Rolls Royce have always been a car producer renowned for manufacturing some of the best cars in the world. Since their early days, when the first 40/50 HP(which was later to be named the Silver Ghost) rolled off the production line and was chosen as a demonstrator vehicle, the automotive industry stood up and took note of the quality of the vehicles that Rolls Royce produced.

When people are asked to name a luxury car manufacturer, the first company that springs to mind, is more often than not Rolls Royce. However, with a high price tag, the vehicles seems to be out of reach for most of us. Perhaps this is part of the attraction to the cars and why they are often the first choice as a carriage to transport the bride-to-be on her wedding day. After all, it is not everyday that you get to ride in a Rolls or for that matter, it is not everyday that you are going to get married.

There is no doubt that a classic Rolls Royce motor car is a thing of beauty. Rarely are they seen on the roads during everyday life, so when they are seen they are guaranteed to turn heads. Lovingly cared for and restored, the early models such as the Silver Ghost, Phantom II and Silver Wraith make the perfect wedding vehicle and make an excellent backdrop for any wedding day photograph. These early vehicles are incredibly rare, which has helped to add to their charm and allure.

However, the modern Rolls Royce motorcars such as the Phantom are as equally bewitching as their older counterparts. The Phantom has been designed with elegant sloping lines, giving an illusion of motion, even when the car is stationary. When you look at a Phantom from head on, it quietly whispers class, elegance and in the same breath, undeniable power. Read the rest of this entry »

The Rolls Royce was conceived in 1904 over lunch in a Manchester Hotel. The meeting involved Henry Edmunds, who was an engineer; Charles Rolls, a founder member of the RAC and keen car enthusiast; and Henry Royce, who was also a successful engineer who had been making plans for a prototype car. Henry Edmunds had decided to introduce Rolls to Royce, as he knew that the two men would benefit from a meeting with one another.

At the conclusion of the meeting it was agreed that C.S Rolls and Co would be the sole dealership selling as many vehicles that Royce could be produced. Royce was known to be a man who would pay great attention to detail and was already an accomplished engineer, who had registered his first patent, a bayonet lamp socket in 1887. In typical Royce fashion, he decided to improve upon his first car, a Decauville and decided that he would go on to build some of the best cars in the world. By 1904 Royce had designed and built his first prototype motor car engine, which took to the road.

Royce went on to design the 40/50 HP motorcar, which was introduced in 1907. The Commercial Managing Director, Claude Johnson, decided to use a 40/50 HP as a demonstrator vehicle. The vehicle ended up being the 12th 40/50HP to roll off the production line and was painted aluminium silver, with silver-plated fittings. Due to the quietness of the vehicle it was named the “Silver Ghost”. The name stuck and it was during this year that the vehicle proved time and time again, that it really was an incredibly reliable motorcar. During this year the Silver Ghost completed a return, London to Glasgow journey 27 times, which was quite a feat, as most motor vehicles at this time were incredibly unreliable. It was in 1907 that the publication Autocar, described the Silver Ghost as the “best car in the world”, which is a term that has been associated with Rolls Royce even to this day.

Over the years Rolls Royce has continued to build luxury vehicles, many of which have gone on to become famous, such as John Lennon’s Phantom V. The car was originally delivered in 1965 in black, however, during the making of Sergeant Pepper, John decided to have the car painted in scrolls and flowers by a team of barge designers, which was to upset a lot of Rolls Royce fans. Read the rest of this entry »