The Humble Beginnings of the Rolls-Royce
Author: Jason / Date: August 29, 2022 / Tags: classic cars
(RareCarMarket.com) – The name Rolls-Royce is synonymous with luxury in the modern era. However, the legendary car company wasn’t always such a success. In fact, despite being one of the most desired vehicle brands in the world, Rolls-Royce came from what was an unlikely partnership.
The name comes from the company’s two founders, Henry Royce and Charles Rolls. While these two men came together to create the iconic brand, they couldn’t be any more different from one another. Royce came from a poor family and had to work hard his entire life. He never got the chance to expand his education aside and taught himself to become an engineer. On the other hand, Rolls came from a wealthy family, which afforded him the benefit of attending school and seeking higher education.
Both men individually led successful businesses. Rolls made a name for himself by creating one of the first automotive dealerships in Britain when he started C.S. Rolls & Company. At this time, the business Royce created, F.H. Royce & Company, had already established itself as a mechanical and electrical firm. However, the engineer was interested in automobiles and eventually made three of them, one for himself, another for his partner at the time, Ernest Claremont, and a shareholder of his business, Henry Edmunds.
Edmunds happened to be a good friend of Rolls and told the car dealer about Royce’s vehicle. Rolls, frustrated that he only imported and sold foreign cars, wanted to sell his own. Impressed by Royce’s two-cylinder automobile, the dealer reached out to the engineer, and the two formed a partnership in 1906. The rest, as they say, is history.
The unlikely partnership didn’t last long as Rolls, unfortunately, died in an airplane crash in 1910, the first time a person passed away in such an accident in Britain. Despite the nature of the relationship and how short-lived the collaborative effort may have been, the company the two men created has certainly evolved. The brand’s heritage, along with its long list of luxury features, makes Rolls-Royce one of the most elegant cars in the world, with a price tag to match — despite its humble beginnings.
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