About Mr Rolls and Mr Royce

Frederick Royce, son of a failed miller, was an engineer by training and a perfectionist by nature. He was raised in poor circumstances but went on to found Royce and Co, an electrical engineering firm specialising in electrical cranes and winches. In 1903 he turned his attention to the new and exciting motor car hobby, and by early 1904 he had designed and built a batch of three Royce motor cars. They were of exceptionally high quality.

Hon. Charles Rolls, son of Lord Llangattock, was also an engineer by training and a perfectionist by nature. After Eton and Cambridge, he became a pioneer motor car racing driver, and established a London dealership selling expensive high-quality foreign cars. A patriot, he was in search of a manufacturer of high quality British cars, and after a famous meeting in 1904 the two men went into business together as Rolls-Royce. Royce designed and manufactured the cars, and Rolls marketed them. They were to be called Rolls-Royce. Subsequently Rolls-Royce Motors was formed.

Rolls, a pioneer aviator, died in a plane crash in 1910. Frederick Royce died in 1933.

Rolls-Royce is the only motor car manufacturer in the world today who has made nothing but extremely expensive luxury cars for the top of the market. One-time rival brands such as Isotta-Fraschini and Cadillac either went out of business, or expanded their range down-market until the cachet of their names as "top" cars was lost. For example, Cadillac put their badge on the US version of the 4-cyl Holden Camira (also marketed in the UK as the Vauxhall Cavalier); while Lincoln sold the Australian-built Ford Capri roadster as a Lincoln.