In 1884 Henry Royce started an electrical and mechanical business. He made his first car, a two  cylinder Royce 10, in his Manchester factory in 1904, and was introduced to Charles Rolls at the Midland Hotel, Manchester on 4 May of that year. Rolls was proprietor of an early motor car dealership, C.S.Rolls & Co. in Fulham.

In spite of his preference for three or four cylinder cars, Rolls was impressed with the Royce 10, and in a subsequent agreement of 23 December 1904 agreed to take all the cars Royce could make.

There would be four models:

10 hp, 2 cylinder model at £395

15 hp 3 cylinder model at £500

20 hp 4 cylinder mode at £650

30 hp 6 cylinder model at £890

All would be badged as Rolls-Royces, and be sold exclusively by Rolls. The first Rolls-Royce car, the Rolls-Royce 10 hp, was unveiled at the Paris Salon in December 1904.

Rolls-Royce Limited was formed on 15 March 1906, by which time it was apparent that new premises were required for production of cars. After considering sites in Manchester, Coventry, Bradford and Leicester, it was an offer from Derby's council of cheap electricity that resulted in the decision to acquire a 12.7 acres site on the southern edge of that city. The new factory was largely designed by Royce, and production began in early 1908.

In 1931 Rolls-Royce acquired the much smaller rival car maker Bentley after the latter's finances failed to weather the onset of the Great Depression. From soon after World War II until 2002 standard Bentley and Rolls-Royce cars were often identical apart from the radiator grille and minor details.

In 1933, the colour of the Rolls-Royce radiator monogram was changed from red to black because the red sometimes clashed with the coachwork colour selected by clients, and not as a mark of respect for the passing of Royce as is commonly stated.

Rolls-Royce and Bentley car production moved to Crewe in 1946 where they began to assemble complete cars with bodies from the Pressed Steel Company (the new standard steel models) for the first time. Previously they had built only the chassis, leaving the bodies to specialist coach-builders.

Financial problems caused largely by development of the new RB211 turbofan aircraft engine led, after several cash subsidies, to the company being nationalised by the Heath government in 1971.

In 1973 the motor car business was sold off as a separate entity, Rolls-Royce Motors which is now owned by BMW.

Rolls Royce is still considered to be the most prestigious car in the world.

The Spirit of Ecstasy also known as The Flying Lady

 AX201, the first 40/50 Silver Ghost

1920 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost 40-50 Hooper Tourer

Photo: Rex Gray • Licensed for reuse under CC BY 2.0

1982 Rolls Royce Silver Spur