BMW owns the Rolls-Royce car brand through its wholly owned subsidiary, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited.
The modern company was created in 1998, after BMW licensed the Rolls-Royce name and logo from the aerospace company Rolls-Royce Holdings. BMW began producing Rolls-Royce-branded cars in 2003 at a purpose-built factory in Goodwood, West Sussex, England.
The ownership story is often confused because Volkswagen Group bought Rolls-Royce Motors in 1998. Volkswagen acquired the historic Crewe factory, vehicle designs, and Bentley, while BMW obtained the rights needed to create the modern Rolls-Royce automobile business. Volkswagen’s former Rolls-Royce operation became Bentley Motors.
Today, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars produces models including the Phantom, Ghost, Cullinan, and Spectre. It is separate from Rolls-Royce Holdings, the aerospace and defence company, although the two companies share a historic name and licensing relationship.