Charles Rolls and Henry Royce first met in 1904.
The meeting took place at the Midland Hotel in Manchester after Henry Royce had built his own motor cars and Charles Rolls was selling vehicles through his company. Rolls, an established motor dealer and pioneer motorist, was impressed by the engineering quality of Royce’s car.
Their partnership combined two different strengths. Royce led engineering and production, while Rolls brought experience in sales, motoring promotion and the wealthy British clientele interested in high-quality automobiles.
The agreement eventually led to the Rolls-Royce name being used for Royce’s cars. Rolls-Royce Limited was registered in 1906, so the first meeting predates the formal company by two years. Charles Rolls died in an aviation accident in 1910, while Henry Royce continued guiding the engineering work.