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An icon of luxury vehicles, Rolls Royce is a British manufacturer that was founded in the early 20th century. The company came about following the partnership of Charles Rolls and Henry Royce in 1904. The original Rolls Royce company was reincorporated as Rolls Royce Limited in 1971 before a de-merger in 1973 which split the company into two. Rolls Royce Motors would then be the company dedicated to manufacturing luxury cars. Rolls Royce Motors was acquired by Vickers in 1980 and then by Volkwagen. Soon, BMW acquired the right to produce Rolls Royce cars and created a new Rolls Royce company in 1998: Rolls Royce Motors Cars. Today, it is this company that produces Rolls Royce cars.

Rolls Royce produced its first car in 1904, the same year that the partnership between Charles Rolls and Henry Royce came about. This was the Rolls Royce 10 hp. Less than 20 models of the car were produced at a price tag of almost £400. The 10 hp comprised an 1800 cc engine along with a three-speed transmission. In the same decade, Rolls-Royce would produce successors to the 10 hp: the 15, 20 and 30 hp Rolls Royce models. The company would continue to produce cars until the advent of the Second World War, during which time Rolls Royce was preoccupied with manufacturing aeroplane engines.

Many of Rolls Royce’s iconic models would be introduced prior to the war period. The Rolls Royce Silver Ghost was introduced in 1906 and was in production until 1925, boasting a straight-six, 7000 cc engine. The most iconic Rolls Royce car, the Phantom, was introduced as Silver Ghost’s successor in 1925. At this time Rolls Royce vehicles were being manufactured in both the UK in Derby and in the USA at its Springfield factory. The Rolls Royce Phantom III would be the last car manufactured by Rolls Royce Limited before the Second World War. Following the war, the company introduced several newer models, including Silver Wraith, Silver Shadow and newer versions of the Phantom.

Today, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars produced only a select number of models. These include the Ghost, Phantom, Wraith and the Cullinan. In 2017, the company built a one-off car called Sweptail which was the most expensive car at the time of its introduction. Due to its eye for detail, Rolls-Royce continues to be renowned across the world for its unmatched luxuriousness.