Rolls-Royce facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited

Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Manufacturing Distribution
Founded	United Kingdom (March 1998 (1998-03))
Headquarters	Goodwood, West Sussex, England , United Kingdom
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Torsten Müller-Ötvös (CEO) Peter Schwarzenbauer Chairman Giles Taylor (Design Director)
Products	Phantom Phantom Coupé Ghost Wraith Dawn
Services	Automobile customisation
Number of employees	1,300 (2014)
Parent	BMW Group

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited is a British luxury automobile maker. A wholly owned subsidiary of German group BMW, it was established in 1998 after BMW was licensed the rights to the Rolls-Royce brand name and logo from Rolls-Royce PLC and acquired the rights to the Spirit of Ecstasy and Rolls-Royce grill shape trademarks from Volkswagen AG. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited operates from purpose-built administrative and production facilities opened in 2003 across from the historic Goodwood Circuit in Goodwood, West Sussex, England, United Kingdom. Rolls-Royce Motors Cars Limited is the exclusive manufacturer of Rolls-Royce branded motor cars since 2003.

Although the Rolls-Royce brand has been in use since 1906, the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars subsidiary of BMW AG has no direct relationship to Rolls-Royce branded vehicles produced prior to 2003. The Bentley Motors Limited subsidiary of Volkswagen AG is the direct successor to Rolls-Royce Motors and various other predecessor entities that produced Rolls-Royce and Bentley branded cars between the foundation of each company and 2003, when the BMW-controlled entity started producing cars under the Rolls-Royce brand.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom four-door sedan was the first product offered for sale in 2003. Since then, the company has expanded its product line to include extended wheelbase, two-door coupé, and convertible versions of the Phantom sedan, as well as the smaller Ghost four-door sedan and Wraith two-door coupé.

History

The Silver Ghost, 40/50 chassis #60551 registration AX-201 Scottish Reliability Trial 22 June 1907

Rolls-Royce Limited owned a British luxury car and aero engine manufacturing business founded in 1904 by Charles Stewart Rolls and Frederick Henry Royce. Rolls-Royce Limited was incorporated on 15 March 1906 as a vehicle for their ownership of their Rolls-Royce business. Their business quickly developed a reputation for superior engineering quality and for manufacturing the "best car in the world", building on F H Royce's existing standing. Rolls-Royce became a leading manufacturer of piston aero-engines after it was brought into building them by the First World War.

From 1940, Rolls-Royce participated in the development of the jet engine and built for itself, and retains, a pre-eminent position in aero engine development and manufacture for use in defence and civil aircraft.

In 1971 their financial collapse was dealt with by sale, at a price which took some years to negotiate, of the entire business to a new government-owned company, Rolls-Royce (1971) Limited. Insolvent Rolls-Royce Limited was put into liquidation. Everything that could be sold off was sold off, but more than 46 years later there are still assets remaining to be sold.

Rolls-Royce (1971) Limited continued to trade and realise the surplus assets bought from the former company. BAC was sold almost immediately, the profitable but now financially insignificant car division transferred in 1973 to a new subsidiary, Rolls-Royce Motors Holdings Limited, was sold to Vickers in 1980.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited was created as a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW in 1998 after BMW licensed the rights to the Rolls-Royce brand name and logo from Rolls-Royce PLC and acquired the rights to the Spirit of Ecstasy and Rolls-Royce grill shape trademarks from Volkswagen AG. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited has been manufacturing Rolls-Royce branded cars since 2003.

Although the Rolls-Royce brand has been in use on vehicles since 1906, the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars subsidiary of BMW AG has no direct relationship to Rolls-Royce branded vehicles produced prior to 2003. The Bentley subsidiary of Volkswagen AG is the direct successor to Rolls-Royce Motors and the other various predecessor entities that produced Rolls-Royce and Bentley branded cars between the foundation of each company and 2003.

Current chief executive Torsten Müller-Ötvös joined the company in January 2010, with a pledge to regain the quality standards that made Rolls-Royce famous. That year sales in China increased by 600%, making it the company's second largest market after the US.

Products

Current

Ghost

Rolls-Royce Ghost

• From 2010 – Ghost 4-door sedan. Rolls-Royce announced in September 2006 that it would develop a new four-door model named Ghost. The Ghost will be smaller than the previous Rolls-Royce automobile launched, the Phantom. Only 20% of the components would be sourced from BMW F01 7 Series, and it will be positioned below the Phantom.
• On 4 March 2014, the new Ghost Series II was revealed to the public at the Geneva Motor Show. It has a facelift front with new LED headlights. The interior has had an update as well.

Wraith

Rolls-Royce Wraith

• From 2013 – Rolls-Royce Wraith coupé. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars launched a new car at the Geneva Motor Show on 5 March 2013. The new car, named the Rolls-Royce Wraith (in honour of the original Wraith built by the original Rolls-Royce Limited from 1938 to 1939) was a luxury coupe, with a long bonnet and a sleek roof line, and was a coupe version of the Ghost. It was powered by a 623 bhp, twin-turbocharged V12 engine connected to an eight-speed gearbox. Deliveries were expected to begin by the end of 2013. Rolls-Royce had stated that the Wraith would be the most powerful Rolls-Royce motor car to that date.

Dawn

• From 2015 – The Rolls-Royce Dawn is a British handmade 4 seat luxury convertible. It was announced in time for the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Phantom

• Rolls-Royce unveiled a new Phantom at "The Great Eight Phantoms Exhibit", which would go into production at the end of 2017, with sales starting in 2018.

Upcoming

Cullinan

• Rolls-Royce announced plans for the production of an SUV – dubbed the Cullinan – in 2015, a company first. Expected to be rolled out in late 2018 as a 2019 model, it is claimed by Rolls "the new SUV will set new luxury standards among cars of this segment".

Former

Phantom

Rolls-Royce Phantom

Rolls-Royce Phantom coupe

• 2003–2016 – Phantom four-door sedan. Launched in January 2003 at Detroit's North American International Auto Show, this is the first model from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited. The car has a 6.75 L V12 engine sourced from BMW, but most components are unique to the car. Parts are sourced from Continental Europe and the UK. Assembly, leather work, wood work, and finishing are carried out in a new factory in Goodwood near Chichester, Sussex.
• 2005–2016 – Rolls-Royce Phantom Extended Wheelbase. This car's wheelbase is 250 mm longer than that of the standard Phantom sedan.
• 2007–2016 – Phantom Drophead Coupé (convertible)
• 2008–2016 – Phantom Coupé

Concept vehicles

• Rolls-Royce 100EX (2006)
• Rolls-Royce 101EX (2006)
• Rolls-Royce Hyperion (2008)
• Rolls-Royce Mini (June 2009)
• Rolls-Royce 200EX (2009; known as ″RR04″ also)
• Rolls-Royce 102EX (2010)
• Rolls-Royce 103EX (2016)

See also

In Spanish: Rolls-Royce para niños