The Magic of a Name: The Rolls-Royce Story Part One: The First Forty Years [Hardcover]

Peter Pugh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2000

This volume tells the story of the first 40 years of Britain's most prestigious manufacturer - Rolls-Royce -a company whose record of achievements is part of the history of the 20th century. The book begins with the historic meeting in May 1904 of two great men, Henry Royce and the Honourable C.S. Rolls. Their instant rapport led to an agreement whereby Royce would design "the best cars in the world" and Rolls would advertise and sell them. In 1906, Rolls-Royce Limited was formed, Claude Johnson joined the company as a visionary managing director, and the legendary Silver Ghost, "the best car in the world", was born. In 1914, the Great War intervened and Royce turned his skills to producing a reliable aero engine. The result was the Eagle, quickly followed by the Hawk, Falcon and Condor, all of which proved themselves in battle and confirmed Rolls-Royce as a leading manufacturer of aero engines as well as motor cars. It was an Eagle-powered Vickers Vimy in which Alcock and Brown made the first direct flight across the Atlantic. Other record-breaking feats followed, but Rolls-Royce turned back to cars in the 1920s, producing the Twenty and the Phantom, and also setting up a manufacturing plant in Springdfield, Massachusetts. However, his country beckoned Royce one again, and built the Rolls-Royce "R" engine which won the Schneider Trophy an established a new world air speed record of over 400mph, powering a Supermarine S6. The collaboration with Reginald Mitchell, who had designed the S6, led eventually to the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine being installed in the Mitchell-designed Spitfire. By now, another war seemed inevitable and, in a race against time, Merlin engines, Supermarine Spitfires and Hawker Hurricanes were developed and built in sufficient numbers to win the Battle of Britain in the late summer of 1940.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The name Rolls-Royce is synonymous with luxury, beauty, and unrivaled excellence in car manufacture, but many people don't realize that there is much more to Rolls-Royce than just cars. Most commercial jets are powered by Rolls-Royce engines, and the company remains one of the top three aero engine manufacturers in the world. In this book, the first of a definitive two-volume history of the Rolls-Royce company, Pugh recounts the fascinating first 50 years of the company. Researched from company archives, this is not a book simply about cars but instead a well-researched historical account of a company whose achievements paralleled the technological developments of the 20th century. Indeed, the expertise and engineering innovations of Henry Rolls and Charles Royce were crucial to the Allied victory. Useful for transportation libraries but also for history and military collections.DEric C. Shoaf, Brown Univ. Lib., Providence, RI
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Totem Books (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1840461519
• ISBN-13: 978-1840461510
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #115,197 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Professional & Technical > Automotive > Luxury
  • #39 in Books > Professional & Technical > Automotive > History

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A definitive corporate biography enhanced with period photos, September 7, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Magic of a Name: The Rolls-Royce Story Part One: The First Forty Years (Hardcover)

The Magic Of A Name: The Rolls-Royce Story is a fascinating and informative history of the first forty years of the internationally famous Rolls-Royce company, whose achievements were part and parcel of the technological advancements of the twentieth century. It was in 1904 that Henry Royce and Charles Rolls collaborate to build luxury cars for the rich. Then successfully engineered the "Silver Ghost" and launched one of the most successful car manufacturers of their day. The impact of both World Wars compelled the corporation to the cutting edge of aeronautical engines for such legendary aircraft as the Spitfire, Hurricane, and American Mustang. Peter Pugh draws upon his extensive researches with company archives to write a definitive history, enhanced with sections of period photographs. The Magic Of A Name is the superb biography of a great company.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars De Facto Owners Guide, May 7, 2006

By 

John W. Kercheval, III "Professor Kercheval" (Georgetown, Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Magic of a Name: The Rolls-Royce Story Part One: The First Forty Years (Hardcover)

This is an excellent book for a superior marque. All RR owners should give it a thorough read.

Professor John W. Kercheval, III
Georgetown
Washington, DC

4.0 out of 5 stars Enough detail to keep you enthralled., August 31, 2009

By 

L. Brennan "technophobe" (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Magic of a Name: The Rolls-Royce Story Part One: The First Forty Years (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this book alot. It gives a good insight into the early days and moves at a brisk pace, without getting too deep or too bland.
The book did leave me wanting more on the individuals, however. This is solved by finding/purchasing the series of books from the Historical trust series. (I now have three of those and want the book on Lord Hives). I have just ordered Volume TWO, to find out the deeper story on their JET engine development. Overall, a very worthwhile book for anybody interested in the early cars, the fascinating people and the technologies of the time.