Rolls Royce History & Timeline :

Rolls Royce was founded in 1904 by the British motoring and aviation pioneers
Charles Steward Rolls and Henry Royce.

The Flying Lady or Spirit of Ecstasy logo or mascot which is sitting in front of every Rolls Roce car
was designed by the british sculptor Charles Robinson Sykes.
The Flying Lady represents Eleanor Velasco Thornton.
A lot of mysterie is attached to the emblem as Eleanor was the secret Mistress of Lord Montagu,
a pioneer of the British automobile movement.

In 1971 the company was in difficulties nationalised by the British State.
In 1973 the car division, Rolls Royce motors was seperated from Rolls Royce engines.
Between 1990 and 1998 the company was part of Vickers.
From 1998 to 2003 Rolls Royce Motors was part of Volkswagen.

Since 2003 the company is a subsidiary of BMW, the production was relocated to Goodwood.