Synopses & Reviews
This is the second part of the history of Britain's most prestigious company taking the story from 1945 to 1987. It covers the development of the Silver Cloud, Silver Shadow, Corniche, Camargue and Bentley Continental and Mulsanne.
In the air, Rolls-Royce pioneers commercial jets and wins the order to power the Lockheed TriStar with the revolutionary RB211 engine. Both Lockheed and Rolls-Royce overstretch themselves and Rolls-Royce has to be rescued from bankruptcy. However, it recovers to continue producing world-class motor cars and aero engines. By the 1980s Rolls-Royce is supplying every major airline in the world and also powers both ships and aircraft in the Falklands conflict.
Synopsis
The Magic of a Name tells the story of the first 40 years of Britain's most prestigious manufacturer - Rolls-Royce.
Beginning with the historic meeting in 1904 of Henry Royce and the Honourable C.S. Rolls, and the birth in 1906 of the legendary Silver Ghost, Peter Pugh tells a story of genius, skill, hard work and dedication which gave the world cars and aero engines unrivalled in their excellence.
In 1915, 100 years ago, the pair produced their first aero engine, the Eagle which along with the Hawk, Falcon and Condor proved themselves in battle in the First World War. In the Second the totemic Merlin was installed in the Spitfire and built in a race against time in 1940 to help win the Battle of Britain.
With unrivalled access to the company's archives, Peter Pugh's history is a unique portrait of both an iconic name and of British industry at its best.