From Poor Kid to Luxury Maker:
It might surprise you that Rolls-Royce was started by a boy who grew up very poor and had to work as a child. Henry Royce was born in a small village in England in 1863. When he was only 4, his dad’s business failed, and his family lost everything. His dad died when Henry was 9, so his mom had to work as a servant, and Henry started selling newspapers. When he was 14, his aunt saw he was smart and got him a job fixing trains. For the next three years, Royce worked hard, read lots of books, and worked in a factory.
At first, Royce did odd jobs like fixing sewing machines and electrical things to earn money. Then, he saw that more people needed electrical lights and parts, so he started making things like light switches and doorbells, which made his company successful.
Meeting Charles Rolls and Becoming Partners:
Royce designed his own car, which was better than another car called the Decauville. This made him confident enough to start his own car company. He put together a team and started designing his new car. Finally, Royce’s car with a 10 horsepower engine and two cylinders was ready. It was quiet, light, strong, and reliable. On April 1, 1904, they tested it on the road, and it drove 50 kilometers without any problems. Royce made two more of these cars.
Charles Rolls was a rich businessman who loved fancy cars. He saw these cars at a show. Rolls was very impressed with Royce’s cars, and they decided to work together to make and sell cars called “Rolls-Royce.” They started the “Rolls-Royce Limited” company on March 15, 1906.
The Story of the “Silver Ghost”:
Rolls-Royce’s first really popular car was the “Silver Ghost” (1907), and people called it “the best car in the world.” It was so quiet when it drove that they named it “Ghost.” To show how good it was, Rolls-Royce did a long test where the car drove for 24,000 kilometers. The Silver Ghost drove day and night for two and a half months without any major problems.
The Maharaja’s Revenge:
There’s a story about the Maharaja (king) of Alwar, Jai Singh Prabhakar. He felt insulted by Rolls-Royce, so he bought six of their cars and used them to collect garbage. When he was in London, he went to a Rolls-Royce showroom dressed in regular clothes. The salesman thought he was poor and treated him badly, telling him to leave. The Maharaja was angry. The next day, he went back to the showroom in his royal clothes and ordered seven Rolls-Royce cars. He also said that the same salesman had to deliver them to India. When the cars arrived, the Maharaja made them use the cars to pick up trash in front of everyone. This gave Rolls-Royce a bad name, and later the company apologized to the Maharaja.
Making Airplane Engines:
During World War I, Rolls-Royce started making engines for airplanes, which were very important for the British army. After the war, the company focused on cars again, but they also kept making airplane engines and became very successful at it. Today, Rolls-Royce Aerospace is one of the top airplane engine makers in the world. These are some of the lesser-known stories that make the history and legacy of Rolls-Royce even more interesting. The company isn’t just known for fancy cars, but also for stories of new ideas, never giving up, and sometimes, getting even.