10 Things YOU DIDN’T KNOW About Rolls-Royce!

 

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Rolls Royce #10.

 “Celebrity Owners”- Rolls Royces are one of the most luxurious cars on the market so it’s not a surprise that they are a favorite among the rich and famous.

 From athletes like Tom Brady and Floyd Mayweather (who owns 6 all-white Rolls-Royces of all different styles) to music-moguls Beyonce and Jay-Z, celebrities can’t get enough of these sleek and powerful automobiles.

 David Beckham once owned a Phantom Drophead, all black even down to famed Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament.

 Beckham’s car was designed to resemble a yacht with a special wood decking customized in the body.

 Mariah Carey once rolled up to a perfume launch party in a white Phantom that had her likenesses emblazoned all over it.

 The most famous of all celebrity Rolls-Royces would have to be that of the late great John Lennon.

 In 1967, The Beatle notoriously had his Rolls-Royce Phantom V painted yellow with psychedelic floral patterns in order to promote the upcoming album Sgt.

 Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

 The car also sported such upgrades as a refrigerator, television, a bed in the back and a custom sound system with record player.

 #9.

 “Origins”- In 1904, Car-Dealer Charles Rolls and engineer Henry Royce teamed up to create what would go on to be one of the most innovative and iconic car companies.

 When they first started building their cars most automobiles were extremely unreliable and had a tough time traveling long distances but all that changed when they unveiled the Silver Ghost in 1907.

 The Silver Ghost shattered all previous records by traveling 24,000 kilometers (or 14,900 miles) non-stop . In the early days of the company, Rolls and Royce loved to show off the power of their new design and frequently entered their cars into races and cross country rallies.

 In 1913 they started the Rolls-Royce Alpenfahrt, which was a race through the Alps covering almost twenty different passes!

 This treacherous test of nature versus machine still goes on today and anyone can enter, anyone with an old Rolls-Royce laying around that is, because they recommend owners not using new-models due to the extreme terrain.

 #8.

 “Spirit of Ecstasy”-In addition to being on the forefront of engine design Rolls-Royces are known for their elegant appearance, one such defining feature is the majestic hood ornament known as The Spirit of Ecstasy, but few people know the story of love and infidelity behind it.

 As the tale goes, a wealthy businessman wanted to bring his mistress, a woman named Eleanor Thornton, everywhere he went.

 So, he hired a sculptor to craft an ornament in her likeness.

 The result was the iconic diving angel.

 In some of the original versions Eleanor holds her fingers to her pursed lips as if make sure their secret affair was kept that way.

 #7.

 “The Inventors”- The Rolls-Royce car is legendary, so it’s not surprising that it was designed by two legends in their own right.

 London born Charles Stewart Rolls was the founder of one of England’s first car dealerships and when not dealing or designing cars, loved to race them.

 At the premier motorcycle race in Great Britain, the Isle of Man TT, there was once a category for automobiles, and Rolls entered and won the 1906 Tourist Trophy.

 Rolls was also an impressive aviator of both hot air balloon and airplane.

 He was the first pilot to ever fly over The English Channel and return in the same flight, completing it in a little over an hour and a half.

 Sadly, he also is known as being the first British person to die in a plane crash.

 He perished at the young age of 32 when the tail of his plane came off over Bournemouth.

 The other half of the dynamic duo, Sir Henry Royce, was an engineering phenom.

 Royce was the technical genius that helped make sure all of the the team’s design innovations could actually work.

 Royce is credited with designing the famed ‘R’ engine which powered the world’s fastest cars and the first airplane to fly over 400mph.

 What’s more is he designed the engine while walking along the beach and drawing designs in the sand.

 He also designed the adjustable shock-absorber while he laid in bed, the night before he died.

 He had scribbled the plans on a back of an envelope which he handed to his nurse and told her to deliver it to the factory.

 #6.

 “Car of Kings”- Rolls-Royce has long been the choice of world leaders for transportation.

 In fact, in 1950 the company released its Phantom IV, a car that was specifically designed for heads-of-state.

 As a result only 18 of the cars were ever made.

 The owners included Queen Elizabeth II of England, Generalissimo Francisco Franco of Spain and King Faisal II of Iraq.

 Most of the Phantom IVs were limousines and many were fitted with armor.

 The Phantom IV aside, many heads-of-state throughout the years drove or were driven in Rolls-Royces of all models and customizations.

 To this day the official car used for state business in Brazil is a Silver Wraith.

 The infamous dictator of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, also uses a Rolls Royce when on parade.

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 #5.

 “Maharaja-mobiles” The most dazzling and perhaps a bit over-the-top Rolls-Royces of all time belonged to various Maharajas of India, who loved the cars due to their durability when trekking across India’s rough terrain.

 The Maharajas had Rolls-Royces that were unsurpassed in extravagance.

 From being covered in solid gold decorations to being shaped like swans the Maharajas spared no expense in souping up their rides.

 Not only did they customize them extravagantly, a few of them would frequently buy them in bulk.

 The Maharaja of Mysore would always buy his in groups of seven, and so often that the Rolls-Royce executives coined the term “Doing a Mysore” for when a customer bought in bulk.

 Then there’s the story of Maharaja Jai Singh--When the Maharaja, in street clothes, happened upon a Rolls-Royce dealership in London and was kicked out of the showroom by a dealer who thought the Maharaja was a low-class citizen, the Maharaja got even by buying six cars in cash and then used them to dispose of trash in the streets of India.

 The Maharaja’s revenge actually cost the company a great deal of profit and damaged their name momentarily.

 In order to make peace, Rolls-Royce sent the Maharaja six cars for free!

 #4.

 Aviation- Rolls-Royce was not only at the forefront of the automobile industry, they designed some of the most effective airplane engines.

 In World War I, Rolls-Royce provided engines for the British Air Force in what would be the first major war to feature air-combat.

 In World War II, The Royal Air Force would rely on the Rolls-Royce designed Merlin engine to power their famed Spitfires and Rolls-Royce turned the American P-51 Mustang into one of the most feared planes in the sky by adding the Merlin.

 Today the legacy of their airplane engine prowess lives on on through the world’s fastest commercial airline Concorde as well as British Harriers and 777s.

 Concorde even famously flew past Mach 1 using a Rolls Royce engine.

 #3.

 “On Land and Sea”- Rolls-Royce didn’t just help the war effort in the air, they also helped to support the troops with firepower and transport in water and in the field.

 In the First World War Rolls Royce provided dozens of Silver Ghost chassis which were fitted with bulletproof bodies and rolled into combat.

 Lawrence of Arabia famously used a cavalry consisting of Rolls-Royce armored cars when fighting against Turkey.

 Again in World War 2, they were commissioned again to fight in the Middle East and North Africa.

 In the water there is still no engine that can beat that of Rolls-Royce.

 Rolls Royce engines have set multiple water speed records, four times in the 1930s alone!

 These super-engines allow some of the most powerful naval vessels ever built to cut through the waves.

 From aircraft-carriers and combat ships to nuclear submarines Rolls-Royce has been leading the way in engine craftsmanship of all kinds for over one-hundred years.

 #2.

 Customization- If you were talking about a Rolls-Royce and only mentioned it’s top-tier engine we wouldn’t blame you, but what sets the cars apart from everyone else is the top-of-the-line machinery combined with the pack-leading aesthetics and breathtaking detail put into its luxurious interior and exterior.

 The customizations that Rolls-Royce can provide are unparalleled.

 In order to show off the great range of these skills Rolls-Royce releases specialized collector cars once in awhile that are fully-loaded with themed customizations.

 Their car the Celestial Phantom has a theme of astronomy and is glittered with stars that are made of diamonds, the car has 446 in total.

 They also have three cars that are art-deco themed and perfectly combine the feeling of early 20th century luxury and the future.

 One of them features a trunk that opens into what looks like a couch and inside the trunk there is a wine refrigerator and set of crystal champagne flutes.

 But this particular upgrade can actually be added to any Rolls-Royce!

 Other upgrades in their catalog include: being able to choose any color for the interior or exterior, the ability to choose any tree your heart desires for the cars wooden features (you can even choose one out of your own backyard), you can have your initials stitched into the upholstery, a built in jewelry box, and the Starlight Headliner which is a series of lights that mimic the stars in the roof of the car.

 If you choose the Starlight Headliner, you can either get a random set of constellations or you can choose one that features your zodiac symbol or any set of stars seen in any particular place in the world.

 But if what you want isn’t on the menu, fear not--Rolls-Royce sets a new standard for accommodation, they have notably added a hand-made picnic set that stores in the trunk for one wealthy owner and for one buyer, who wanted a place to store their thermos, made a specialized nook for one and even went as far as to build a whole separate door for crash testing to make sure the thermos holder didn’t compromise safety.

 #1.

 The Future- You might think Rolls-Royce is satisfied with being the best in the business and setting the bar for auto, aviatic and nautical innovation for more than a century, but there is no way they are going to sit idly by and let the future come to them.

 Rolls-Royce is already working on some awe-inspiring new projects.

 The most fascinating of these is the 103EX, a car that looks as if it’s straight out of Blade Runner.

 The 103EX is unique in that it will be completely designed by the prospective owner, they can choose everything from the car’s shape to the materials used to make it.

 In the model version the 103EX sports a ceiling that opens from the side like a clamshell at the same time as the automated door, so that you can get out without hunching.

 It also will be fully electric and self-driving with a giant television screen replacing the steering wheel and front console.

 The driving features and entertainment will be monitored by Rolls-Royce designed artificial intelligence known aptly as Eleanor.

 The 103EX of course, is only in the concept phase as of now, so hopefully we all have time to strike-it-rich so we can buy one!