Arrive in Regal
Elegance and Style
|
|
Arrive in Regal Elegance and Style |
History |
| Founders |
|
They had agreed to discuss an innovation for F. H. Royce & Co. - making motor cars that would be ahead of their time. The aristocratic Hon. Charles S. Rolls, born in 1877, the son of a landowner, was noted at the time as an entrepreneur, as well as an adventurer (in Dublin in 1903 he set a world land speed record of 93mph) and a hot-air balloonist (tragically, he was destined to be one of the earliest casualties of aviation when he died in a flying accident in 1910). Engineer Royce had focused his unquenchable enthusiasm to improve mechanical things on automobiles. He had firm views on the need for quality and a Victorian fancy for expressing his aims in stirring phrases: "Small things make perfection, but perfection is no small thing," declared Mr. Royce. "Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble," he added. And one of his cannier observations in this vein was to note that "The quality remains long after the price is forgotten." The Hon. Charles Rolls was hugely impressed by the precision he found in Mr. Royce's first, two-cylinder prototype. It started on the button and progressed with remarkably silent smoothness. What was more, it did not seem to break down with the regularity which was customary at the time. Charles Rolls appreciated such qualities. He was not himself a professional engineer, but he had acquired a degree in mechanical engineering at Cambridge University and was an accomplished driver. He arranged to borrow the Royce and as soon as he was back in London, rushed round to his business partner, Claude Johnson, and took him on an extended drive to show off its abilities. They were agreed that in the single-minded Mr. Royce they had found an engineering talent to take on the world. Their first stop was France, where a pioneering Royce went on show at the Paris Salon in early December, 1904. It was a sensation and, two days before Christmas, an historic agreement was signed for Messrs C. S. Rolls and Co. to have exclusive rights to sell Royce cars in Britain, on the understanding that they should henceforth be known by a new name - Rolls-Royce. |
There is a common misconception these days that Rolls Royce Motor Cars are a product of Bentley Motors. In fact, they originated as two completely independent companies before combining to create the finest motor cars ever produced.
Select the Bentley emblem to read more.
Here you will find a detailed history of the Bentley marque, how it all started, and it's unique relationship with Rolls Royce.
|
And now...
The Rolls-Royce Phantom
The Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Chief Engineer and Founder gave us these words over 100 years ago, and they remain the corner stone of the company philosophy as it begins its next century.
When the new Rolls-Royce Phantom was unveiled in January 2003, it marked a renaissance for arguably the most famous name in the automobile world; a name that has become synonymous with engineering excellence, style and luxury.
‘Project Rolls-Royce’ began on 28 July 1998, when BMW Group became custodians of the marque. The Phantom is the result of an intense four-year program that not only designed and engineered an entirely new motor car, but also established a new company and a new state-of-the-art manufacturing plant and head office located at Goodwood in Southern England.
Inspired by the classic Phantom of the
1930’s, the new Rolls-Royce Phantom VI not only picks up where it
left off, but takes the time-honored Rolls-Royce brand to a new
level of luxury and performance. |
|
|
Personal History and General Information Chassis number LSWC 626 was commissioned in December of 1958 for Lysander C. Davis II, the founder of the Charleston Hosiery Mills and producer of the Dr. Scholl’s podiatric products that have long been a household name. She departed South Hampton, England on November 25th, 1960 to New York, NY per the Queen Elizabeth, and then shipped by enclosed truck to his home in Cleveland, TN. Originally clad in RR Midnight Blue, she was built to U.S.A. specifications with owner ordered amenities including electrically operated windows and radio aerial, rear cabin refrigeration, and rear seat modifications accommodating more leg room for her occupants. Although completed in 1960, Rolls Royce classified LSWC 626 as a 1961 model. L.C. Davis owned her until his death in 1968. She was then sold to Thomas C. Watson of Gastonia, NC where she resided until his death in 1992. Joel Manary of Annandale, VA purchased LSWC 626 in September of 1993 and had the original aging paintwork refinished in RR Tudor Grey over Shell Grey that you see today. Upon his retirement, Mr. Manary moved with the car to San Diego and had the original interior appointments refreshed to RR specifications in March of 2000. We took custodianship of this beautiful coach, ironically, on November 25th of 2003, 43 years to the day from her original delivery with only 55,000 miles travelled. Since then we have thoroughly enjoyed her, providing maintenance as needed to RR specifications per Rolls Royce Motor Cars of Dallas.
626 is a fine remaining example in original, unmodified condition, of the last Rolls Royce automobiles handcrafted by master coach builders. Only 2,417 chassis were designated as the Silver Cloud II during its manufacture from 1959-1962. Long wheel base versions numbered 299. Only 41 were fitted with coach built bodies. The body is constructed of hand pounded steel and aluminum with an interior of burled walnut veneers, Connelly leather, Wilton wool carpets, English wool broadcloth upholstery and appointments to the individual taste. Approximately 18 months to 2 years were required from order to delivery to the customer. Price was approximately $18,000 to $25,000 when a new Cadillac cost $6,000. The handcraftsmanship is a painstaking process that is evident throughout this magnificent rolling sculpture. The radiator grille is so intricately handcrafted that only seven craftsmen in the world were qualified to build one. More Interesting Facts:
|
||
|
The Rolls Royce defined its own class. Notable personalities who owned these vehicles were: Royalty
|
||
Captains of Industry
|
||
Arts and Entertainment
|
||
Numerous Governments around the world
for Presidential use.
|
||
Our Wedding Partners and Related Links page
Cloud 9 Vintage Coach, Inc.
908 Audelia Rd, Suite 200-144
Richardson, TX 75081
Back to Home Page
It
has now been a century since the first auspicious meeting took place
between two men who, despite quite different backgrounds and
temperaments, would combine their talents to create a motor car... and a
legend. Mr. Henry Royce, born in 1863, the son of a miller, was a
well-established engineer (his Manchester-based firm, F. H. Royce &
Co., manufactured cranes and dynamos) when in the spring of 1904 he was
introduced to the Hon. Charles Rolls in Manchester.
The famous 40/50hp
Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost sets new standards of
engineering refinement and coachbuilt elegance
Silver Ghost
made for US market in Springfield, Massachusetts
Launch of Rolls-Royce Phantom I
with 6-cylinder engine
Phantom II with sophisticated
new suspension system
Phantom III with V12 engine and
100mph performance
Rolls-Royce Wraith, last motor
car to be made at Derby
First deliveries of Silver
Wraith, made in Crewe; last Rolls-Royce motor car to be
sold exclusively as chassis and engine, relying on
independent coachbuilders to provide bodywork
First Rolls-Royce standard steel
saloon - The Silver Dawn
Phantom IV, designed for
royalty and heads of state
Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud
launched
Silver Cloud II acquires 6,230cc
V8 engine; Rolls-Royce Phantom V introduced
Silver Cloud III
First monocoque Rolls-Royce -
The Silver Shadow
Phantom VI
Rolls-Royce Corniche
convertible, Formation of new company: Rolls-Royce Motor
Cars Ltd
Silver Shadow II introduced
Silver Spirit and
long-wheelbase Silver Spur introduced
Silver Spirit III and Silver
Spur III
Special edition Rolls-Royce
Flying Spur introduced
Long-wheelbase, special
Rolls-Royce Park Ward
Introduction
of all-new Silver Seraph
Revised Silver Seraph with
improved rear passenger accommodation and enhanced
features
With an auspicious sense of
timing, Rolls-Royce celebrates the new millennium with
the incomparable, all-new Corniche convertible
Romantic
fantasies and whisperings surround the history of the world's
most instantly recognized motor car mascot, wistfully described
by its creator, the sculptor Charles Sykes, as "A graceful
little goddess, the Spirit of Ecstasy, who has selected road
travel as her supreme delight and alighted on the prow of a
Rolls-Royce motor car to revel in the freshness of the air and
the musical sound of her fluttering draperies."
