The Merlin Engine That Won WWII (and Built Rolls-Royce)

The complete history of Rolls-Royce — from founder Henry Royce's poverty-stricken childhood to today's $400,000+ Phantom and electric Spectre. This is the full zero-to-hero story of how a self-taught engineer with one year of schooling and a £70 loan built the world's most prestigious automotive brand — and how it nearly collapsed forever. Inside this video: Henry Royce and Charles Rolls's unlikely partnership, the legendary Silver Ghost reliability trials, Rolls's tragic death in 1910, the WWI armoured cars used by Lawrence of Arabia, the Merlin engine that powered the Spitfire and won the Battle of Britain, Royce's own death in 1933, the shocking 1971 government bankruptcy bailout, the BMW vs Volkswagen bidding war for the Rolls-Royce name, the rise of the Phantom, Ghost, Wraith, Cullinan SUV, and the all-electric Spectre — plus the Bespoke program where customers spend over $1 million customizing a single car. 00:00 Intro 00:42 Humble Beginnings 02:03 Charles Rolls 03:13 Silver Ghost 04:39 War Years 06:00 Golden Age 07:05 Merlin Engine 07:56 Bankruptcy Shock 08:57 Corporate Battle 09:56 Modern Rolls-Royce