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Makes › Rolls-Royce · Car manufacturer · United Kingdom United Kingdom

Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce traces its origins to 1904, when Henry Royce built his first car in Manchester and met Charles Rolls. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is today a wholly owned subsidiary of the BMW Group, based at Goodwood in West Sussex.2,1

Rolls-Royce 10 hp
Rolls-Royce 10 hp
Photo: Terry Whalebone · CC BY 2.0
91Cars documented
18Individual chassissee each car
1904Founded

Model lines

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Phantom 38 rare versions · 1925–2052

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Silver Wraith 8 rare versions · 1946–1977

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40/50 5 rare versions · 1907–1914

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Corniche 5 rare versions · 1986

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Silver Cloud 5 rare versions · 1958

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Other cars

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Key facts

Founded
1904 (Henry Royce's first car; Royce and Charles Rolls met on 4 May 1904); exact date of company formation not confirmed in fetched sources2,1 Independently researched
Founder
Henry Royce and Charles Rolls1,2 Independently researched
Headquarters
Goodwood, West Sussex, England2 Independently researched
Parent company
BMW Group (Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a wholly owned subsidiary; BMW could use the name from 1 January 2003)2,1 Independently researched

History

Henry Royce built his first car in Manchester in 1904, and he met Charles Rolls on 4 May 1904 at the Midland Hotel in Manchester, in a meeting arranged by Henry Edmunds. The Nightingale Road factory in Derby was officially opened on 9 July 1908, and from 1914 the company manufactured aircraft engines as well as cars. Rolls-Royce bought the smaller Bentley company in 1931. After financial difficulties the company was taken over by the British government in 1971 and sold to Vickers in 1980. In 1998 Vickers sold Rolls-Royce and Bentley to Volkswagen while BMW licensed the Rolls-Royce name and logo, and from 1 January 2003 BMW produced Rolls-Royce cars, beginning with the Phantom unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show that month.

2,1

Milestones

  1. 1904
    Henry Royce built his first car in Manchester and met Charles Rolls on 4 May.1,2
  2. 1908
    The Rolls-Royce factory on Nightingale Road, Derby, was officially opened on 9 July.2
  3. 1931
    Rolls-Royce bought the Bentley company.1
  4. 1971
    After financial difficulties Rolls-Royce was taken over by the British government.1
  5. 1980
    The British government sold Rolls-Royce to Vickers.1
  6. 2003
    The Phantom, the first Rolls-Royce created under BMW ownership, was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show.1

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

  1. 1
    Chapter Thirty-Two | Upper Echelon: BMW Group revives Rolls-Royce Motor Cars for the modern era Level A BMW Group Newsroom (Americas)
    • Henry Royce built his first automobile in Manchester, England in 1904
    • In 1931, Rolls-Royce added to its portfolio by buying the smaller Bentley
    • Rolls-Royce taken over by the British government in 1971
    • In 1980, the government sold Rolls-Royce to Vickers PLC
    • BMW unveiled the Phantom, the first Rolls-Royce created under its ownership
    • two years later he was joined by a partner, Charles Rolls
    • BMW couldn't use the Rolls-Royce name until January 1, 2003
    • began manufacturing airplane engines as well as automobiles in 1914
    • For £40 million, BMW licensed the rights to the Rolls-Royce name and logo
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  2. 2
    Rolls-Royce: makers of the marque Level B National Motor Museum, Beaulieu
    • 4 May 1904 (locator)
    • officially opened before an audience of dignitaries on 9 July 1908
    • founders met on "4 May 1904" at The Midland Hotel, Manchester
    • first meeting 4 May 1904, arranged by Henry Edmunds (locator)
    • the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, West Sussex
    • a wholly owned subsidiary of the BMW Group
    • founders met on "4 May 1904" at The Midland Hotel
    Accessed 2026-11-11

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