UK: ROLLS ROYCE MOTOR CARS TAKEN OVER BY BMW UPDATE

• published: 21 Jul 2015
• views: 0

English/Nat B-M-W won a bidding war Monday to take over Rolls-Royce, ending an era in British car manufacture. The German bid beat rival Volkswagen and a group of Rolls enthusiasts who were making a longshot attempt to keep the company British. Rolls Royce's parent company Vickers P-L-C has agreed in principle to sell the flagship of elegant, expensive motoring to the company that already makes the cars engines. Since it was formed in 1906, Rolls-Royce has been sold as "the best six-cylinder car in the world." On Monday, Rolls Royce itself was sold for 570 (m) million dollars. Germany's B-M-W won the bidding war, reaching an agreement in principle with Vickers P-L-C. Despite the sale of Rolls Royce to a German company it is understood that the integral classic British essence of the cars will be preserved. SOUNDBITE: (English) "We have the assurance that the motorcars will be retained in Britain, they will retain their Britishness, they will retain their unique craft skills that make Rolls Royce and Bentley different." SUPER CAPTION: Sir Colin Chandler, Chairman and Chief Executive of Vickers B-M-W was one of four contenders to make it to the final stage of the bidding -- along with Volkswagen, a consortium of Rolls-Royce enthusiasts and British venture capital group Doughty Hanson. SOUNDBITE: (English) "I think throughout the whole process what we've maintained is that B-M-W would have the safest pair of hands for Rolls Royce and Bentley. We're a company that very strongly appreciates the tradition and heritage of Rolls Royce. Great names. And I think what we will do is protect that heritage and we will also bring resources that will enable Rolls Royce to perhaps expand into that upper luxury segment in the future and bring perhaps slightly new models, new market niches." SUPER CAPTION: Chris Willows, Director of Communications, B-M-W (GB) Lydia Aydon, News Editor at Auto Express, believes many will mourn the end of an era. SOUNDBITE: (English) "I think its quite sad for the British motoring industry that a German now owns what is quintessentially a British make. I mean Rolls Royce is known throughout the world. I mean people drive a Rolls Royce and they see themselves driving the best of British. So now this is owned by Germans and obviously B-M-W already own Rover so its kind of you think 'Oh no, the Germans are running all these famous British car industry marques.' So it is quite sad, but then again Rolls Royce needed some investment to progress they really needed a big company to come along and put in some investment and do a lot of the things with the company I think they reached the stage where they couldn't go any further you know, they've got their new range of cars which have B-M-W engines in and they really couldn't get any further." SUPER CAPTION: Lydia Aydon, News Editor Auto Express Throughout this century, a Rolls has been the car to have. Few self-respecting oil sheikhs, film stars, pop idols or multi-millionaires would refuse to drive - or be driven in - any other vehicle. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/6b762a43c80dbae834f73dabdd0e5dd5 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork