ROLLS-ROYCE will tomorrow celebrate the 120th anniversary of when The Honourable Charles Stewart Rolls and Sir Henry Royce first met.
It took place in a Manchester hotel on May 4, 1904.
Royce, who was knighted in 1930, was a gifted engineer with his own company making products including overhead cranes when he took an interest in the motor car, then in its infancy.
Working long hours affected his health and doctors ordered him to take an extended break.
Returning from 10 weeks in South Africa, Royce bought a Decauville, a car made in France and considered to be ahead of its time.
He dismantled it, assessed every component and decided to make his own car.
Royce said he aimed to ‘take the best that exists and make it better’. His goal would be achieved.
The Honourable Charles Stewart Rolls raced cars and aeroplanes. A trained engineer, he opened a car dealership in London with initial backing from his father, Lord Llangattock.
Rolls sold Panhard and Mors car made in France and Minerva models from Belgium.
He was frustrated he could not source cars built in Britain that met his own exacting standards and the requirements of his customers.
The first meeting between Rolls and Royce was arranged by a mutual friend. It led to Rolls agreeing to sell all the cars Royce could produce and the subsequent formation of Rolls-Royce.
Aged just 32, Rolls was killed when his plane crashed during a competition at Bournemouth in 1910.
Royce was 70 when he died in 1933.
The accompanying images show the founders of Rolls-Royce and two of their cars for display at the 1904 Paris ‘Salon de L’Automobile’.
BMW Group now own the Rolls-Royce car company.
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