Italian design house and coachbuilder Pininfarina presented the Hyperion at the Concours d’Elegance at Pebble Beach in California. The one-off custom-built car that is derived from the Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupe was named after Hyperion, one of the Titans of Greek mythology. The Hyperion was created for collector Roland Hall who asked Pininfarina to design a custom-built car that would evoke the appeal of the lavish cars of the 1930s. Or at least that was the Italian coachbuilder’s intent as we find the Hyperion looks a bit too gaudy – like something that came out of the Thunderbird TV series. Of course that’s our personal take so feel free to disagree.

Pininfarina HyperionUnder the skin, while the Hyperion maintains the Drophead Coupe’s 6.75-liter V12 engine, Pininfarina moved the driving position further back (400 mm), took out the rear seats, extended the roof and shortened the rear end. The bodywork is made of carbon fibre with the exception of the doors that are made out of solid wood by craftsmen who specialize in creating components for luxury boats. -Continued

The Italian firm also designed a new hood, which folds behind the seats under a wood-lined cover. In front of the windscreen Pininfarina created two compartments for small items or for sports equipment.

The interior of the car is practically unchanged, as the only addition concerns a new watch that was designed specifically for the Hyperion by Girard-Perregaux. Interestingly, the watch can be removed from the dash and attached to a bracelet to be worn on the wrist.

Pininfarina HyperionPininfarina Hyperion