Rolls-Royce Limited

Rolls-Royce Limited was an aeronautical manufacturer and a car manufacturer founded in 1906. The company was privatisée in 1987 to become Rolls Royce plc.

History

In 1884 Henri Royce, begins a business of electricity and mechanics. In 1904, this mechanic of mainly self-educated genious builds its first car with Manchester. It is introduced near Charles Rolls, an insane aristocrat of engines, giving rise to founded the Rolls-Royce company on March 15th 1906. It was transferred to Derby in 1908.

Between 1904 and 1906, 19 engine cars two cylinders, 2 liters left the factories, followed few specimens to engine three cylinders of 3 liters and the 30 HP, built with 30 specimens. Equipped with a superb body in Aluminum, the 13th phantom mass-production car, it “of money” Silver Ghost , fell under the history of the car by traversing 15.000 miles between on July 1st and the August 8th 1907 without any mechanical breakdown.

The new model 40/50 cv is propelled by a driving six cylinders on line of 7 liters, increased to 7,4 liters in 1910 whose 6.220 specimens will be produced.

The July 12th 1910, Charles Rolls is killed in a display of air strength.

More modest 20 cv, animated by an engine six cylinders of 3,1 liters are sold with 2.890 specimens. In 1929 the 20/25 succeeds to him.

Between 1921 and 1931, a factory with Springfield, Massachusetts, will produce 1.700 Silver Ghost with exclusive characteristics.

Walter Owen Bentley will obtain five victories with the 24 hours of Mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930 with a car propelled by a frightening engine 3 liters provided with Piston S in Aluminum, with a Camshaft at the head and with four Soupape S by Cylindre.

Henri Royce dies in 1933 but it will have still designed the Merlin engine which equips in particular the hunter Supermarine Spitfire.

The factory is transferred to Crewe in 1946 and from now on the body is also built whereas before it was only the frame.

Famous Silver Ghost and prestigious Phantom succeeded Silver Dawn, Silver Cloud, Silver Spirit/Spur, and illustrates it Silver Shadow with body Monocoque and Hydropneumatic suspension by Citroen (1965). In 1978, born the Rolls-Royce the Camargue, fitted with body by Pininfarina. The British manufacturer of military equipment Vickers buys the company in 1980.

The famous radiator cap of the mark, The spirit off Ecstasy, representing an young woman the deployed arms and the dress floating with the wind, is a jewel of the Art nouveau. Charles Sykes took as a starting point the Victoire de Samothrace to create this figurine.

The principles founders of the mark, enacted by Henry Royce, were simple: To seek the perfection in all. To take the best what exists and to improve it. And when nothing exists, to conceive it .

Centenary Phantom, a model which will be produced only with 40 specimens, will mark the centenary of Rolls-Royce. One will notice the particular shape of the grills, taking as a starting point the architecture of the Greek temples.

Activities in the car

List of Rolls-Royce

New models (less happy) manufactured since the acquisition of the mark by a German group

Aeronautical activities

See also: Rolls Royce plc

External bonds

Company:
  • Rolls-Royce plc

Automobile category:

  • Rolls-Royce Motor Bus
  • the fan K. - J. Roßfeldt
  • the largest virtual museum Rolls-Royce & Bentley
  • Photographs of the centenary
  • Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I

See too

  • List of the British companies

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