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Rolls-Royce : Success Story Of A Motor Car Brand That Over a Century Old

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Rolls-Royce, a renowned motor car company, established in 1904, has been through many phases of accomplishments both alone and in a joint venture with other superior automobile companies around the world.

The two masterminds behind this colossal empire, Henry Royce and Charles Rolls met each other in May 1994, after Royce built his first motor car. With the partnership of a majestic car designer and an aviation pioneer, the company started producing the best cars world has ever witnessed.

Henry Royce

Sir Frederick Henry Royce was born in Alwalton, Huntingdonshire on 27 March 1863. He was an engineer and a car designer by occupation. Since his father died, when he was very young, there was always a financial crisis in the family. But luckily, Royce along with Ernest Claremont started a business of electric fittings, in 1884 with some of their savings. And, by the next decade, the company started building dynamos and electric cranes, when the idea of motor car company struck Royce’s mind. He was so fixated on the idea that he built his own motor car in 1904, which eventually, led to the meeting between him and Rolls.

Rolls-Royce founders
Image Source: telegraph.co

Charles Rolls

Charles Stewart Rolls was born in Berkeley Square, London on 27 August 1877. He was a motor car promoter and an aviator by occupation. Since a very young age, Charles was interested in developing engines, so he studied mechanical and applied science from Trinity College. Apart from engineering, he had the skills of a true businessman. In January 1903, he established one of Britain’s first car dealership, his father being the capital investor. Engaging himself into the business world resulted at the beginning of an era when he co-founded Rolls-Royce.

History of Rolls-Royce

The beginning of the tale dates back to 4th May 1904, when these two men met at the Midland Hotel, Manchester, through Henry Edmunds, a friend of Charles Rolls. In 23rd December 1904, both of them settled to an agreement and decided the trading name of their company, i.e. Rolls-Royce. In the same month, the first car of Rolls-Royce, Rolls-Royce 10 hp, was launched at the Paris Salon. In March 1906, Rolls-Royce Limited was formed with Royce as the chief engineer and works director, while Rolls managed the financial section of the business. In the same year, the six-cylinder Silver Ghost was released, which then, gained immense popularity and was known as ‘the best car in the world’. By 1907, the company started receiving awards for the exquisite design engineering that increased the reliability of the cars. The partnership ended with the death of Rolls in 1910.

In the year 1914, in response to the First World War, Royce started designing aero engines. And the first aero engine- Eagle. It was the first engine that motorized the first flight from England to Australia. In October 1928, Royce started designing the ‘R’ engine, and within a span of one year, the ‘R’ engine set a new record of airspeed (357.7 miles per hour). This led to the winning of Schneider Trophy in 1929. In 1931, the ‘R’ engine established a new world record of speed 400 miles per hour. In 1933, Royce launched PV-12, and the first test of this engine was completed in 1934, one year after Royce died. And this engine was known as the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine.

During the Second World War, the company got transformed into a huge aeronautical tycoon, because of the rising demand for the Merlin. In the year 1944, under the supervision of Sir Frank Whittle, the development of the aero gas turbine began. It had a good technological lead. In 1953, the company entered the civil aviation market with the Dart in the Vickers Viscount. This was a strategy to finally gain the acceptance for gas turbines by the aeronautical industry.

In 1960, the company launched RB211 (three shafts high-bypass turbofan engine). By 1961, many small companies came under the acquisition of Rolls-Royce, and in 1966, the company merged with Bristol Siddeley. By 1987, it became the only company in Britain to power engines in air, land, and even, in the sea. In 1990, the company formed a joint venture with BMW of Germany.

In 1995, acquisition of Allison Engine Company in Indianapolis led to many successful defence programs. By the end of the 1990s, the company globally dominated the marine power systems, and by the end of an entire century, BMW took the responsibility of the Rolls-Royce cars.

In 2005, the company opened its 6,000 square meter Marine facility in Shanghai. In 2006, the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 ran for the first time. Many more engines were developed in the next few years, which served airways all over the world. In May 2011, the company received a contract for building nuclear-powered submarines by the UK government.

Currently, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars (BMW Subsidiary) has its headquarters in Goodwood, West Sussex with more than 1300 employees beating its own sales record every year. The other sections of this gigantic industry are also carrying out projects with their magnificent technologies to create a better tomorrow.

BMW : One of the Oldest Aircraft Manufactures and the Leading Motorcars Giant of Today’s Time

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Humans have always been obsessed with speed. Ever since the emergence of automobiles, our top priority has been to build a machine, which is faster, and at the same time, reliable. One company that has gained the trust of the millions around the world is BMW.

Bavarian Motor Works or Bayerische Motoren Werke is a Germany based automobile manufacturing giant. Founded in the year 1916, by Franz Josef Popp, BMW has a total workforce of more than a hundred thousand employees. The company headquarters are located in Munich, Bavaria and, Germany. It is an international acclaimed manufacturing unit and the most reliable and trusted brand in the global market.

BMW headquarters
Image Source: bmwblog.com

The company is the twelfth largest motorcars producer company in the world. Awarded at several events, the motorcars manufacturer hold Guinness World Record for longest sustained drift by BMW M5 model. BMW produces cars in Germany, China, India, South Africa, UK and US. Today, it is the most desirable car brand besides Mercedes and Audi.

The Emergence of the Company

During the initial days, BMW started as an aircraft-manufacturing firm named Rapp Motorenwerke. By the end of 1918, the manufacturing unit of the firm was forced to cease the aircraft engine manufacturing, and later, in the year 1923, it switched to motorcycle production. The transmission was not that easy, however, it bought golden luck for the company. Soon, the firm started manufacturing and producing motorcycles on a commercial scale.

In 1930, the firm regained authorization to manufacture aircraft parts. But by the end of 1959, due to the cost constraints, the firm had to discontinue the aircraft production. The company then decided to switch to automobile manufacturing, which proved to be a vital changing phase in the future of the firm.

Transition as Automobile Manufacturer

Right after the switch, BMW bought Hans Glas in 1966. The first car released by the company was Dixi. The car’s design was based on Aston seven model. The Dixi had a top speed of 75mph, which was pretty fast in those times. In 1992, BMW acquired a big California based industrial studio, and later, annexed British Rover Group.

Rover brought bad omen for BMW, and as a result, the company decided to sell Rover to Phoenix Consortium. The company ever since then involved exponentially in car designing and manufacturing process. It has a customary blue and white logo derived from ancestral Rapp Motorenwerke. The company has estimated more than six assembly lines and four operating division mainly BMW Motorrad, Mini, BMW Motorsport and BMWi. In order to meet the requirement of the global market, the company has tripled its production units in recent years. At present, the company has a revenue of astounding $97.48 billion. The brand has established its name as one of the leading car manufacturers. The BMW cars are quite popular among celebrities as well.

Car Racing Industry and BMW

The BMW brand has dominated the Formula1 tournaments as well. The advanced engineering solution has not only evolved the cars for a better result but into a racing machine. Every year a significant number of BMW cars take part in competition around the world. BMW is not only deluged with success but clients and media attention. European golf events, PGA Championship, Football clubs and United States Olympic Committee are just a few of many clients that BMW looks after as a prominent sponsor.

Awards and Recognitions

According to several magazine and tableau, BMW is among the top 10 automobile manufacturing companies in the world. It earned 2012’s best buy award in engine and premium compact car category. In 2011, the company won The Red dot award for product designing. It was also awarded the Euro Car body award in 2017. Recently, BMW M5 has been voted the world’s best performance car of 2018.

Volkswagen: A Startling Story of Success in the History of Automotive Industry

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Who doesn’t want to have a fancy lavish car and ride it all around the city? Even a 5-year-old kid drools over the cover page of his favourite car magazine and dreams of having one of those someday. And one such company that has made people go crazy with its classic designs and impressive capabilities is none other than Volkswagen.

Volkswagen is a huge German based automobile industry founded on 28th May 1937 by the German Labour Front. The company has its headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany and currently Dr Herbert Diess is the chairman of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand. Volkswagen is the German meaning for “people’s car”.

Volkswagen: A Walk Down to the Historic Lane

The Early Phase

During Hitler’s reign, especially in the 1930s, Hitler put forward ideas and scheme, so that every German could drive their own car. Under one of those schemes, the German Labour Front started making various prototypes of such cars (“KdF-Wagen”), and Volkswagen was one of them. The company was first established in the name of “Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH” in 1937 and was renamed as “Volkswagenwerk GmbH” on 16th September 1938.

volkswagen
Image Source: thenypost

The vehicles that were produced in the plant, during early 1938, were designed by Ferdinand Porsche. In May 1938, a new plant was built in Wolfsburg, which shortly after manufacturing a handful of cars, started making military vehicles due to the war (Second World War). A lot of prisoners were forced to work at the plant during the war, which included prisoners even from concentration camps. This led to the filing of a lawsuit against the company in 1998 for compensation for the forced labours. So, in September 1998, a fund was built by Volkswagen AG to reimburse the compelled workers.

During the period of post-war, in June 1945, the charge of the company was handed over to the British Military Government, where Major Ivan Hirst took the responsibility of management. He was the prime person behind the existence of the company post-war, followed by mass production of Volkswagen Beetle. Not a single person expected the company to stand on its own, especially after the factory was bombed and captured by Americans.

In 1948 Heinrich Nordhoff was recruited to run the plant, and in 1949, Hirst left the company. After Type 1 (“Beetle” sedan), the production of Type 2 started in 8th March 1950. Soon, there was an increasing demand for “VW Bully” (The Volkswagen Bus), and in 1956 a separate manufacturing unit was built in Hanover for the production of the Transporter.

The Intermediate Phase

In 1961, the company introduced 4 new Type 3 models, and in 1969, Type 4 models were introduced. The latter came with much-modified technology, which included automatic transmission, electronic fuel injection, sturdier power plant and many more. On February 1972, Volkswagen broke the record of world car production, and the Beetle outweighed the popularity achieved by a model commonly known as “Tin Lizzy” by Ford. In 1973, Volkswagen Passat came into the market, followed by Volkswagen Scirocco, in 1974.

In 1974, the Volkswagen Golf was introduced, which set a legendary mark as a turning point of the future of Volkswagen. It was followed by Volkswagen Polo, in 1975, and since then, the company gave some serious competition in the automotive industry.

In June 1983, the company started producing the second generation of Volkswagen Golf, and it was the first time robots were placed in the manufacturing of vehicles. In the next decade, the world witnessed the second generation of Passat, Scirocco and Polo, which increased the production of the company on a very large scale.

In 1994, Concept One was launched, which had a retro theme and was a blend of Polo and Beetle. In 1999, the company hit another major success when they introduced Lupo 3L TDI in the market. This car consumed only 3 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres, and hence, became the world’s most efficient car.

The Modern Phase

After Bernd Pischetsrieder became the CEO of Volkswagen Group, many new models were introduced. In 2002, the production of Touareg, a luxury car marked a totally different segment of the company in the market. In 2003, the fifth generation of golf was launched, and since then, a lot of modified version of existing models were produced with an excellent change in design engineering.

In 2018, Volkswagen announced that they would stop the production of Beetle by 2019, the car that brought dynamic changes to the fate of this company. The company said that it would like to grow to keep the same pace with modern technologies, and hence, would introduce electric cars in future.

In 2019, they also announced to launch a Jetta sub-brand in association with FAW Group Corporation. Currently, China is responsible for the company’s 40% sales and is the biggest market for Volkswagen.

Awards: A Few From the Ample

• Volkswagen was awarded European Car of the Year award thrice till date.

• It has been awarded five times in the United States Motor Trend Car of the Year award.

• The Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle was named as the fourth most influential car in the 20th century.

• It has been awarded four times with the World Car of the Year Award.

When companies rejected to take over the plant during the post-war period, the company rebuilt itself and surpassed all the efficient ones. Thus, from collapsing into the grounds to making all the way to the top, Volkswagen is indeed a story of real success the world has ever witnessed.

Henry Ford : The Founder of Ford Motor Company

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“Follow your passion. Following your passion will lead you to the road of success.” the most common saying that we hear today. But how many of us have the courage to do that? Only a few are there who recognise their passion and pursue it to find self-satisfaction. One such prominent personality was Henry Ford, the founder and the first chief engineer of Ford Motor Company. Henry’s passion was his love for the machines, and his passion gave inspiration to many, as his only interest led him to build an empire which is one of the biggest automobile manufacturers, today.

Early Life

Henry Ford was born on 30 July 1863, in Greenfield Township, Michigan, in a farmer’s family. His fathers family belonged to England, and his mother’s parents had moved from Belgian to Michigan. In his early childhood, he was introduced to many types of machinery used in farming, and the time he became a teenager, he became more interested in the machinery repair work than farming. He used to dismantle and repair the timepieces and became a pro at it.

henry ford
Image Source: thehenryford.org

His love for machines led him to move to Detroit and join the James F. Flower & Bros. as an apprentice machinist. Later, he joined the Detroit Dry Dock Co. at the same position.

Though he was never interested in farming, he had to move back to his hometown to work on his family farms. Here too, except the farming work, he was more involved in the other machinery work. In the same time, he learned to operate the Westinghouse portable steam engine and was appointed by Westinghouse to service their steam engine.

Career

As Henry was always interested in working with the machines, with his interest he had developed great skills, too. In 1982, to pursue his dream career he started working with the Edison Illuminating Company of Detroit as an engineer. Within two years, he was promoted as the Chief Engineer in the company. He had gained enough experience and was earning good money too, so he started experimenting with his own projects and was able to build a self-propelled vehicle naming it the Ford Quadricycle.

On 5 August 1899, Henry founded Detroit Automobile Company and launched another vehicle financed by Detroit-based businessperson William H. Murphy. Since the company could not provide the best quality of vehicles, the company was shut within two years of its inception, in January 1901.

In the month of October the same year, Henry built another 26-horsepower automobile. The vehicle was of high quality and encouraged the shareholders of the Detroit Automobile Company to invest in another newly built company named Henry Ford Company, established on 30 November 1901, where Ford became the chief engineer. But in the very next year, due to some dispute, Henry left the company.

Leaving the company did not stop Henry from manufacturing vehicles, and in 1902, he, with the help of former racing cyclist Tom Cooper, manufactured the 80+ horsepower racer “999” that participated and won a race, in the same year.

Founding Ford Motor Company

The success of “999” was enough to attract more investors, and that is what happened next. Alexander Y. Malcomson partnered with Henry to form Ford & Malcomson, Ltd. to manufacture an inexpensive automobile. Soon, other investors including Dodge Brothers also partnered with Henry and Malcomson, and they incorporated the company as Ford Motor Company, on 16 June 1903, with a capital of $28,000. The next model from the company set a new land speed record at 91.3 miles per hour that drove on the ice of Lake St. Clair.

It was the race driver Barney Oldfield who became the most important person in terms of marketing of the cars produced by the company, as he drove the “999” around the country.

The next popular model that the company produced was the T model, having a cost of around $825 (1908). It was the first car model that had steering on the left, and the engine and other machine parts were enclosed under the metal covers. The design was impressive, and various other companies copied the design.

In 1914, the recorded sales passed 250,000 units, and in 1916, sales reached 472,000. In 1927, the final total production of the T model was 15,007,034, which set a record that stayed for the next 45 years.

By the year 1918, Henry acquired the sole ownership of the company. The next hit model that the company produced was the model A, introduced in December 1927.

Henry was not only a visionary inventor but was also an excellent entrepreneur. He tried to get everything under one-roof and tried to avoid any kind of dependence on any other company. He had established an empire where he could manufacture the products from scratch. He always supported the economic independence of the United States.

In 1911, he established the first two international Ford plants in Britain and Canada, followed by the establishment of the other plants in Germany, Australia, India, and France, by the year 1920.

During the first World War Henry also invested in the aviation industry and built the most successful aircraft, the Ford 4AT Trimotor. The company also acquired the Stout Metal Airplane Company. In 1927. The Smithsonian Institution has honoured Ford for changing the aviation industry. In 1933, the aviation wing of the Ford Company was shut down due to the sales issues.

During the war, Henry was one of the 170 peace leaders who were against the war and was making efforts to stop it. In the second World War, too, he opposed America’s participation in the war.

After the death of his son Edsel Ford, in May 1943, who was also serving as the President of the company, the company started facing a kind of decline. Henry had left the Presidency over twenty years ago, and due to his son’s death, he reconsidered to regain the post. Although due to his health issues, there were only a handful of people who wanted him to take the position, he was chosen with majority votes as the President of the company. But due to bad health, he appointed his grandson Henry Ford II, as president and the company was back on the track.

Personal Life & Death

Henry had married Clara Jane Bryant on April 11, 1888, and had a son Edsel Ford, who later became the President of the Ford Motor Company.

Henry ran as a Democrat for the United States Senate from Michigan in 1918 but lost to the Republican candidate, Truman Newberry with a small margin.

He also took immense interest in the car racing and manufactured cars, especially, to compete in various races. He himself, too, participated in a few car races.

On 7 April 1947, he died of cerebral haemorrhage at Fair Lane at the age of 83.

Ford Henry will always be remembered for his contribution to the automobile industry and the leadership qualities that he possessed. He was a great inventor, and his story is a motivation for many.

Ford Goes Electric with its Utility Vehicles; Plans to Bring 40 Electric Vehicles by 2022

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At the Deutsche Bank Global Auto Industry Conference (2019), the American multinational automaker Ford announced that it’s going to electrify its most popular F-Series pickup trucks. The rising fuel price has encouraged the company to enter into the business of electric vehicles, and it has been working towards the plan for past one year.

Ford f-150
Image Source: businessinsider.com

Last year, Ford had announced that it has the plans of producing 40 electrified vehicles, by 2022, with an investment of over $11 billion. According to the company, it will manufacture 16 fully electrified vehicles and 24 hybrid vehicles. It has already launched an all-electric CUV with 300 miles of range, under the same program. The early versions of the F-series pickup trucks, including the latest F-150, are going to be the hybrid ones. Those hybrid vehicles may have their fully-electrified versions launched in the coming years.

Jim Farley, Ford’s president of global markets, said, “We are going to electrifying the F-Series with battery electric and hybrid, and we are doing the same for Transit. We launched a PHEV version of Transit, and that will be on a journey of electrifying Transit globally.”

Last year, the company had sold millions of the F-series trucks, and its popularity made Ford initiate the experiment with the same. Since it won’t be fully-electric, there is the least scope of failure.

Farley added, “We have the F-Series, the world and America’s best-selling truck. More than a million units were sold last year. F-Series core strength at the end of the day is: There’s a truck for every customer, and we know those customers really, really well. From the F-150 all the way to the F-750. They all matter to us.”

Tesla is the biggest electric vehicle manufacturer and has been giving tough competition to other automotive companies. But it is more inclined towards the production of luxury cars. Although Tesla and Rivian have also come up with their electric trucks, Ford being an oldie and an expert in the manufacturing of heavy motor vehicles, like trucks and utility vehicles, knows how to build a product that will appeal to people from every class.

Jaguar Cars : One of the Most Luxury Automobile Manufacturers in the World

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Jaguar Cars, the name speaks for itself. The brand is almost a hundred years old and has seen its own ups and downs. It has been the provider of most luxurious cars that are at the same time the best at performance and technology. Jaguar is known for its exclusive designs and exceptional comfort and as the producer of one of the fastest cars in the world.

History

Two motorcycle enthusiasts, William Lyons and William Walmsley, from the UK, came together with an idea to start a business of manufacturing motorcycle sidecars and founded Swallow Sidecar Company, in 1922. In 1934, the company was renamed as the S.S. Cars Limited, making the shares of the company public.

The next year, the company manufactured the first 2½-litre engine sports car, with the name SS Jaguar 2½-litre, followed by another sports model with a 3½-litre engine SS Jaguar 100. After the second world war, the shareholders of S.S. Cars Limited decided to rename the company to Jaguar Cars Limited, in a meeting held on 23 March 1945, so that to have a unique name for the company and to avoid any connection with acronym S.S.

jaguar
Image Source : motortradenews.com

In the late 40s, the company dealt with a huge issue of shortage of materials, particularly steel, becoming entirely dependent for their bodies on external suppliers. But, by the mid-50s, the company started achieving fame after manufacturing a series of powerful sports cars, including Jaguar XK120, Jaguar XK140, Jaguar XK150, and Jaguar E-Type. At the time, all of those sports cars were powered by the jaguar’s twin-cam straight-six engine, that provided the maximum efficiency. The manufacturing of the cars was based on the Lyons’ mantra of “value for money” and followed the slogan “Grace, Space, Pace.”

Winning the Le Mans 24 hours race, firstly in 1951, and again in 1953, were two major benchmarks for Jaguar, in the long history in motorsport. Lyons was always focused on manufacturing the world-class sporting saloons in larger numbers than the sports car market could support, and as a result, Jaguar was able to achieve a financial stability and a status for distinction with a range of elegantly styled luxury saloons manufactured under its name. The luxurious and stylish saloons cars included the 3-litre and 3½ litre cars, the Mark VII, VIII, and IX, the compact Mark I and 2, and the XJ6 and XJ12.

Pressed Steel Company Limited, manufactured all the major parts of the Jaguar cars, and in mid-1965, British Motor Corporation (BMC) and the Austin-Morris, together, acquired the Pressed Steel Company Ltd. Later, BMC also acquired Jaguar and started a joint venture British Motor Limited, in 1965, that was renamed to British Motor Holdings at the end of 1966.

In 1968, British Motor Holdings, under the government pressure got merged with Leyland Motor Corporation Ltd. and was formed as British Leyland. But, the poor decisions made by the company as well as the financial difficulties, could not make the deal last longer, and due to monetary success, the companies eluded. In 1984, Jaguar also emerged as a separate company and under the leadership of chairman, Sir John Egan, started to rise rapidly.

The Jaguar engines became famous due to its ubiquity and longevity, and the next powerful engine introduced by Jaguar was Twin OHC XK Engine, that was used in the XJ6 saloon from 1969 through 1992. It even empowered the British Army’s Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) family of vehicles, the Fox armoured reconnaissance vehicle, the Ferret Scout Car, as well as the Stonefield four-wheel-drive all-terrain lorry.

In November 1989, Ford offered the Jaguar’s US and UK shareholders to buy their shares, and in 1999, Jaguar became a part of Ford’s new Premier Automotive Group along with Aston Martin, Volvo Cars and, from 2000, Land Rover. At the same time, Jaguar shared a common sales and distribution network as well as some components with Land Rover. All these years, Jaguar made no profits under Ford’s leadership, and in 2007, Ford announced a sale of Jaguar as well as Land Rover, together. On 2 June 2008, Tata Motors of India, acquired both companies by paying £1.7 billion. The Tata Group further established Jaguar Land Rover Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary and renamed the parent company to Jaguar Land Rover Automotive PLC.

Currently, Jaguar is a manufacturer of the car models including the F-Type convertible, the Jaguar XF, the Jaguar XJ, the Jaguar XK, and the Jaguar R models. In the future, we can expect to see a C-X17 and a four-door compact saloon known as XE.

Since the beginning of the manufacturing of Jaguar Cars, all of the vehicles had the iconic chrome-plated Leaping Jaguar, known as the “The Leaper” on the cap of the radiator of those vehicles. The same leaper is also a part of the logo of the company. But, due to some safety reasons, the leaper has been dropped from the current Jaguar models.