We know the day has passed, but we could not let it slip by completely without wishing a happy birthday (belated or not!) to Charles Stewart Rolls.
Born on August 28th, 1877 (some debate he was born on the 27th), Charles Stewart Rolls was a pioneer for British automobile engineering, and with the assistance of Henry Royce, co-founded the Rolls-Royce Ltd. luxury automobile company.
A descendent of the British aristocracy, Rolls was educated at Eton and at Cambridge University’s Trinity College. During his years at University, he became interested in racing. Driving a 12-horsepower Panhard car in the Thousand Mile Trial (a famous European race), he quickly became known as the best driver in Wales. Because of his driving status, he was solely responsible for changing the national speed limit from 4mph to 12mph.
In 1902, Rolls got into the car sales business, and two years later he met with an electrical engineer named Henry Royce. By 1906, Rolls-Royce Ltd. was a booming business. Royce was responsible for much of the design behind the vehicles, but Charles Stewart Rolls made this brand possible with his business savvy and his finances.
Rolls was also very interested in flight, and he became a pilot of one of the first produced Wright Brothers’ planes. He was also the first pilot to fly nonstop across the English Channel. Unfortunately his love for aviation was also his downfall. In July of 1910, Rolls was killed in a plane crash at the age of 32.
Thanks to his love of invention and aviation, the Rolls-Royce Ltd. brand has expanded into many different areas today. Believe it or not, many of our jet engines are engineered and manufactured by the Rolls-Royce company.
If you are the owner of a car that comes from the Rolls-Royce tradition, you know how important it is to protect the legacy and history that car represents. Don’t let your investment go unprotected. Visit our website today and receive a free instant luxury car insurance quote!
About the Author
Drew Yagodnik is Vice President of Classic Automobile Insurance Agency, Inc. Classic Automobile Insurance Agency has been protecting collector, classic and exotics since 1992.
