British Motor Manufacturers 1894-1960, Rolls-Royce

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Photograph of 1913 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost

1913 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost [D]
Photograph of 1930 Rolls-Royce 20/25

1930 Rolls-Royce 20/25 [D]
Photograph of Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce [D]
Photograph of 1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom I

1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom I [D]
Photograph of 1959 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I

1959 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I [D]
Photograph of 1951 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn

1951 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn [D]
Photograph of 1913 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost

1913 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost [D]
Photograph of 1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost

1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost [D]
Photograph of 1923 Rolls-Royce 20hp Barrel Sided Tourer

1923 Rolls-Royce 20hp Barrel Sided Tourer [D]
Photograph of 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Weymann Saloon

1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Weymann Saloon [D]
Photograph of 1938 Rolls-Royce Goshawk

1938 Rolls-Royce Goshawk [D]
Photograph of Rolls-Royce 20hp

Rolls-Royce 20hp [D]
Photograph of 1905 Rolls-Royce Light 20 Isle Of Man TT Tourer

1905 Rolls-Royce Light 20 Isle Of Man TT Tourer [D]
Photograph of 1905 Rolls-Royce 15hp 4-Seater Tourer

1905 Rolls-Royce 15hp 4-Seater Tourer [D]
Photograph of 1911 Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Tourer

1911 Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Tourer [D]
Photograph of 1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Hunting Car

1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Hunting Car [D]
Photograph of 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Brougham De Ville

1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Brougham De Ville [D]
Photograph of 1932 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Henley Roadster

1932 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Henley Roadster [D]
Photograph of 1907 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost

1907 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost [D]
Photograph of 1937 Rolls-Royce 25/30 Sedance Coupé

1937 Rolls-Royce 25/30 Sedance Coupé [D]
Photograph of 1939 Rolls-Royce Wraith Light Limousine

1939 Rolls-Royce Wraith Light Limousine [D]
Photograph of 1906 Rolls-Royce 10hp

1906 Rolls-Royce 10hp [D]
Photograph of Rolls-Royce 20/25

Rolls-Royce 20/25 [D]
Photograph of 1929 Rolls-Royce 20 Park Ward Limousine

1929 Rolls-Royce 20 Park Ward Limousine [D]
Photograph of 1956 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith "Perspex Roof"

1956 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith "Perspex Roof" [D]
Photograph of 1956 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith "Perspex Roof"

1956 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith "Perspex Roof" [D]
Photograph of 1956 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Drophead Coupe

1956 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Drophead Coupe [D]
Photograph of 1958 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I Hooper Empress Siam

1958 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I Hooper Empress Siam [D]
Photograph of 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I

1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I [D]
Photograph of 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Sedanca-de-Ville by Hooper

1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Sedanca-de-Ville by Hooper [D]
Photograph of 1925 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Coupe

1925 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Coupe [D]
Photograph of 1928 Rolls-Royce New Phantom

1928 Rolls-Royce New Phantom [D]
Photograph of 1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Barker Double Cabriolet

1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Barker Double Cabriolet [D]
Photograph of 1926 Rolls-Royce 20 Landualette

1926 Rolls-Royce 20 Landualette [D]
Photograph of 1934 Rolls-Royce Hooper Sports Saloon

1934 Rolls-Royce Hooper Sports Saloon [D]
Photograph of 1959 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud HJ Mulliner Drophead Coupé

1959 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud HJ Mulliner Drophead Coupé [D]
Photograph of 1954 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn

1954 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn [D]
Photograph of 1936 Rolls-Royce 25/30 HJ Mulliner Sedanca-de-ville

1936 Rolls-Royce 25/30 HJ Mulliner Sedanca-de-ville [D]
Photograph of 1957 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud

1957 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud [D]
Photograph of 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental

1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental [D]
Photograph of 1960 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II

1960 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II [D]
Photograph of 1953 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Sports Saloon

1953 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Sports Saloon [D]

Select a Manufacturer:

Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce Ltd.
Nightingale Road
Derby
Derbyshire

1904-1914;1919-1939;1946-1960+

Frederick Henry Royce (1863-26th April 1933) was the Chief Electrical Engineer responsible for the pioneering Street Lighting scheme in Liverpool in 1882. He started his own company in Manchester in 1884 to sell electric cranes and dynamos. There was an economic slump at the close of the Boer War in 1902. At this time Henry Royce and his partner Ernest Claremont had been designing and manufacturing electrical equipment at Hulme, Manchester for some time. FH Royce & Company had become Royce Ltd. in 1894 and was facing competition from cheaper foreign manufacturers. Royce investigated means of expanding, and electrical components for the new motor industry seemed promising.

Royce took delivery of a second hand Decauville in 1903, (A French make). He began to improve and modify this car and convinced Claremont to allow three prototypes vehicles to be constructed at the Cooke Street works. Before the year was out Royce was testing his own engines and the first Royce prototype took to the roads on 1st April 1904.

One of Royce's partners, Henry Edmunds, introduced him to the Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls (1877-1910), a motoring enthusiast. Rolls and his partner Claude Goodman Johnson ran a company in London selling expensive foreign motorcars. Rolls had been looking for a quality British make to sell and the new Royce seemed to meet his requirements. An agreement was made to market Royce's car provided it was sold as Rolls-Royce and the first cars were offered to the public in December 1904.

Charles Rolls was trained as a Mechanical Engineer at Cambridge and after a period working for the railways at Crewe he set up as a Motor Dealer in 1902. Charles Rolls was the first person the fly the English Channel in both directions. He died in a flying accident in 1910.

The range was later simplified to a single model, the 40/50, later to be known as the Silver Ghost.

After The Great War a smaller and lighter model was produced. The 20 hp car was underpowered but still sold in steady numbers.

In 1930 Rolls-Royce badge was changed to black letters instead of red, not due to the death of Henry Royce in 1933 as is sometimes quoted.

Only one 1904 car is known to exist, the fate of the three Royce prototypes is unknown.

In 1931 Rolls-Royce bid £125,175 for Bentley Motors and took them over in the October of that year.

The photograph of the pale blue 20hp was kindly supplied by its owner James Cheyne.

The photograph of the white 1925 20/25 Coupe was kindly provided by Ross G Frater of Brisbane.