ROLLS-ROYCE & BENTLEY, 6 vols.

Martin Bennett; Rolls-Royce, the history of the car, uå, 179 p. + s:e; Rolls-Royce & Bentley, 1§996, 160 p.+ s:e; Rolls-Royce and Bentley, the crew years, 1999, 368 pages + Bird & Ian Hallows; The Rolls-Royce motor car and the Bentley since 1931, 2002, 432 pages + Rolls-Royce, comp. P Garnier/W. Allport 1981, 296 pp + Paul Tritton; The godfather of Rolls-Royce, 1993, 222 pages, incl. 4:0, pbd

Few other brands are so strongly associated with and recognized for its timeless elegance and luxurious qualities as the car manufacturer Rolls-Royce.

Already when businessman Charles Rolls and engineer Henry Royce founded Rolls-Royce in 1904 in Manchester, England, the ambition was to manufacture incomparable cars. Sir Henry Royce has been quoted as saying: "Strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the best that exists and make it better. When it does not exist, design it."

The approach to quality in manufacturing and materials is still uncompromising. For example, a Rolls-Royce Phantom takes two months to manufacture, and as a finishing touch, a person is employed only to handpaint the pinstripe along the sides of the car. Rolls-Royce is perfection, the ultimate prestige marker. Now, as well as then, the customer base is largely made up of royalty and celebrities in sports, film, music and the business world.

As proof of the timeless qualities, approximately 65 percent of all manufactured cars are still said to be in use. Rolls-Royce is simply put a multifaceted living legend.