Rolls Royce : Myth or Magic

Today’s speaker was Nigel Thorley who gave an interesting and informative talk called Rolls Royce: Myth or Magic.

The name Rolls Royce is a name that symbolises quality, reliability and longevity.

Charles Rolls and Henry Rolls began their collaboration 1904, building on Royce’s good reputation established with his cranes, they quickly developed a reputation for manufacturing superior luxury cars. The business was incorporated as “ Rolls-Royce Limited in 1906 and a new factory was opened in Derby in1908.

The First world War brought the company into manufacturing aero engines . The development of Jet engines began in 1940 with the now famous Merlin engine. Rolls- Royce went from strength to strength until 1971 when the company went into liquidation and was nationalised by the then government, until 1987 and was then renamed “Rolls-Royce plc”

The Rolls- Royce logo the Spirit of Ecstasy which adorns their cars was designed by Charles Robinson Sykes.