Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Celebrates 10 Years of BMW Ownership

When most people think of Rolls-RoyceRolls-RoyceUnited Kingdom, 1904 > present31 models
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, they think of an automotive brand with a history that stretches back over a century, but in reality the modern Rolls-Royce is just a decade old.

In 1998, a copyright dispute erupted between BMWBMWGermany, 1918 > present87 models
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and VolkswagenVolkswagenGermany, 1938 > present98 models
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over the rights to Rolls-Royce. When it purchased BentleyBentleyUnited Kingdom, 1919 > present37 models
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, VW also got the rights to the Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy and the front grill. At the time BMW was working with Rolls-Royce plc, which is the aerospace company that has been separate from Rolls-Royce cars since 1973, on aerospace project. Rolls-Royce plc. owned the rights to the Rolls-Royce name and RR logo and were willing to license it. This led to a bargain between BMW and Volkswagen. 

BMW agreed to continue to supply engines for some Bentley and Rolls-Royce models from 1998 to 2003. On January 1, 2003, BMW would take over all of the rights to Rolls-Royce from Volkswagen. As part of that deal the company's name was changed from Rolls-Royce Motors to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. That is why technically, despite having over a century of history, Rolls-Royce celebrated its tenth birthday on January 1, 2013, to commemorate the first wholly BMW Rolls-Royce being built. 

BMW did not wait to build its own Rolls-Royce models either. The modern Rolls-Royce PhantomRolls-Royce PhantomUnited Kingdom, 2003 > 20114 versions
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was introduced about a week later at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. 

Today, Rolls-Royce has two cars with a total of six variants and completes 20 cars a day with its 1400 employees

"The renaissance of the world’s most famous automotive brand and the creation and development of the Home of Rolls-Royce has been an extraordinary and successful journey. I applaud the Rolls‑Royce team at Goodwood and across the world for their passion and together we can look forward to the next ten years with great optimism," said Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Otvos.