How BMW Got Rolls-Royce After Losing the Bidding War

Volkswagen paid £430 million for the business that built Rolls-Royce and Bentley. So why did BMW end up with the Rolls-Royce name? In 1998, two German rivals battled for two of Britain’s most prestigious car brands. What followed was an extraordinary deal involving a factory, engine supplies and a famous name that belonged to a separate company. We explore the bidding war, BMW’s £40 million agreement for the automotive name rights, and the settlement that gave Rolls-Royce a new home at Goodwood while Bentley stayed at Crewe. And despite the popular version of this story, the name-rights complication was known before the purchase was completed. 💬 Who got the better deal—Volkswagen with Bentley, or BMW with Rolls-Royce? 👍 Enjoyed the story? Like the video and subscribe to Car Context TV for more stories behind the cars. ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro and the £430 million question 00:40 The prize at Crewe 01:33 BMW’s connection and the bidding battle 02:16 The business and the name 03:36 BMW secures the name rights 04:17 The settlement and a new factory 05:16 Two new cars, two futures 06:26 Like, comment and subscribe 📚 SOURCES Volkswagen — The history of Bentley Volkswagen — July 1998 announcement UPI — Rolls-Royce name goes to BMW Bentley — 2003 Continental GT 🎵 MUSIC “Signal to Noise” (No Piano Melody mix) by Scott Buckley — released under CC BY 4.0. https://www.scottbuckley.com.au/libra... “Touchpoint” by Audionautix (Jason Shaw) — licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. https://audionautix.com/ Licence for both tracks: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Tracks have been excerpted, adjusted in volume and crossfaded beneath the narration. ℹ️ PRODUCTION DISCLOSURE This video uses AI-generated photographic recreations and synthetic narration. These visuals illustrate the story and are not archival footage; some details may differ from historical originals. Ownership graphics simplify the agreements for clarity. Car Context TV is an independent channel and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the manufacturers featured. Brand names and logos identify the companies discussed. #RollsRoyce #BMW #Bentley #Volkswagen #CarContextTV