Does Rolls-Royce manufacture cars? It might seem like a strange question given that the brand name is often viewed as the ultimate in luxury car manufacturing. However, in the modern day there are actually two companies named Rolls-Royce: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd is owned by BMW and produces cars, while Rolls-Royce Holdings plc produces aero and marine engines. The two were separated in 1971 after the original, combined company entered liquidation and was nationalised.
The original company was founded in 1904 by Charles Rolls and Henry Royce, who soon gained a reputation for the quality of their vehicles in the emerging car market. With the outbreak of the First World War, they switched production into engines for the rather primitive aeroplanes that were being used, and by 1943, they had designed and developed the first commercial jet engine from their base in Derby.
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