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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. Getty Images
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 cars were valued for their reliability despite their high price. Here cameramen film from a Rolls-Royce in Piccadilly, London, in April 1929. Getty Images
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. Getty Images
Rolls-Royce craftsmen show their attention to detail as a Silver Dawn rolls down the assembly line at Crewe in 1950. Getty Images
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. Getty Images
The Beatles sweep into Buckingham Palace in October 1965 as the Fab Four arrive to receive their MBE awards from Queen Elizabeth.
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.
No better way to arrive: Actor, singer, dancer, Sammy Davis Jnr takes delivery of a black Rolls-Royce convertible at London Airport in 1969. Getty Images
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 Motor Cars Ltd
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.
Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, left, and director Vidhu Vinod Chopra pose with a Rolls-Royce Phantom in Mumbai in February 2007. Getty Images
Rolls-Royces continue to be hand-built. A shot of the interior of a Ghost model shows what £200,000 buys you. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd
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. Getty Images
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. Getty Images
