Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

==History==
[[File:Rolls-Royce Spectre Anthracite (20-crop).jpg|thumb|''[[Spirit of Ecstasy]]'', the bonnet mascot sculpture on Rolls-Royce cars]]
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited was created as a wholly owned subsidiary of [[BMW]] in 1998 after BMW licensed the rights to the Rolls-Royce brand name and logo from [[Rolls-Royce Holdings|Rolls-Royce Holdings plc]],<ref>{{Cite news|last=Cowell|first=Alan|date=1998-07-29|title=INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS; BMW to Get Rolls-Royce After All by Acquiring the Name|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/29/business/international-business-bmw-to-get-rolls-royce-after-all-by-acquiring-the-name.html|access-date=2020-06-12|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=29 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129012336/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/29/business/international-business-bmw-to-get-rolls-royce-after-all-by-acquiring-the-name.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and acquired the rights to the [[Spirit of Ecstasy]] and Rolls-Royce grille shape trademarks from [[Volkswagen AG]]. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited has been manufacturing Rolls-Royce branded cars since 2003.

Although the Rolls-Royce brand has been in use since 1906, the fate of the brand diverged between 1998 and 2003. In 2003, the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars subsidiary of BMW AG, which had been a major supplier to the brand up to 2003, began manufacturing vehicles with the Rolls-Royce name. Volkswagen AG took ownership of the Bentley name as well as previous Rolls-Royce production facilities and previous Rolls-Royce designs.

Former chief executive Torsten Müller-Ötvös joined the company in January 2010, with a pledge to regain the quality standards that made Rolls-Royce famous. That year sales in China increased by 600%, making it the company's second largest market after the US.<ref>[http://www.barrymansfield.com/pdf/TurboJet%20Horizon%20Rolls%20Royce.pdf TurboJet Horizon: 'Roll with the changes'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150209203951/http://www.barrymansfield.com/pdf/TurboJet%20Horizon%20Rolls%20Royce.pdf |date=9 February 2015 }}, published 1 November 2011</ref>

On October 5, 2023, Rolls-Royce announced that Müller-Ötvös will be retiring as CEO on November 30 after 14 years. He will be succeeded by Chris Brownridge, the current CEO of BMW UK, who will become the company's new CEO on December 1, 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.press.rolls-roycemotorcars.com/rolls-royce-motor-cars-pressclub/article/detail/T0437495EN/rolls-royce-motor-cars-announces-retirement-of-torsten-mueller-oetvoes-ceo|title=ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT OF TORSTEN MÜLLER-ÖTVÖS, CEO|website=Rolls-Royce|access-date=2023-10-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.motor1.com/news/690049/rolls-royce-new-ceo-announcement/|title=Rolls-Royce CEO Retires, Chris Brownridge Named New Boss|website=motor1|access-date=2023-10-05}}</ref> Müller-Ötvös was the company's longest serving CEO to date.

===Ownership and licensing of trademarks===
[[File:Rolls-Royce Motor Cars logo.svg|thumb|upright|left|Rolls-Royce Motor Cars emblem]]
In 1998, [[Vickers]] decided to sell Rolls-Royce Motors. The most likely buyer was BMW, which already supplied engines and other components for Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars, but BMW's final offer of £340&nbsp;million was beaten by Volkswagen's £430&nbsp;million ($703 million).<ref>{{cite news |title=Rolls-Royce Sale To VW Backed |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/06/business/rolls-royce-sale-to-vw-backed.html |access-date=27 June 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=6 June 1998 |archive-date=27 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220627081953/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/06/business/rolls-royce-sale-to-vw-backed.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

A stipulation in the ownership documents of Rolls-Royce dictated that Rolls-Royce Holdings plc, the aero-engine maker, would retain certain essential trademarks, including the Rolls-Royce brand name and logo if the automotive division was sold. Although Vickers plc sold the vehicle designs, nameplates, administrative headquarters, production facilities, Spirit of Ecstasy and Rolls-Royce grille shape trademarks to Volkswagen AG, Rolls-Royce plc chose to license the Rolls-Royce name and logo to BMW AG for £40&nbsp;million ($66 million), because Rolls-Royce plc had recently had joint business ventures with BMW.<ref>{{cite news |title=BMW Buys Rolls-Royce Brand Name |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bmw-buys-rolls-royce-brand-name/ |access-date=27 June 2022 |work=CBS |archive-date=27 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220627081649/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bmw-buys-rolls-royce-brand-name/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

BMW's contract to supply engines and components to Rolls-Royce Motors allowed BMW to cancel the contract with 12 months' notice. Volkswagen would be unable to re-engineer the Rolls-Royce and Bentley vehicles to use other engines within that time frame. With the Rolls-Royce brand identification marks split between the two companies and Volkswagen's engine supply in jeopardy, the two companies entered into negotiations. Volkswagen agreed to sell BMW the Spirit of Ecstasy and grille shape trademarks and BMW agreed to continue supplying engines and components until 2003. Volkswagen continued to produce Rolls-Royce branded vehicles between 1998 and 2003. This gave BMW time to build a new Rolls-Royce administrative headquarters and [[Goodwood plant|production facility]] on the [[Goodwood House|Goodwood Estate]] near [[Chichester]], [[West Sussex]], and develop the Phantom, the first Rolls-Royce from the new company. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited became the exclusive manufacturer of Rolls-Royce branded cars in 2003. Rolls-Royce announced in September 2014 that a new technology and logistics centre would be built, which opened in 2016, 8 miles away from the main headquarters, in the seaside resort town of [[Bognor Regis]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-29118089|title=Rolls-Royce plans Bognor Regis technology centre|work=BBC News|date=8 September 2014|access-date=24 June 2015|archive-date=9 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141209061248/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-29118089|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=New building sought by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars at its site |url=https://www.bognorregispost.co.uk/2018/09/new-building-sought-by-rolls-royce-motor-cars-at-its-site/ |access-date=27 June 2022 |work=Bognor Regis Post |archive-date=14 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814071932/https://www.bognorregispost.co.uk/2018/09/new-building-sought-by-rolls-royce-motor-cars-at-its-site/ |url-status=live }}</ref>