Rolls Royce Motor Co.

Year of foundation 1906

The Beginnings: A Meeting of Two Minds (1904-1906)
1904, May 4: The Rolls-Royce story begins with a fateful meeting. Henry Royce, a successful engineer with a passion for precision and reliability, presents his first automobile, the "Royce 10hp," to Charles Rolls, an aristocratic automotive pioneer and owner of one of London's first car dealerships. Royce was dissatisfied with the quality of the cars of the time, particularly his Decauville, and decided to build a better one.

Rolls, impressed by the superior quality of the Royce 10hp, agrees to sell all the cars Royce manages to produce, provided they bear the "Rolls-Royce" name.

During this period, a crucial role was also played by Claude Johnson, often referred to as the "hyphenate in Rolls-Royce," who oversaw management and marketing, significantly contributing to the brand's image.

1906: Rolls-Royce Limited is officially founded. The company focuses on the production of a range of two-, three-, four-, and six-cylinder vehicles.

The Legend of the "Silver Ghost" and the Reputation of "The Best Car in the World" (1907–1914)
1907: The legendary 40/50 hp "Silver Ghost" is launched. Designed by Royce, this car is a triumph of engineering. Its exceptional smoothness, quietness, and reliability make it renowned. One example traveled 14,371 miles (over 23,000 km) almost non-stop, cementing Rolls-Royce's reputation as "The Best Car in the World." This model remained in production for nearly two decades.

1911: The famous bonnet statuette, the "Spirit of Ecstasy," created by artist Charles Sykes, was adopted as the brand's official mascot.

1914: With the outbreak of World War I, the company shifted its focus from car production to aircraft engines, a field in which Rolls-Royce would excel for decades. The Eagle engine became crucial to Allied aviation. The famous Rolls-Royce Armored Cars, armored vehicles used in various theaters of war, were also produced.

Post-war era and expansion (1918–1939)
1920s: Automobile production resumed. New models were launched, such as the "Twenty," a smaller car aimed at a wider audience, and the Phantom, which replaced the Silver Ghost as the flagship model.

1929: The Phantom II was introduced.

1930s: The brand's prestige continues to grow. In 1931, Rolls-Royce acquires its historic competitor, Bentley, which, while maintaining a sporting identity, begins producing models based on Rolls-Royce chassis.

1936: The Phantom III is launched, the first Rolls-Royce to be equipped with a V12 engine. This is the last model developed under the supervision of Sir Henry Royce before his death.

1939-1945: During World War II, Rolls-Royce focuses almost entirely on aircraft engines, producing the legendary Merlin engine. This engine powers iconic aircraft such as the Spitfire, Hurricane, Mosquito, and Lancaster, playing a crucial role in the Battle of Britain and the conflict overall.

Postwar and the Golden Age (1946–1960)
1946: Automobile production is moved from Derby to Crewe, where the company already had a shadow factory during the war. The Derby site remains the center for aircraft engines.

1949: The Silver Dawn is introduced, the first Rolls-Royce sold with a standard steel body, unlike previous models that often required custom bodies.

1950s and 1960s: Some of the most iconic postwar models are launched, including the Silver Cloud and the Phantom V, which would become status symbols for celebrities and heads of state (a famous example is John Lennon's Phantom V).

The Crisis, Nationalization, and Separation (1971–1980)
1971: Rolls-Royce Limited, the parent company, goes bankrupt. The main cause was not the automotive division, but the exorbitant costs and delays in the development of the RB211 jet engine for the Lockheed TriStar aircraft.

To save the company, the British government intervened and nationalized it, separating the two divisions. A new state-owned company, Rolls-Royce (1971) Limited, was created for the aircraft engine business, and the automotive division was sold to Rolls-Royce Motors Holdings Limited, a new entity.

The Vickers Era and the Complex Takeover by BMW and Volkswagen (1980-2003)
1980: Vickers plc acquired Rolls-Royce Motors. Under their management, successful models such as the Silver Spirit and Silver Spur were launched.

1990s: The automotive industry evolved, and Rolls-Royce needed to modernize its production.

1998: Vickers decided to sell Rolls-Royce Motors. A bidding war breaks out between BMW and Volkswagen Group. Volkswag