wildflower that apparently grows in the desert near ‘one of the client’s homes’.

Of course, you already know about the Droptail’s rather dramatic roadster design thanks to the La Rose Noire creation we saw just a few days ago. Here though that giant rear deck is fully *ahem* decked out in wood, with the veneer section apparently the largest wood surface ever produced by Rolls-Royce. 

It’s also a wooden surface that has genuine aerodynamic properties, and we’re told that the Calamander Light open-pore wood was tested to the same levels as the usual exterior bits, meaning it can withstand temperatures ranging from -30°C to +80°C and is completely rain and sunlight-proof. We’re told that the deck’s protective coatings have even been granted their own patent.  

Oh, and the bands of wood had to perfectly match the colour of the leather inside the car, so over 100 logs were reviewed by specialists to find the perfect piece. Presumably it’s no coincidence that the canteen at the Rolls-Royce factory now has a whole new set of furniture.

There’s plenty more of that attention to detail too. For example, the Pantheon grille is partially hand-brushed and partially hand-polished, and the carbon fibre is finished with a layer of lacquer that’s tinted with amethyst pigment. The electrochromic glass on that interestingly shaped removable roof is also tinted, but somehow it’s purple tinted when set to opaque and then a similar colour to the tan leather when it’s set to translucent. Witchcraft.

Like La Rose Noire, the Amethyst Droptail also comes with a matching watch, although this one was made by Vacheron Constantin rather than Audemars Piguet. Still, what you'd expect from a car costing tens of millions of pounds.