How A Poor Boy Created Rolls Royce — Transcript

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1. 0:00Rolls-Royce makes the most luxurious cars in the world.
2. 0:04And the richest people in the world dream of owning a Rolls-Royce.
3. 0:09But surprisingly, this luxurious Rolls-Royce was started by a boy
4. 0:13whose entire childhood was spent doing child labor in poverty.
5. 0:18The story begins in 1863.
6. 0:20Henry Royce is born in a small village in England.
7. 0:24When Royce was only 4 years old, his father's business was ruined.
8. 0:28His entire family was on the streets.
9. 0:31But this was just the beginning of problems.
10. 0:33At the age of 9, Royce lost his father forever.
11. 0:38Because of which his mother had to work as a maid.
12. 0:41And Royce started delivering newspapers.
13. 0:43Till now, Royce's future was filled with darkness.
14. 0:46But at the age of 14, a turning point came in his life.
15. 0:50One of his aunts saw potential in Henry.
16. 0:52She went to the Great Northern Railway Company.
17. 0:55She joined Royce as an apprentice.
18. 0:58In the next 3 years, Royce worked day and night.
19. 1:02He read dozens of books and worked in a factory.
20. 1:05He learned carpentry, maths, and most importantly, electronics.
21. 1:09At the age of 17, he became a fully capable mechanic.
22. 1:13At the age of 21, he was working as an engineer in a company called Maxim Western.
23. 1:18But due to financial difficulties, this company was about to close.
24. 1:23Royce had the option to take up a job in many other companies.
25. 1:26But he decided to open his own electrical engineering company.
26. 1:30He used his £20 savings and started a small office space in Manchester.
27. 1:36FH Royce and Company.
28. 1:38He also joined his friend Ernest Claremont as a partner.
29. 1:42Initially, Royce did whatever he could to survive.
30. 1:45Like repairing sewing machines, electrical fittings, etc.
31. 1:49But Royce saw that demand for electrical fittings and lightings was increasing.
32. 1:55So he started manufacturing R-clamps, bulb holders, and electronic doorbells.
33. 2:01This changed the company's fate.
34. 2:03By 1900, the company's sales had crossed £20,000.
35. 2:07At the age of 38, Royce had a family.
36. 2:10They were planning to build a huge factory.
37. 2:13Everything was going well.
38. 2:15Then a twist comes in the story.
39. 2:17In 1901, German and American companies entered the British electronics market.
40. 2:22Competition increased and the prices of electronics equipment fell.
41. 2:27Royce's business started crashing.
42. 2:30As the business failed, Royce's physical and mental health deteriorated.
43. 2:37When Royce consulted a doctor, he got a simple advice.
44. 2:41Royce needed fresh air to recover.
45. 2:43He was advised to buy a car so that he could travel without strain.
46. 2:49Royce took a vacation to recover.
47. 2:51He bought a French-made car called Decoville.
48. 2:55This car made a lot of noise.
49. 2:57Brakes were ineffective and overheating was a problem.
50. 3:01This car was below standard for a perfectionist like Henry.
51. 3:04So he decided to make minor modifications.
52. 3:08But he redesigned the car.
53. 3:12This redesigned car was superior to the original Decoville car.
54. 3:16This gave Royce the confidence to build his own car.
55. 3:21He could even start a car business.
56. 3:23He assembled a team and started designing his new car.
57. 3:28He was sent to a workshop for casting.
58. 3:32Eventually, Royce's 10 horsepower and 2-cylinder car started taking shape.
59. 3:37In terms of quietness, lightness, durability, and reliability, this car was superior.
60. 3:45On 1st April, 1904, it was tested on the road.
61. 3:49In its first test, it covered a distance of 50 km without any problem.
62. 3:54Royce made 2 more cars of the same model.
63. 3:57They were tested and improved.
64. 3:59They made world-class cars.
65. 4:01But they were not capable of delivering these cars to the world.
66. 4:05This is the entry of the second hero of the story, Charles Rolls.
67. 4:10Royce was presenting his cars in an exhibition.
68. 4:15Charles Rolls spotted these cars.
69. 4:17Charles Rolls was a passionate motorist.
70. 4:19He was doing a successful business of superior quality cars.
71. 4:23Rolls was already looking for a luxury British car maker.
72. 4:26So he met Royce and saw the cars closely.
73. 4:29He was impressed by Royce.
74. 4:31He told his business partner that he has found the world's greatest engineer.
75. 4:39Charles Rolls and Henry Royce agreed to start a joint venture to sell these cars.
76. 4:44The name of the car was going to be Rolls-Royce.
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89. 5:33Let's come back to the story.
90. 5:35In March 1906, Rolls-Royce Limited was officially established.
91. 5:394 Rolls-Royces, 10, 15, 20, and 30 horsepower models were to be supplied.
92. 5:47Rolls-Royce believed that the best way to market a car was to participate in racing tournaments.
93. 5:54That's why Rolls-Royce participated in prestigious tournaments like Isle of Man and Tourist Trophy.
94. 6:00Rolls-Royce won those races by using Rolls-Royce cars.
95. 6:03Rolls-Royce also made many new speed records with these cars.
96. 6:07Rolls-Royce was already established like a great car company.
97. 6:11But their most successful car was yet to come.
98. 6:15At the end of 1906, Rolls-Royce launched a model with 40 and 50 horsepower and 6 cylinders.
99. 6:22Its body color was silver.
100. 6:24It was extremely smooth and silent.
101. 6:27Just like a ghost.
102. 6:28That's why it was named Silver Ghost.
103. 6:31To market the car, Rolls-Royce planned an endurance test of 24,000 km.
104. 6:37Silver Ghost was driven for 2.5 months on Sundays.
105. 6:40It was driven continuously day and night.
106. 6:42And the distance covered was 24,000 km.
107. 6:45Silver Ghost passed this test without any issue.
108. 6:49Rolls-Royce also organized many demonstrations.
109. 6:52In which they made Silver Ghost pass the Whisper Test.
110. 6:55In this test, they balanced a coin on the bonnet of the car and drove it without dropping it.
111. 7:00Which proved that this car is extremely smooth.
112. 7:04With these strategies, Silver Ghost became popular like the best car in the world.
113. 7:08And it became the first choice of the kings, queens and industry leaders of that time.
114. 7:13The decision of Rolls-Royce partnership proved to be a masterstroke.
115. 7:17They were getting success from all sides.
116. 7:19That's when a terrible incident happened.
117. 7:22Along with cars, Charles Rolls was also very passionate about aviation.
118. 7:26On 12 July 1910, he was flying a plane named Wright Flyer.
119. 7:30During the flight, the tail section of the aircraft broke and the plane crashed from a height of 100 feet. 120 00:07:35,000 00:07:39,000 In this incident, 32-year-old Charles Rolls lost his life.
120. 7:39Unfortunately, he became the first person in Britain to lose his life in an airplane accident.
121. 7:45This incident had deeply impacted Rolls-Royce.
122. 7:48He was trying to overcome this loss.
123. 7:50But in 1911, he got another shock.
124. 7:53His health started deteriorating rapidly.
125. 7:55And the doctors told him that he had bowel cancer.
126. 7:58He underwent a major operation.
127. 7:59But even after this, the doctors said that he would only live for 3 months.
128. 8:02Even in this condition, Rolls-Royce kept improving the design and engineering of the Silver Ghost.
129. 8:08And then a miracle happened.
130. 8:10After 3 months, Rolls-Royce achieved 100% recovery.
131. 8:15After coming back, Rolls-Royce made major improvements in the Silver Ghost.
132. 8:19Ground clearance was increased.
133. 8:21Suspension was improved.
134. 8:23And the chassis was also made strong.
135. 8:25During this time, Rolls-Royce saw that there was a trend of putting personalized mascots on the bonnet of the car.
136. 8:30But the company was worried that people were putting inappropriate mascots.
137. 8:34Which could negatively impact the image of Rolls-Royce.
138. 8:38That's why they designed their own mascot.
139. 8:41In their mascot, a British actress named Eleanor Thornton and a model were used.
140. 8:46This sculpture shows a woman leaning forward.
141. 8:49Her hands are stretched backwards.
142. 8:52And there is strong wind blowing on them.
143. 8:54This mascot symbolizes a sense of grace, freedom and speed.
144. 8:58Its name is Spirit of Ecstasy.
145. 9:00Ecstasy means overwhelming happiness.
146. 9:03Due to all these improvements, Rolls-Royce's sales and profits were growing exponentially.
147. 9:08By 1913, their profit was more than 90,000 pounds.
148. 9:12And there were plans to expand the branches internationally.
149. 9:16But then something happened that almost destroyed Rolls-Royce.
150. 9:19World War 1
151. 9:21World War 1 started in 1914.
152. 9:24But Rolls-Royce was not ready for it.
153. 9:26Due to the war, the economy crashed.
154. 9:28Which impacted luxury car companies like Rolls-Royce.
155. 9:32Sales crashed and the company had to fire its employees.
156. 9:36Everyone thought that Rolls-Royce would not be able to survive the war.
157. 9:40But Rolls-Royce had some other plans.
158. 9:43Rolls-Royce met with the military authorities.
159. 9:45After which they realized that reliable and high-performance cars were needed in the war.
160. 9:51That's why Rolls-Royce modified the Silver Ghost and turned it into an armored car.
161. 9:578mm thick armor was installed in the car's body.
162. 9:59A revolving turret was also installed in which a machine gun was fitted.
163. 10:03This car was used to conduct operations in the harsh desert regions of the Middle East.
164. 10:09Plus, it was also used for spying missions.
165. 10:11Also, because the Silver Ghost was very smooth to drive.
166. 10:14It was also the best vehicle to carry a wounded soldier.
167. 10:17That's why many Silver Ghosts were modified like war ambulances.
168. 10:22There was sufficient space for stretchers, medical equipment, and nurses.
169. 10:27Electric lightings were fitted for night-time missions.
170. 10:30These ambulances saved thousands of lives.
171. 10:32Finally, due to its luxury features, Rolls-Royce cars were used by high-ranking officers, diplomatic missions, and king messengers during the war.
172. 10:41While working closely with the military, Rolls-Royce realized that the British Air Force was heavily dependent on French companies for its airplane engines.
173. 10:50And the government desperately wanted a British company to supply its engines.
174. 10:54Seeing this opportunity, Rolls-Royce took an entry in aero engine manufacturing.
175. 10:59Rolls-Royce himself learned aero engine design and launched his first engine in 1915, the Eagle.
176. 11:05This engine was more reliable, light, and fuel-efficient than the competition.
177. 11:09That's why the British Air Force ordered 500 Eagle engines by the end of the year.
178. 11:14But Rolls-Royce didn't stop here.
179. 11:15In the end of 1915, Rolls-Royce made the Hawk engine for light aircraft.
180. 11:20In 1916, Rolls-Royce made the smaller version of the Eagle, the Falcon engine.
181. 11:23And in 1918, Rolls-Royce made the Condor engine for large and long-range aircraft.
182. 11:28Due to these engines, Britain got a major advantage in aerial combat, spying missions, anti-submarine operations, and bombing missions.
183. 11:34And this became an important reason for their victory.
184. 11:39Rolls-Royce's entry in aero engine manufacturing proved to be a brilliant step.
185. 11:44And even today, Rolls-Royce's engines are used in thousands of commercial and military aircrafts.
186. 11:51In 1918, World War I ended.
187. 11:53And for the next 15 years, Rolls-Royce focused on both cars and aero engines.
188. 11:57He launched a smaller and cheaper car named 20.
189. 12:01Unfortunately, the sales of 20 were not very impressive.
190. 12:04By 1925, competition had increased due to brands like Bentley, Delmar, and Cadillac in the luxury car market.
191. 12:12And Rolls-Royce needed a bold car to maintain its position.
192. 12:16That's why he replaced the Silver Ghost and launched the new Phantom with better performance and four-wheel brakes.
193. 12:23Phantom was quite successful and it made Rolls-Royce the king of the luxury car market again.
194. 12:28In the future, Phantom 2 was also launched which was equally well-received.
195. 12:32In 1931, Rolls-Royce acquired Bentley which was about to go bankrupt.
196. 12:37And after this, Rolls-Royce designed another iconic car, Bentley 3.5L.
197. 12:43Which was a successful blend of Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
198. 12:48But unfortunately, Rolls-Royce never saw this car with his own eyes.
199. 12:52On April 22, 1933, 70-year-old Henry Rolls-Royce took his last breath.
200. 12:58A few months before the production of the car.
201. 13:02Rolls-Royce has seen many ups and downs since the death of Sir Henry Royce.
202. 13:05On one hand, iconic cars like Phantom 3, Silver Shadow, and Ghost were launched.
203. 13:09On the other hand, he had to face financial difficulties in the 1960s.
204. 13:14Due to which his aviation and automobile business were separated.
205. 13:18And currently, Rolls-Royce is owned by BMW Motors.
206. 13:21But even today, Rolls-Royce is the greatest symbol of ultimate luxury due to its iconic cars.
207. 13:27Owning a Rolls-Royce is like owning a masterpiece.
208. 13:32Which symbolizes the perfection and charisma of Rolls.