Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

This article is about the BMW subsidiary established in 1998. Not to be confused with Rolls-Royce Motors.
For other uses, see Rolls-Royce.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryAutomotive
FoundedMarch 1998; 26 years ago (1998-03) in the United Kingdom
Headquarters
Goodwood, West Sussex, England
,
United Kingdom
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Chris Brownridge
(CEO)
Henry Cloke
(Chief Design Officer)
Jonathan Simms
(Lead Engineer)[1][2]
Peter Schwarzenbauer
(Chairman)
Products
ServicesAutomobile customisation
Number of employees
1,300 (2014)
ParentBMW
Websiterolls-roycemotorcars.com

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited is a British luxury automobile maker that has operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW AG since 2003 – as the exclusive manufacturer of Rolls-Royce-branded motor cars. The company's administrative and production headquarters are located on the 42-acre (17 ha) Goodwood Estate in Goodwood, West Sussex, England, United Kingdom.[3]

From 1906 to 2003, motor cars were manufactured and marketed under the Rolls-Royce brand by Rolls-Royce Limited and Rolls-Royce Motors. The Rolls-Royce Motor Cars subsidiary of BMW AG has no direct relationship to Rolls-Royce-branded vehicles produced before 2003, other than having briefly supplied components and engines. The Bentley Motors Limited subsidiary of Volkswagen AG is the direct successor to Rolls-Royce Motors and various other predecessor entities that produced Rolls-Royce and Bentley branded cars between the foundation of each company and 2003, when the BMW-controlled entity started producing cars under the Rolls-Royce brand.

The BBC called Rolls-Royce "probably one of the most recognised icons in the world", and that "the name Rolls-Royce entered the English language as a superlative."[4]

The company's line of vehicles includes the Phantom, a four-door saloon first offered in 2003 as well as its extended wheelbase two-door coupé and convertible variants; the smaller Ghost four-door saloon; Wraith two-door coupé; Dawn convertible; the Cullinan SUV, and the 2023 Spectre, the first all-electric Rolls-Royce.[5]

  1. ^ "Rolls-Royce Engineering Lead Jonathan Simms talks about engineering the Ghost". Autoblog. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  2. ^ "Rolls-Royce Designer Henry Cloke talks about the design aspect". Autoblog. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  3. ^ "A Greener Goodwood". Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  4. ^ "Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow". BBC. Archived from the original on 13 June 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  5. ^ "Rolls-Royce Spectre". Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.