Rolls met Royce at The Midland Hotel
Look to your right as you ascend the stairs to the Midland Hotel on Peter Street. There is a monument and a plaque honoring the most important conference to have ever occurred there. The list of famous people who have visited the Midland goes on and on, including kings, worthies, and Charles Rolls met Henry Royce, whose trip on May 4, 1904, probably signaled the beginning of a new era for the automobile business. They decided to create "the best automobile in the world" at this point.
Rolls was a pilot and balloonist who subsequently gained notoriety for being the first British citizen to perish in a flying accident. He built one of the earliest auto dealerships in Britain in 1903, thus he was able to contribute knowledge of the automotive industry. Royce was the founder and director of F.H. Royce and Company, situated in Hulme, which produced electrical fittings, dynamos, and cranes before he decided to start producing automobiles.
They first met on May 4th, 1904, in Midland Hotel. Charles Rolls immediately recognized Henry Royce's renowned 10-horsepower car, which was the first automobile Royce had created and manufactured himself. From that moment on, Rolls knew he had discovered what he had been looking for. Royce allowed Rolls to have a spin in his vehicle, and when he returned, on the spot, he agreed to sign a contract with Royce to build the finest automobiles. Additionally, Rolls was pleased with the three automobiles Royce had built. In December they decided to take all of Royce vehicles, which would bear the "Rolls-Royce" trademark. Because of the success of combining the resources of Rolls and Royce with Royce's engineering prowess, Rolls-Royce Limited was founded in 1906. Outside the building, there are two memorial plaques. The Rolls-Royce corporation celebrates at the hotel on May 4 every year. Visitors love hearing from tour guides, "This is where Mr. Rolls met Mr. Royce."
