Rolls-Royce is a British carmaker founded in 1904, now part of BMW Group. The cars themselves are another matter: across 1 VIN prefixes on record they came off lines in 1 country — the United Kingdom 100%. 14 models are tracked here (1981–2026). Reliable? yes, and comfortably so — 4.4 out of 5 across 14 rated models, though the spread between model years is far wider than the badge suggests (every model ranked →).
Who makes Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited is a British ultra-luxury automaker headquartered at Goodwood, West Sussex, and a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW Group. Founded in 1904 by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce as Rolls-Royce Limited, the company's 1907 Silver Ghost was advertised as the best car in the world by The Times. The original Rolls-Royce Limited split in 1973: aero-engine operations remained Rolls-Royce plc (today Rolls-Royce Holdings), while the car business eventually became Rolls-Royce Motors. BMW acquired the rights to use the Rolls-Royce name on cars in 1998, and the modern Goodwood facility opened in 2003. Rolls-Royce produces fewer than 6,000 vehicles per year and offers each customer hundreds of hours of bespoke design through the Bespoke division. The Phantom (since 2003) is the brand's flagship full-size sedan; the Ghost is the smaller alternative; the Cullinan (since 2018) was Rolls-Royce's first SUV; and the Spectre (2023) is the brand's first all-electric production vehicle. The Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament has been featured on Rolls-Royce vehicles since 1911. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars' parent BMW Group trades on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange as BMW. Recall data for every Rolls-Royce VIN sold in the US is reported to NHTSA. ForCar.org decodes any Rolls-Royce VIN to surface trim, factory options, open recalls and original delivery price.
Charles Rolls and Henry Royce met at the Midland Hotel in Manchester on May 4, 1904, and agreed to a partnership: Royce would build cars, Rolls would sell them. The 1907 Silver Ghost had a 50,000-mile reliability run that established Rolls-Royce as the world standard. The Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament, designed by Charles Sykes in 1911, depicts Eleanor Velasco Thornton (the model and Rolls associate's mistress). Aero-engine work began in 1914. BMW's 1998 brand acquisition required moving production from Crewe to a new Goodwood facility because the Crewe plant remained with Bentley.
| Rolls-Royce | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1904 |
| Founded by | Charles Rolls, Henry Royce |
| Headquarters | Goodwood, United Kingdom |
| Owned by | BMW Group |
| Slogan | «Inspired by greatness» |
| Models tracked here | 14 (1981–2026) |
| Assembled in | 1 countries |
Technology it is known for: Magic Carpet Ride suspension, Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament, Bespoke commissioning program, Whisper-quiet cabin acoustics, Starlight Headliner (fiber-optic stars).
This page covers Rolls-Royce Motor Cars (BMW Group) — not Rolls-Royce Holdings plc (the separate British aerospace and defense company that retained the Rolls-Royce name for aero-engines after the 1973 split).
Where Rolls-Royce cars are actually built
A badge says where a company is registered, not where its cars were bolted together. The first three characters of any VIN — the world manufacturer identifier — say the second thing, and that is what we counted: 13 vehicles on record, 1 distinct manufacturer codes.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| the United Kingdom | SCA | 1981–2016 |
Read your own: the first character is the region, the first three together identify the plant's manufacturer. A Rolls-Royce beginning SCA was assembled in the United Kingdom.
All Rolls-Royce models 14
Every Rolls-Royce model we track, grouped by body type. Click any model for its VIN decoder, recalls, MPG, safety and ForCar Reliability Score — broken down by year.
Rolls-Royce Cars & sedans 13
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolls-Royce Phantom | 2004–2026 | 21 | 3 | 14 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Rolls-Royce Ghost | 2010–2026 | 14 | 1 | 15 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Rolls-Royce Wraith | 2014–2021 | 1 | 2 | 15 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Rolls-Royce Spectre | 2024–2026 | 5 | — | 81 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Rolls-Royce Dawn | 2016–2021 | 2 | — | 15 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Rolls-Royce Corniche | 1981–2002 | 9 | — | 12 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Rolls-Royce Silver Spur | 1981–1999 | 21 | 7 | 12 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit | 1981–1996 | 13 | 1 | 11 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph | 1999–2002 | 4 | — | 13 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Rolls-Royce Camargue | 1981–1987 | — | — | 8 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn | 1995–1997 | 7 | — | 12 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Rolls-Royce Flying Spur | 1995–1995 | 2 | — | 11 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Rolls-Royce Park Ward | 1998–2002 | 3 | — | 13 mpg | 4.5/5 |
Rolls-Royce Wagons 1
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolls-Royce Cullinan | 2019–2026 | 10 | — | 14 mpg | 4.5/5 |
Rolls-Royce by the numbers
What the federal records say about the marque. Each line links to the full breakdown by model and year.
| Topic | Rolls-Royce | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 112 campaigns | Most recalled: Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings |
| Owner complaints | 14+ filed | Most reported: Silver Spur |
| Fuel economy | 81 mpg best | Leader: Spectre |
Compare model years like a dealer does.
- Full research report on any model year
- Market chart: how this model holds value
- Exact values with mileage adjustment
- Price-drop alerts on the trims you're watching
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Rolls-Royce hybrids & electric models
Rolls-Royce's electrified lineup — 1 electric / plug-in. Click any model for its full powertrain, MPG and range by year.
Rolls-Royce electric & plug-in 1
| Model | Years | Best figure | Recalls | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolls-Royce Spectre | 2024–2026 | 81 | 5 | 4.5/5 |
Electrified variants from EPA fueleconomy.gov powertrain data. A model may offer gas, hybrid and electric versions across years.
Get a Rolls-Royce window sticker by VIN
Recreate any Rolls-Royce's original Monroney label — MSRP, factory options, EPA MPG and safety — free from the VIN.
Rolls-Royce window stickers →How to read a Rolls-Royce VIN
Every Rolls-Royce built since 1981 carries a unique 17-character VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). It encodes where and when the vehicle was made, its engine and body — here's what each part means:
- WMI (1–3) — country & manufacturer. Tells you it's a Rolls-Royce and the country it was built in.
- VDS (4–8) — model, body style, engine, trim & restraints. The 8th digit is the engine code.
- Check digit (9) — a math check that proves the VIN is genuine.
- Model year (10) — the year it was built (e.g. R = 2024, S = 2025).
- Plant (11) — which factory assembled it.
- Serial (12–17) — the unique sequential production number.
The remaining digits — engine (8th), model-year letter (10th) and plant — follow the universal SAE standard. For the full year-code table (2001–2026), country codes and where the number is stamped, see our free VIN decoder.
Who owns Rolls-Royce, and what you get
Rolls-Royce belongs to BMW Group. Rolls-Royce competes at the apex of the ultra-luxury segment against Bentley (now corporate sibling under different ownership), Maybach, Bugatti and limited-production specialists. The brand's positioning emphasizes craftsmanship, exclusivity and bespoke commissioning rather than performance, although Black Badge variants of every model line offer more aggressive tuning. Rolls-Royce's 2030 commitment to all-electric production will make it the first ultra-luxury brand to fully eliminate internal combustion.
| Rolls-Royce | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | the United Kingdom |
| Ownership | BMW Group |
| Basic warranty | 3 years / 36,000 miles |
| Powertrain warranty | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
| Assembly countries | United Kingdom |
⚠ Worth knowing before you rely on it: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, while basic cover here runs 3 years / 36,000 miles. See when Rolls-Royce models actually start to break →
Rolls-Royce — frequently asked
Is Rolls-Royce british?
Rolls-Royce is a British company, headquartered in Goodwood and founded in 1904. The cars are a separate question: 100% of the Rolls-Royce vehicles in our records were assembled in the United Kingdom.
Where are Rolls-Royce cars made?
Across 1 manufacturer codes on record, assembly splits as: the United Kingdom (100%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the manufacturer and plant country — that is where these shares come from.
Who owns Rolls-Royce?
Rolls-Royce is part of BMW Group.
How many Rolls-Royce models are there?
We track 14 Rolls-Royce models spanning 1981–2026. The full list is above, ordered by how often each is searched.
What is the Rolls-Royce warranty?
New vehicles come with 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Terms vary by model year and market — confirm with a dealer.
Is Rolls-Royce reliable?
It depends far more on the model and year than on the badge. Every Rolls-Royce model is ranked by complaint rate here, along with the age at which each starts to fail.