A brief history of Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited was founded by Henry Royce and Charles Stewart Rolls on 15 March 1906 as a result of a partnership formed in 1904. Royce was a brilliant engineer and designer and Rolls provided the financial backing and business knowledge. Rolls-Royce Limited really came to the public attention when they produced the Silver Ghost in 1906. This motor car was soon famously dubbed "the best car in the world" and set new standards for engineering and refinement.
Charles Rolls became the first man to make a non-stop double crossing of the English Channel by aircraft in 1910. Later that same year he was killed in an air crash, making him the first Briton to be killed in an aeronautical accident
Over the years the company became known for their excellent quality and in 1914 became involved in manufacturing aircraft engines. Royce developed the P.V.12 aero engine which after his death in 1933 became the infamous Merlin and later Griffin. These aero engines powered Spitfires, Lancasters and even the P51 Mustang to great effect in WWII.
1931 Rolls-Royce Limited purchased struggling Bentley.
In 1971, Rolls-Royce Limited was nationalised after being crippled by the development of the RB211 jet engine. In 1973, the car division was split from Rolls-Royce Limited as Rolls-Royce Motors. Rolls-Royce Limited continued as a nationalised company until it was privatised in 1987 as Rolls-Royce plc. Vickers bought Rolls-Royce Motors in 1980 but sold it to the Volkswagen group in 1998. In 2003 BMW gained the right to produce cars under the Rolls-Royce name and later that year produced the Phantom.