More than a century ago, Charles Rolls and Henry Royce began a legacy of high-quality, handcrafted, automobiles that has developed into one of the most recognizable luxury symbols on the planet. The shadowed RR symbol of Rolls-Royce vehicles has become synonymous with elegance and prestige in everything from automobiles to aftershave.
The Exotic Car Doc, with an automotive legacy of his own, has brought quality Rolls-Royce service and repair to the Tampa Bay/Clearwater, Florida area. Forza Tuning and Performance specializes in exotic and luxury vehicles like your elegant Rolls-Royce. Sooner or later, your Rolls-Royce will require an oil change, factory scheduled maintenance, a maintenance tune up, wheel alignment, brake service, engine repair, transmission replacement/repair, rear end repair/replacement, steering and suspension repair, driveshaft service/replacement, engine cooling system repair, heating and air conditioning repair and maintenance, transmission service, wheel and tire rotation/replacement, or some other type of service. Forza can assist with all your Rolls-Royce service and repair needs, as well as high-performance mods and tuning.
Here are a few interesting historical facts about your Rolls-Royce vehicle:
- The first car offered by Rolls-Royce was called the 10HP. The innovative, young automaker was also experimenting with aircraft engines. Released in 1915, the Rolls-Royce Eagle powered the first airplane to successfully cross the Atlantic.
- In 1913 a Rolls-Royce earned the title “Best Car in the World” after completing the 14,731-mile Alpenfahrt event. This grueling contest, through rough territory, is still being held today. It is preferred that competitors make the trek in their classic Rolls-Royce vehicle.
- Like most other car manufacturers of the time, Rolls-Royce vehicles were created by multiple firms. Rolls-Royce typically constructed the chassis and powertrain then sent the rolling stock to Barkers, Hoopers or Park Ward to have a coach built on top of it. It wasn’t until after World War II that Rolls-Royce produced a complete automobile. Dubbed the Silver Dawn, the car was made from 1949 and 1955 and only 760 were produced.
- The greatest concentration of Rolls-Royce vehicles may be found in Hong Kong. Not surprising when you consider that Hong Kong was under British rule for the majority of the twentieth century.
- In 1971, issues with the RB211 jet aircraft engine led to potentially crippling financial issues for Rolls-Royce. The state took over and ran the aircraft development side of the company. Rolls-Royce Motors began doing business as a separate entity in 1973. The Corniche was created during this phase.
- In 1998, after decades of courting Rolls-Royce Motors, a pair of suitors found themselves locked into a unique relationship. Volkswagen had outbid BMW for controlling interest in the luxury automaker, but BMW retained rights to the Rolls-Royce name and logo. Eventually the two German car giants reached a deal that allowed BMW to produce complete vehicles using the Rolls-Royce name.
- The 2003 Rolls-Royce Phantom is the first Rolls-Royce vehicle built entirely by BMW. It features an astounding 44,000 possible color combinations for the interior and exterior.
- Known for their superior quality and extraordinary owner loyalty, approximately 65-percent of all Rolls-Royce vehicles ever built are still on the road today.
- Even in today’s fast-paced world, Rolls-Royce takes pride in handcrafting certain parts of their unique automobiles. Every Rolls-Royce engine is hand-built by an expert.
- Rolls-Royce permits only one man to paint the patented coach line on all its vehicles, prior to leaving the factory. In this high-pressure job, no robots or other machines are allowed. The painter must possess outstanding focus.
Hope you enjoyed those interesting historical facts about your Rolls-Royce.