ROLLS-ROYCE is the stuff of legend, as can be seen by various illustrious and famous ROLLS-ROYCE owners depicted on this page.
The mystique of ROLLS-ROYCE has captured the imaginations of millions since the company’s inception in 1906.
For your enjoyment and interest we list below some of the anecdotal and legendary stories behind ROLLS-ROYCE, and particularly the Silver Shadow model, which is what our fleet primarily consists of:
Interesting Facts
· The Silver Shadow was built in Crewe, England, entirely by hand by master craftsman—a process which took no less than 3 months
· They have a 6.75 litre silently smooth V8 engine, which allows them to gracefully gather momentum—a ROLLS-ROYCE never accelerates
· The interior of the cars primarily consists of the finest Connelly leather (the cows were not allowed to grow up near barbed-wire fences—ROLLS-ROYCE have their own special cattle ranches for this purpose)
· A ROLLS-ROYCE truly has a very unique smell to its interior
· A specially patented hydraulic system is incorporated in the car to give you unsurpassed comfort and ride quality
· It is said that you can put an elephant on top of a Silver Shadow, and the suspension will maintain its usual ride-height
· The first 10 hp ROLLS-ROYCE was sold for 395 pounds sterling...Today it is worth over 250 000 pounds sterling
· More than six out of ten ROLLS-ROYCE cars ever built since 1906 are still roadworthy
· Testament to the reliability and quality of ROLLS-ROYCE, is the fact that nearly all airliners are powered by ROLLS-ROYCE turbofan jet engines
· At the ROLLS-ROYCE factories in Crewe and London the cars are always referred to as ROYCES—they are never called “Rollers”
· The ROLLS-ROYCE radiator grille is made entirely by hand and eye—no measuring instruments are used
· It takes one man one day to make a ROLLS-ROYCE radiator grille, and then five hours are spent polishing it. Afterwards, his name is engraved on the back
· You will never open an ashtray in a modern ROLLS-ROYCE and find a cigarette end—it empties automatically
· A ROLLS-ROYCE never breaks down—it “fails to proceed”
· Notices have been hung around the factory bearing the legend : “Beware silent cars”
· The hydraulic tappets on ROLLS-ROYCE motor cars are given a natural finish of a 16-millionth of an inch
· At one time, ROLLS-ROYCE engines held World Speed Records in the Air, on Land and on Water, simultaneously
· It is possible that ROLLS-ROYCE MOTORS is the best known British company name in the world. Letters have been received from remote corners of the globe addressed to the Royal Family, care of ROLLS-ROYCE, England
· The badge on the ROLLS-ROYCE was changed from Red to Black not, as popularly believed to commemorate Henry Royce’s death, but because Royce himself decided black was aesthetically more appropriate. Some customers complained that the red badge often clashed with the color of the car—the Prince of Wales was particularly outspoken on the subject
· The 4 final polishing on some gearbox components was not done with jeweler’s rouge (which is too course) but fine ground out husks
· The city with the most ROLLS-ROYCE per capita….Hong Kong
· Some places in the mechanics of the car are so finely machined, that no gasket is used to join the metal surfaces
· A test was once performed at the factory, where the ROLLS-ROYCE V8 engine was run up to maximum RPM (redline) for 500 hours continuously (that’s nearly 3 weeks continuous operation), before simply being switched off. No other production engine has ever accomplished this feat
· Only until very recently, has ROLLS-ROYCE ever acknowledged the power output of its engines—the answer was always one word : “Sufficient”.
Anecdotes
· After singing the praises of ROLLS-ROYCE cars over tea with Henry Royce, an aristocratic lady asked, as an afterthought, “but Sir Henry, what would happen if the factory at Derby produced a bad car?” Sir Henry answered, “Madam. The man on the gate would not let it out of the works”
· In 1949 an Italian owner, seeking permission to modify his ROLLS-ROYCE, commissioned a séance to call up Henry Royce’s spirit. ROLLS-ROYCE legend has it that the advice from beyond the veil was : “Consult your authorized distributor”
· Aristotle Onassis and Stavros Niarchos have lunch together in New York. Afterwards they pass a ROLLS-ROYCE showroom and buy a Corniche each. Niarchos goes forward to pick up the bill. “No, no, no Stevros” says Onassis, “Let me get these—you paid for lunch.”
· Before going to Europe on business, a man drove his ROLLS-ROYCE to a downtown New York City bank and went to ask for an immediate loan of $ 5000. The loan officer, taken aback, requested collateral. “Well then, here are the keys to my ROLLS-ROYCE,” the man said. The loan officer promptly had the car driven into the bank’s underground parking garage for safe keeping, and gave him $ 5000. Two weeks later, the man walked through the bank’s doors, asked to settle up his loan and get his car back. “That will be $ 5000 in principle, and $ 15.40 interest,” the loan officer said. The man wrote out a cheque and started to walk away. “Wait sir,” the loan officer said, “while you were gone, I found out you are a multi-millionaire. Why in the world would you need to borrow $ 5000?” The man smiled, “Where else could I park my ROLLS-ROYCE safely in Manhattan for two weeks and pay only $ 15.40?”
· John Lennon’s newly painted psychedelic car drew some public outrage when an old woman, in London’s downtown, attacked the car using her umbrella and yelling: “You swine, you swine! How dare you do this to a ROLLS-ROYCE!”
To be conveyed in a ROLLS-ROYCE is to…
· Cover ground swiftly, but never to feel hurried
· Be distanced from the outside world, yet not isolated from it
· Appreciate the fine details of craftsmanship and design, without being distracted by them
ROLLS-ROYCE, truly, art on wheels...sheer poetry in motion…
Be part of the legend…
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