Rolls-Royce through the years
The Spirit of Ecstasy, the hood ornament adorning Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Since 1904, the British automaker has produced the most recognizable luxury cars in the world.
Sir Henry Royce
Sir Henry Royce (1863-1933) was a gifted engineer who worked at a railway works and a utility company before opening his own business making electrical components.
Decauville
After buying a second-hand 1901 French-built 10 hp, two-cylinder Decauville, Henry Royce was inspired to improve upon its design and build his own line of cars.
The Royce 10
One of three prototypes of Henry Royce's first 10 hp car, the Royce 10, produced in 1903.
First Production Car
The first car produced by the partnership of Charles Rolls and Henry Royce was the 1904 Rolls-Royce 10 horsepower, two-cylinder car. The car's chassis and engine were sold, with the actual coach to be obtained by the customer from another supplier.
Charles Rolls
Charles Rolls (1877-1910) is pictured at the wheel of a 1904 Royce car, c. 1904; the Duke of Connaught is in the passenger seat.
Rolls sold cars manufactured in France and Belgium before going into partnership with Henry Royce, forming the automobile and engine manufacturing company Rolls-Royce in 1904.
Outing
An undated photograph taken from an album of images collected by motor car manufacturer and aviator Charles Stewart Rolls, showing a party with a Rolls-Royce motor car near the summit of Hay Tor on Dartmoor, Devon, England.
Outing
An undated photograph taken from an album of images collected by motor car manufacturer and aviator Charles Stewart Rolls, showing a party with a Rolls-Royce motor car near the summit of Hay Tor on Dartmoor, Devon, England.
Outing
An undated photograph taken from an album of images collected by motor car manufacturer and aviator Charles Stewart Rolls, showing a party with a Rolls-Royce motor car near the summit of Hay Tor on Dartmoor, Devon, England.
India
A Silver Ghost outside Rolls-Royce's Indian Depot in Bombay, 1911.
Prince Charles
In this undated photo Prince Charles rides an original Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost.
Silver Ghost
In 1911 this Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost "experimental speed car," chassis no. 1701, was driven nearly 800 miles, from London to Edinburgh and back again, at top gear, averaging 24 miles per gallon. No other car of the era could match its performance.
The Picnic
A 1922 picnic, made possible by a Rolls-Royce.
Phantom
The Rolls-Royce Phantom I replaced the Silver Ghost in 1925. This is a Sedanca De Ville By Hooper, a company which was one of several coachbuilders producing Phantoms in the U.K. and the U.S.
Phantom II
Rolls-Royce collector Hans-Guenther Zach polishes his 1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom II, a special edition for the Indian Maharaja of Nanpara, April 4, 2006 in Essen, Germany.
Interior
Spectators check out the interior of a 1927 Rolls Royce at the 2002 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance August 18, 2002 in Pebble Beach, California.
16EX
A 1928 Rolls-Royce 16EX.
Phantom II
A 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II.
Silver Wraith
The Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith (produced between 1946 and 1958) was a slightly smaller model, in a nod to post-war austerity.
Ike
General Dwight Eisenhower and British Prime Minister Harold McMillan take a spin in London in 1951.
Bentley Mark VI
Visitors take a close look at a 1951 Rolls-Royce Bentley Mark VI on display with other classic cars at the Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum August 8, 2002 in New York City.
Silver Cloud
A Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I Drophead Coupe, introduced in 1955.
Joan Crawford
Actress Joan Crawford in Johannesburg, 1957.
Silver Cloud
A Rolls Royce Silver Cloud from 1962, adorned with about 1,000,000 Swarovski crystals, is displayed at the Four Seasons Hotel in Munich, Germany, July 17, 2012.
"The Yellow Rolls-Royce"
The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964) directed by Anthony Asquith shown: Shirley MacLaine
Silver Shadow
The Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow was produced between 1965 and 1976, before being succeeded by the Silver Shadow II. It had dual-circuit braking and hydraulic self-leveling suspension system.
Camargue
The Rolls-Royce Camargue, introduced in 1975.
Silver Shadow
A Rolls Royce Silver Shadow with a tuned 1300-horsepower engine is pictured during a preview of the 2009 Essen Motor Show, in Essen, Germany, November 17, 2009.
Michael Jackson
A customized 1999 Rolls Royce Silver Seraph stretch limousine owned by Michael Jackson, featuring an interior finished in leather, walnut and 24-carat gold, is seen on display in Beverly Hills, California, April 13, 2009, prior to an auction of items owned by the singer.
Vintage
Vintage Rolls Royce cars line up before a centenary parade on February 6, 2011 in London, marking the 100th anniversary of Rolls-Royce.
Vintage
Vintage Rolls Royce cars drive past the Houses of Parliament during a centenary parade on February 6, 2011 in London, as Rolls Royce celebrated its 100th anniversary.
"20-Ghost Club"
Vintage Rolls Royce owners prepare their cars to be photographed at Northington Grange, the summer home of the Grange Park Opera, on April 16, 2011 near Winchester, England.
The 20-Ghost Club, founded in 1949, is the world's oldest group of Rolls-Royce enthusiasts.
Factory Floor
At Rolls-Royce's headquarters and manufacturing facility in West Sussex, England, up to 20 hand-built luxury cars are produced every day.
Interiors
The upholstery of each Rolls-Royce includes leather from at least fifteen bulls, while the woodwork of interiors is painstakingly crafted and lacquered.
Finishing Center
In 2014 Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, now a part of the BMW Group, announced it delivered a record 4,063 cars - the most in its history. The United States is its biggest market, followed by China, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia.
Stitching
Putting the final touches on a bespoke vehicle.
Rolls-Royce Wraith
Rolls Royce's new Wraith model is presented at a special preview ahead of the 2014 Shanghai Auto Show.
Rolls-Royce Wraith
A view of the Rolls-Royce Wraith in New York City.
Rolls-Royce Phantom Serenity
The Rolls-Royce Serenity EWB Phantom.
Rolls-Royce Dawn
The Rolls-Royce Dawn.
Black Badge
Limited edition "Black Badge" versions of the Wraith and the Phantom - pitched as "a dark, edgy, lifestyle statement" - feature a blacked-out Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament.
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By CBSNews.com senior producer David Morgan