Rolls-Royce: The history of the most luxurious car make
Rolls-Royce, the cult car make still considered to be the utmost symbol of luxury and prestige, was founded nearly 120 years ago.
It is not the first post about Rolls-Royce on my blog. I wrote about it when I was invited for a test drive in February, and to mark the premiere of the first Rolls-Royce SUV, or the Cullinan. Let me just remind you that the Phantom is absolute top of the class – the car is incredibly comfortable and noise-proof, and moves on the road as if it were a flying carpet. As for the Cullinan, this is Rolls-Royce’s response to the trend of luxury SUVs. The first in the category was the Lamborghini Urus, then came the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, so it is just a matter of time before Ferrari unveils its own SUV.
Today, however, I want to tell you a little more about the British Rolls-Royce which now enjoys cult status among automotive buffs. The name itself – Rolls-Royce – suggests that the brand name is a pairing of two elements. Two last names, to be precise: Rolls and Royce. The former was the name of Charles Rolls, the owner of one of the first ever car showrooms in the British Isles and the latter, of Henry Royce, a renowned engineer. These two men founded a company manufacturing extraordinary automobiles,at the turn of the 19th and 20thcenturies.
The best car in the world
Success came instantly – in 1907. This was when Silver Ghost was awarded the title of “The Best Car in the World”once it beat an unusual record: the car was driven non stop without turning off the engine 27 times along the route from London and Glasgow and back (14,371 mile or 23,128 km). As such, it proved its reliability beyond any doubt. Interestingly, in the mid 1920s, production of this particular model was suspended and it was replaced with the Phantom.
The Rolls-Royce became successfully involved in the manufacturing of aviation and ship engines. In the 1930s, the company conquered not only roads, but also the oceans and the air. This was when Sir Malcolm Campbell beat the speed record in the Phantom III equipped with a V12 engine, taking it up to over 272 miles (438 km/h). Another record-breaker, Sir Henry Segrave attained the speed of 112 miles (180 km/h) with the Miss England II boat. Alas, he died soon afterwards because he crashed the boat into an invisible underwater obstacle.
In the 1940s, the premium market welcomed the Silver Wraiththat became an instant favourite. Just as was the case with the previous models, the make only delivered a chassis with an engine and the purchaser would have to buy the body in another company specialising in car body production. The first Rolls-Royce car sold with a body was the Silver Dawn that premiered in 1949.
The future queen buys a Rolls-Royce
The 1950s marked the beginning of collaboration of the brand with the British royal family. In 1950, the future Queen Elisabeth II (then a princess) picked up her very own Phantom IV car. Only 18 cars of this model dedicated to royals and heads of state were ever made. Over the next few years, the Rolls-Royce consistently expanded its offering and attracted a new client base consisting of actors, rock stars and celebrities. In 1965, John Lennon bought a Phantom V.
The 1970s were a hard time for the brand yet two completely new models were unveiled in this period, namely the Corniche convertible and the Camargue made on the Silver Shadow platform. The company was then sold to the Vickers concern which split it into two divisions: Rolls-Royce plc, manufacturing aviation engines and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd which took over the automotive leg of the business.
The Germans take over Rolls-Royce
In 1985, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd was listed on the London Stock Exchange. In line with the company vision, it continued to manufacture top class exclusive and reliable cars with excellent performance. One of them, the Thrust 2 equipped with the Rolls-Royce Avon 302 aviation engine, beat the land speed record accelerating to 633 miles (nearly 1,020 km/h!).
In 1998, the British make was acquired by Volkswagen, and in 2003, by BMW. Since then, production was moved to Goodwood and the models currently offered are the Phantom and the Ghost in different versions. After over 100 years of operation, the Rolls-Royce continues to be the synonym of luxury, sophistication, prestige and reliability.
