Rolls-Royce Motors
1971 A new company, Rolls-Royce Motors Ltd, was created by the receiver of Rolls-Royce to contain the profitable parts of the company including the car manufacturing division, the marine and industrial diesel engines, military vehicle operations and rights to the Wankel engine. The new company included the coach building businesses of H. J. Mulliner, Park Ward and Bentley Motors (1931)[1]. The gas turbine businesses were put into a new company Rolls-Royce (1971) Ltd[2]
1973 Having failed to attract sufficiently high offers in the sale by tender, the automobile business was spun off as a public company, Rolls-Royce Motors Ltd[3].
1976 Second rights issue within a year to fund expansion as, unlike the rest of the motor industry, Rolls-Royce had increased profits in the past year[4]
1976 Took an interest in L. Gardner[5] but failed in a bid for Fodens
1980 Vickers bought Rolls-Royce Motors Limited[6] and continued producing Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars.
1983 Sold Rolls-Royce Diesels at Shrewsbury to Massey-Ferguson[7]
1985 Renamed Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited.
1992 Vickers considered selling Rolls-Royce Motors[8]
1998 After a contest, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars was sold by Vickers to Volkswagen[9]. The losing bidder, BMW, acquired the rights to the Rolls-Royce name and the marque for use on Rolls-Royce cars for £40 million[10] from Rolls-Royce.
Production of Rolls-Royce cars at Crewe came to an end. The last model built at Crewe was the Silver Seraph, effectively the first all-new Rolls-Royce since the launch of the Silver Shadow more than 30 years earlier. Developed with help from BMW, it was powered by a 5.4-litre BMW V12 engine.
2003 BMW took over responsibility for Rolls-Royce cars
The Rolls-Royce headquarters and assembly plant moved to Goodwood, West Sussex.
See Also
Sources of Information
- History of Rolls Royce Motor Cars [1]