The Most Famous Car in the World

The Most Famous Car in the World

​The Most Famous car in the World

​In 1904, a car mechanic called Henry Royce met a wealthy aristocrat and car salesman called Charles Royce. Later that year, the two men started a car company. Take the best and make it better, was their motto. It still is. Rolls Royce is now the most famous car company in the world.

​The two men were very different, Charles Rolls was the son of a wealthy landowner and was educated at Eaton, an expensive public school and Cambridge University. He was a car salesman, but he did not have to work; he had enough money without working at all.

​Henry Royce, on the other hand, was the fifth child of a poor family. He had a difficult childhood and had worked and studied very hard all his life. He was a perfectionist.

​By the end of 1904, the first Rolls Royce car won a medal at the Paris car show. In 1907, the Rolls Royce Silver Ghost appeared. (Silver because all the metal parts were silver plated; Ghost because the car was so quiet.

Multiple Select

Who was Henry Royce?

• a car mechanic

• an aristocrat

• a perfectionist

Multiple Choice

Where did the first Rolls Royce car win a medal?

• In England

• In Paris

• In Crewe

Multiple Choice

When did the two men started a car company?

• 1904

• 1910

• 1907

Multiple Choice

When did the Silver Ghost appeared?

• 1910

• 1907

• 1904

​Charles Rolls died in an aeroplane crash in 1910, but the company grew and grew. After the Second World War, Rolls Royce moved its factory to Crewe, in Central England. It is a proud town. The sign that greets visitors says 'The Borough of Crewe and Nantwich'. Home of the best car in the world.

Here are some amazing facts about Rolls Royce cars

​* The hides of 23 cows are needed to cover the seats of one Rolls Royce.

​* Rolls Royce craftsmen go to California to select the walnut trees for the veneer.

​* More than half of all the Rolls ever built are still working.

​* According to the company, a Rolls Royce never breaks down. It fails to proceed.

​* Every radiator grille is hand-made by craftsmen, who initial their work.

​* Until electronic clocks replaced mechanical ones, the loudest noise inside a Rolls Royce was the "tick"of the clock.

​* In an international survey of brand names, Rolls Royce was the best known British name.

Multiple Choice

What was the loudest noise in a Rolls Royce?

• the engine

• the 'tick'of the clock

• the  radio

• T

Multiple Choice

Which part of the Rolls Royce was hand made by craftsmen?

• The engine

• The seat cover

• The radiator grille

Multiple Choice

Look at the words in bold in the passage. Match the meanings

went to school

• wealthy

• educated

• mechanic

• perfectionist

Multiple Choice

Find the meaning of this word

welcomes

• survey

• greets

• proceed

• appeared

Multiple Choice

Find the meaning of this word

rich

• expensive

• wealthy

• childhood

• veneer

Multiple Choice

Find the meaning of this word

animal skins

• hides

• leather

• veneer

• silver

Multiple Choice

Find the meaning of this word

to move forward

• greet

• proceed

• amazing

Multiple Choice

Find another word that means

accident

• crash

• replaced

• appeared

Multiple Choice

What is another word that means

surprising

• amazing

• craftsmen

• perfectionist

Multiple Choice

Find another word that means

skilled, clever workers

• perfectionist

• craftsmen

• mechanic

Multiple Choice

State whether the sentence is TRUE or FALSE

Henry Royce and Charles Rolls began building cars in 1904

• TRUE

• FALSE

Multiple Choice

State whether the sentence is TRUE or FALSE

The Silver Ghost was their first car.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Multiple Choice

State whether this sentence is TRUE or FALSE

Charles Rolls was a car salesman because he needed to earn money.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Multiple Choice

After the Second World War, where did the company move its factory?

• In Paris

• In Crewe

• In Englad

Multiple Choice

Where is Crewe?

• In Paris

• In Central England

• In Eaton

Multiple Choice

How many cows are needed to make the cover seats of one Rolls Royce

• 12

• 24

• 6

• 10

Multiple Choice

Where did the craftsmen go to select walnut trees for the veneer?

• Paris

• London

• California

Multiple Choice

What replaced the mechanical clock in a Rolls Royce?

• Digital clock

• Electronic clock

• tick of the clock

Multiple Choice

How did Charles Royce die?

• In an aeroplane crash

• In a car crash

• in a war