Rolls Royce, the legend

We saw in a previous article that Rolls-Royce built its legend through time, in the evolution of its models. However, some other facts contributed to the myth.

In the 1950s, the Royal family made Rolls-Royce their official car. Indeed, princess Elizabeth broke the tradition and left Daimler cars for the Phantom IV. This model was designed for Head of State and only 18 of them were made. It is one of the rarest car in the world.

Princess Elizabeth in her Phantom IV

Such a recognition influenced the perception of the general public over the brand.The Great Britain Royal Family, with the tradition it represents, is in some way associated to childhood fairy-tales about royal families. Rolls-Royce's car became quickly associated to the "dream car", the "fairy-tale car", the one you associate to special moments.This can also explain why old Rolls-Royce models are rented for weddings.

Kate Middleton and Prince William's wedding

A Rolls-Royce buyer wants to be treated as a member of the Royal family as if the car would be designed and made especially for him. 

Rolls-Royce's special care in details enforced the perception of their car as unique and rare. Indeed, the coach-line painting is hand-made and can be customized at will by the client. The materials are extremely luxurious and the leather of the seats is hand-sewn. 

The quality of the conception is also well-known and their timeless savoir-faire contributed to the legend. To enforce this perception, Rolls-Royce knows how to turn back to the past to extract the very best of it. In 2012, it presented three models at the Paris Motor Show in celebration of the brand beginnings with the typical timeless design, colors and motifs of the Art Deco movement which inspired the models of the 1920s and 30s. The three major actual models of Rolls-Royce (the Phantom, the Drophead Coupé and the Ghost) were redesigned especially for the occasion.

The Ghost in the Art Deco style

"We have elegantly captured the essence of one of the great periods in 20th Century design." says Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive at Rolls-Royce. The brand knows how to please and remind elegantly to their competitors that they were making amazing cars before others were even born.