by Kevin Guthrie

Created on: February 27, 2008

The name Rolls-Royce has become a synonym for luxury, but the roots of the company lie in a meeting between two individuals whose backgrounds were in stark contrast to each other. A working class self-educated engineer and a member of the British landed gentry came together to form a company which would build some of the most elegant automobiles in motoring history.

Frederick Henry Royce came from a distinctly unprivileged background. He was the son of a miller and grew up near Peterborough. By the age of 10 he was already working, delivering newspapers. A stint as an apprentice on the Great Northern railway followed, during which he made an effort to educate himself about the relatively new science of electricity. His efforts paid off and he worked for several early electric companies before finally setting himself up in business in Manchester. His rise from humble beginnings had been swift and remarkable.

His success allowed him to purchase a Decauville car, when cars were still an extremely rare commodity. The French machine left Frederick singularly unimpressed as it proved temperamental and prone to breaking down, or sometimes not even starting in the first place. He decided that, with his own engineering skills, he could do considerably better. Early in 1904 he completed his first car and was satisfied that it was a vast improvement.

Charles Stewart Rolls had no great need to work. His parents were a Lord and Lady no less, but he applied himself to his studies. After passing through Eton and Cambridge he emerged with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Sciences. Charles was a keen driver and purchased a Peugeot to get around in. Also a competitive individual he won a 1000 mile reliability trial and established a new world land speed record of 93 mph, driving an 80hp Mors in Ireland. In 1902 he set himself up in business as a car dealer. Shortly after his friend Claude Johnson made it a partnership. Johnson is perhaps the forgotten man of the Rolls-Royce story. He would prove instrumental in steering the company through some dark days.

It was a shareholder in Charles' company who persuaded him to travel to Manchester to see Frederick Royce's handiwork. Charles was immediately impressed and offered to sell any cars Frederick built, in an exclusive agreement. By December of that year two complete cars and various chassis and engines were ready to be displayed at the Paris Salon. On 23rd December a contract was signed which stipulated that, from then

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