Words: Jonathan Wells
It rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it? Rolls-Royce. Even the simple, syrupy syllables themselves sound luxurious; sumptuous. And there’s a reason for that. A mainstay of the annual Luxury Industry Brand Index — and currently the influential list’s highest-ranking automotive company — Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is synonymous with opulence, affluence and the smoothest rides in town.
But it hasn’t always been this way. Founded in Manchester almost 120 years ago, the brand started out in the crane business, before motoring its way into the luxury car sector. And, during the last century, there have been plenty of bumps in the road. In 1971, the company entered voluntary liquidation, and was bought by both Vickers and Volkswagen in the years that followed. But the brand has always prevailed. How? Primarily, because of that name. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a name that, to this day, inspires grandeur, elegance and admiration in anyone who hears it.
So imagine our surprise when, earlier this week, the heritage motor manufacturer announced a rebrand. “Rolls-Royce announces new brand identity,” read the email that sped into our inboxes, “to further modernise the marque”. Puzzled? We were. Why would a brand, so lauded for its historic deference, decide to change its entire identity — a decades-long legacy that so clearly draws in, reassures and delights its customers?
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