Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited engineers, manufactures and
distributes luxury automobiles and automobile parts worldwide.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW
established in 1998 after BMW was licensed the rights to the
Rolls-Royce brand name and logo from Rolls-Royce PLC and acquired the
rights to the Spirit of Ecstasy and Rolls-Royce grill shape trademarks
from Volkswagen AG. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited operates from purpose
built administrative and production facilities opened in 2003 across
from the historic Good wood Circuit
in Goodwood, West Sussex, England, United Kingdom. Rolls-Royce Motors
Cars Limited is the exclusive manufacturer of Rolls-Royce branded motor
cars since 2003. Although the Rolls-Royce brand has been in use since 1906, the
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars subsidiary of BMW AG has no direct relationship
to Rolls-Royce branded vehicles produced prior to 2003. 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 Rolls-Royce Phantom 4-door sedan was the first product offered
for sale in 2003. Since then, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has expanded its
product line up to include an extended wheelbase version of the Phantom
sedan, a Phantom 2-door coupé and Phantom convertible version and the
less expensive Ghost 4-door sedan and Wraith 2-door coupé.
History
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited was created as a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW
in 1998 after BMW licensed the rights to the Rolls-Royce brand name and
logo from Rolls-Royce PLC and acquired the rights to the Spirit of
Ecstasy and Rolls-Royce grill shape trademarks from Volkswagen AG.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited has been manufacturing Rolls-Royce
branded cars since 2003.
Although the Rolls-Royce brand has been in use on vehicles since
1906, the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars subsidiary of BMW AG has no direct
relationship to Rolls-Royce branded vehicles produced prior to 2003. The
Bentley subsidiary of Volkswagen AG is the direct successor to Rolls-Royce Motors
and the other various predecessor entities that produced Rolls-Royce
and Bentley branded cars between the foundation of each company and
2003. Current chief executive Torsten Müller-Ötvös joined the company in
January 2010, with a pledge to regain the quality standards that made
Rolls Royce famous in the 1980s. That year, the company's sales in China
increased by 600%, meaning that it is now Rolls Royce's second largest
market after the US.
Ownership and licensing of trademarks
In 1998, Vickers decided to sell Rolls-Royce Motors. The most likely buyer was BMW, who already supplied engines and other components for Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars, but BMW's final offer of £340 million was beaten by Volkswagen's £430m. A stipulation in the ownership documents of Rolls-Royce dictated that Rolls-Royce plc,
the aero-engine maker would retain certain essential trademarks,
including the Rolls-Royce name and logo if the automotive division was
sold. Although Vickers plc sold the vehicle designs, nameplates,
administrative headquarters, production facilities, Spirit of Ecstasy
and Rolls-Royce grill shape trademarks to Volkswagen AG, Rolls-Royce plc
chose to license the Rolls-Royce name and logo to BMW AG for £40m,
because Rolls-Royce plc had recently had joint business ventures with
BMW. BMW's contract to supply engines and components to Rolls-Royce Motors
allowed BMW to cancel the contract with 12 month's notice. Volkswagen
would be unable to re-engineer the Rolls-Royce and Bentley vehicles to
use other engines within that time frame. With the Rolls-Royce brand
identification marks split between the two companies and Volkswagen's
engine supply in jeopardy, the two companies entered into negotiations. Volkswagen agreed to sell BMW the Spirit of Ecstasy and grill shape trademarks and BMW agreed to continue supplying engines and components
until 2003. Volkswagen continued to produce Rolls-Royce branded vehicles
between 1998 and 2003, giving BMW time to build a new Rolls-Royce
administrative headquarters and production facility on the Good wood Estate near Chichester, West Sussex
and develop the Phantom, the first Rolls-Royce from the new company.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited became the exclusive manufacturer of
Rolls-Royce branded cars in 2003. Rolls-Royce announced in September
2014, that a new technology and logistics centre will built, due to open
in 2016, 8 miles away from the main headquarters, in the seaside resort
town of Bognor Regis.
Products
Phantom
Rolls-Royce Phantom Extended Wheelbase in use at the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong.
- From 2003 – Phantom 4-door sedan. Launched in January 2003 at Detroit's North American International Auto Show, this is the first model from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited. The car has a 6.75 L V12 engine sourced from BMW, but most components are unique to the car. Parts are sourced from Continental Europe and the UK. Assembly, leather work, wood work, and finishing are carried out in a new factory in Goodwood near Chichester, Sussex.
- From 2005 – Rolls-Royce Phantom Extended Wheelbase. This car's wheelbase is 250mm longer than that of the standard Phantom sedan.
- From 2007 – Phantom Drophead Coupé (convertible)
- From 2008 – Phantom Coupé
Ghost
- From 2010 – Ghost 4-door sedan. Rolls Royce announced in September 2006 that it would develop a new four-door model named Ghost. The Ghost will be smaller than the previous Rolls Royce automobile launched, the Phantom. Only 20% of the components would be sourced from BMW F01 7 Series, and it will be positioned below the Phantom.
- On March 4, 2014, the new Ghost Series II was revealed to the public at the Geneva Motor Show. It has a facelift front with new LED headlights. The interior has had an update as well.
Wraith
- From 2013 – Rolls-Royce Wraith coupé. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars launched a new car at the Geneva Motor Show on 5 March 2013. The new car, named the Rolls-Royce Wraith (in honour of the original Wraith built by the original Rolls-Royce Limited from 1938-1939) is a luxury coupe, with a long bonnet and a sleek roof line, and is a coupe version of the Ghost. It is powered by a 623 bhp, twin-turbocharged V12 engine connected to an 8-speed gearbox. Deliveries are expected to begin by the end of 2013. Rolls-Royce had already stated that the Wraith will be the most powerful Rolls-Royce motor car to date.
SUV
- 2015 Rolls-Royce announced the production of SUV for the very first time in the company history. The Cullinan model was shown as a mule test model. According to Rolls Royce, "the new SUV will set new luxury standards among cars of this segment".
Prototypes
- Rolls-Royce 100EX (2006)
- Rolls-Royce 101EX (2006)
- Rolls-Royce Hyperion (2008)
- Rolls-Royce Mini (June 2009)
- Rolls-Royce 200EX (2009; known as ″RR04″ also)
- Rolls-Royce 102EX (2010)
Sales
The all-time high record of sales was achieved in 2014, at 4,063 cars,
beating 2013 sales by 433 cars. In 2011, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited
sold 3,538 cars, an increase of 31 percent compared to 2010, beating
the previous sales record from 1978. The strong sales growth occurred in
the Asia Pacific region, Britain and the Middle East with sales
increases of 47 percent, 30 percent and 23 percent respectively.
No comments:
Post a Comment