Rolls-Royce: a history of

Rolls-Royce was originally founded back in 1904 by Charles Stewart Rolls and Frederick Henry Royce as a British luxury car and aero engine manufacturing business.

The pair quickly gained a reputation for engineering excellence, in part due to the creation of the first successful Rolls-Royce motor car, the 40/50. The chassis of the 40/50 also served as the basis for the first British armoured car and was used in both world wars. At this point, Rolls-Royce adopted a one-model policy, abandoning all past models to focus all efforts on the production and sale of the 40/50. This strategy lasted until 1920 when the popular, and substantially cheaper, Rolls-Royce Twenty was released to combat the falling sales of the 40/50.

In 1931 Rolls-Royce acquired sports car manufacturer – and potential rival – Bentley after the latter fell victim to the depression which followed the Wall Street Crash of 1929. Since then the company – the automobile division, at least – has changed hands numerous times, first in 1973 when it became Rolls-Royce Motors and again in 1998 when it was bought by BMW. Rolls-Royce’s reputation for comfort, luxury and elegance has remained unhindered throughout.

(Source: rolls-roycemotorcars.com / wikipedia.org / rolls-royce.com)