Charles Stewart Rolls, who co-founded the company with Henry Royce in 1904, sits in the back seat of a 20-horsepower Rolls Royce, during the 1905 TT (Tourist Trophy) race.
Rolls-Royce: From Silver Ghost to Phantom —
The Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost achieved a world record in 1907 by driving 14,371 miles without an involuntary stop, establishing the car's reputation for reliability.
Rolls-Royce: From Silver Ghost to Phantom —
Rolls-Royce cars were valued for their reliability despite their high price. Here cameramen film from a Rolls-Royce in Piccadilly, London, in April 1929.
Rolls-Royce: From Silver Ghost to Phantom —
The ultimate in glamor: U.S. acting couple Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Mary Pickford stand beside their chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce in London in 1931.
Rolls-Royce: From Silver Ghost to Phantom —
Rolls-Royce craftsmen show their attention to detail as a Silver Dawn rolls down the assembly line at Crewe in 1950.
Rolls-Royce: From Silver Ghost to Phantom —
Half a century and half a million miles on and the Silver Ghost is still going strong. Here the company shows their famous car off in 1963.
Rolls-Royce: From Silver Ghost to Phantom —
The Beatles sweep into Buckingham Palace in October 1965 as the Fab Four arrive to receive their MBE awards from Queen Elizabeth.
Rolls-Royce: From Silver Ghost to Phantom —
Two years on and psychedelia has taken hold. Here a crowd gathers to watch as John Lennon's Phantom V leaves the coachbuilders after its paint job. Rolls-Royce was reported to have disapproved of the color scheme.
Rolls-Royce: From Silver Ghost to Phantom —
No better way to arrive: Actor, singer, dancer, Sammy Davis Jnr takes delivery of a black Rolls-Royce convertible at London Airport in 1969.
Rolls-Royce: From Silver Ghost to Phantom —
The Silver Shadow answered concerns that Rolls-Royce cars were too old-fashioned. The model was the first Rolls-Royce with a monocoque chassis and was made between 1965 and 1980.
Rolls-Royce: From Silver Ghost to Phantom —
China is now one of Rolls-Royce's biggest markets. Here a Phantom is parked outside a luxury goods store on Shanghai's Bund in 2006.
Rolls-Royce: From Silver Ghost to Phantom —
Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, left, and director Vidhu Vinod Chopra pose with a Rolls-Royce Phantom in Mumbai in February 2007.
Rolls-Royce: From Silver Ghost to Phantom —
Rolls-Royces continue to be hand-built. A shot of the interior of a Ghost model shows what £200,000 buys you.
Rolls-Royce: From Silver Ghost to Phantom —
Catherine Middleton and her father Michael Middleton travel in a Phantom VI to Westminster Abbey for her wedding to Prince William on April 29, 2011 in London.
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Prices for the Rolls-Royce Ghost start at £200,000 but that can double when special options are added. Industry expert Paul Nieuwenhuis says it is an exceptionally fine car.