1947 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Labourdette Vutotal Cabriolet Rebodied in 1947 by Labourdette of Paris, this Phantom III was the designer’s last and arguably most daring work. It was commissioned by the flamboyant Louis Ritter who let Labourdette go all out, so much so, the body alone cost $44 000 which...
Post-War Era Rolls-Royce Cars
1946 - 2002 - Independent, Vickers Era & VW Ownership Years
The post-war years presented both challenges and opportunities for Rolls-Royce. Recovering from wartime production and facing a changing world, the iconic marque had to adapt to new realities while upholding its legacy of luxury and engineering excellence. This period, spanning from 1946 to 2002, saw Rolls-Royce navigate shifting ownership, economic climates, and evolving customer expectations. We examine the fascinating evolution of Rolls-Royce through this transformative era. We'll explore the distinct phases of the company's journey: the period of independent operation, marked by iconic models like the Silver Wraith and Silver Cloud; the Vickers era, with its focus on modernization and the introduction of the Silver Shadow; and finally, the transition to Volkswagen ownership, culminating in the dawn of a new century.
Rolls-Royce Models from 1946 - 2002
The original Rolls-Royce Limited had been nationalized in 1971 due to the financial collapse of the company, caused in part by the development of the RB211 jet engine. In 1973, the British government sold the Rolls-Royce car business to allow nationalized parent Rolls-Royce (1971) Limited to concentrate on jet engine manufacture. In 1980, Rolls-Royce Motors was acquired by Vickers. The below cars cover the post-war era, including ownership during the Vickers era.
Two companies with a long-held interest in Rolls-Royce were German manufacturers Volkswagen and BMW. This interest came to fruition in 1998, when BMW was outbid by Volkswagen in an attempt to acquire the Rolls-Royce brand. The outcome of this bidding war was that BMW owned the Rolls-Royce name and logo, while Volkswagen had rights to the mascot and grill. This stalemate was broken when a deal was made that, from 2003 on, BMW was allowed to produce the complete car under the Rolls-Royce name.
The 2003 Phantom VII was the first Rolls-Royce built completely under BMW and it is credited with reviving the Rolls-Royce reputation as a luxury car manufacturer. Indeed, for a period of time, it was the only car produced by Rolls-Royce, such was the power and importance of the Phantom VII to the company’s success. There are two models listed below that were built during this Volkswagen Group years, is the Silver Seraph (1998-2002) and the Corniche V (2002 - 2002).
Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith (1946 - 1959)
Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn (1949 - 1955)
Rolls-Royce Phantom IV (1950 - 1956)
Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud (1955 - 1966 )
Rolls-Royce Phantom V (1959 - 1968)
Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow (1965 - 1980)
Rolls-Royce Phantom VI (1968 - 1991)
Rolls-Royce Corniche (1971 - 1996)
Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit (1980 - 1998)
Rolls-Royce Camargue (1975 - 1986)
Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit/Silver Spur (1980 - 1998)
Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph (1998 - 2002)
Rolls-Royce Corniche V (2000 - 2002)
Our Favorite Post-War Rolls-Royce Car Images
The post-war Rolls-Royce cars were powerful, luxurious purposeful. Below, we take a look at our favorite pictures of those icons.
