Our History

In 2023, Rolls-Royce announced its multi-year transformation programme to create a high-performing, competitive, resilient and growing business.

2023 was a milestone year for sustainable aviation, with the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine powering the world’s first 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) transatlantic flight. The flight from London Heathrow to New York JFK was made possible by a Virgin Atlantic-led consortium.

The same year, Rolls-Royce completed successful SAF tests on all in-production civil aerospace engines and the successful first run of its UltraFan® aero engine technology demonstrator at maximum power.

We also began testing its F130 engines for the United States Air Force’s iconic B-52 aircraft and announced that it would provide reactors for Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine fleet as part of the AUKUS agreement, creating thousands of jobs in the UK.

In 2022, Rolls-Royce announced it had completed building and was preparing to test its UltraFan® aero engine technology demonstrator using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) – a milestone on its path to delivering greater fuel efficiency, lower emissions and greater sustainability in aviation.

Rolls-Royce announced key programmes to enable the use of hydrogen to power aero engines, hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion and static power systems through partnerships with industry leaders like easyJet and Hyundai.

The same year, Rolls-Royce’s Trent 1000 aero engine completed its first SAF flight aboard an RAF military transporter.

In 2021, Rolls-Royce launched its pathway to net zero, setting out its actions for achieving net zero carbon by 2050 and meeting the Paris Agreement climate goals.

In November of the same year, the Spirit of Innovation all-electric plane set the world record for the fastest all-electric vehicle, reaching a top speed of 345.4 mph over 3 kilometres.

Rolls-Royce worked with partners Yasa and Electroflight to develop the technology that powered the aircraft as part of its sustainability strategy to enable the future of electric flight.

In January 2020, Rolls-Royce celebrated 25 years of Trent engines. The first Trent aero engine – the Trent 700 – entered service in January 1995 with Cathay Pacific, powering the A330ceo.

In 2019, Rolls-Royce celebrated the first successful year in operation of the Changi to Newark Singapore Airlines flight. It was the world’s longest scheduled flight at 18 hours and 25 minutes, powered by the Trent XWB-84 engine.

In December 2018, the first Rolls-Royce Trent 7000-powered A330neo entered service with Tap Air Portugal (TAP).

In February of 2017, the first Airbus A350-1000 revenue flight powered by the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engine took off with Qatar Airways.

In the same year, the Trent 1000 TEN entered service, with Air New Zealand, Scoot and Norwegian Airlines.

In March 2016, the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 TEN aero engine completed its first flight test on the Flying Test Bed (FTB).

The first Airbus A350-900 revenue flight from Doha to Frankfurt with Qatar Airways took off in January 2015, powered by the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84 engine.

In July 2014, the first Boeing 787-9 entered service with Air New Zealand, powered by the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine.

Rolls-Royce’s Trent XWB engine took to the skies for the first time on an Airbus A380 test aircraft in Toulouse, France. The aircraft flew with one of its four Trent 900 engines replaced by the Trent XWB.

The acquired German company Tognum officially rebranded as Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

The short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of Lockheed Martin’s F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter powered by Rolls-Royce entered service in 2012 with the US Marine Corps and deliveries were made to the UK MoD.

In November of the same year, the Rolls-Royce Apprentice Academy opened in Derby, equipped with workshops containing the very latest machines, tooling and software to help train the high-class engineers of the future.

The Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 became the first engine to power the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in 2011, which went into service with All Nippon Airways (ANA), while the 1,000th production Trent 700 engine was delivered to Cathay Pacific Airlines.

In March, Rolls-Royce and German company Daimler jointly acquired Tognum, a supplier of diesel engines for off-highway applications and MTU high-speed reciprocating engines.

In May, the UK Government awarded Rolls-Royce the contract to develop a new propulsion system for the next generation of nuclear-powered submarines.

Rolls-Royce’s Trent XWB engine designed for the Airbus A350 ran for the first time in June 2010, with 1,150 additional Trent XWB engine orders promising to make it the most successful member of the Trent family.

Rolls-Royce’s marine business secured a breakthrough order from the US Navy to power 10 Littoral Combat Ships with MT30 marine gas turbine engines, representing the largest naval surface vessel contract Rolls-Royce had signed to this date.

In the UK, six Type 45 Destroyers for the Royal Navy were launched, equipped with Rolls-Royce’s highly efficient WR-21 gas turbine power system.

For the first time, Lockheed Martin’s short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) version of its F-35 Joint Strike Fighter deployed Rolls-Royce’s unique LiftSystem® – the only vertical lift technology for fighter jets in production in the world.

Several customer aircraft, including the Boeing 787, Gulfstream G650, Airbus A400M, Embraer Legacy 650, BAE Systems Mantis UAV and the AgustaWestland Lynx Wildcat helicopter, took flight for the first time.

2009 also saw the US Navy’s Rolls-Royce-powered Littoral Combat Ship go on active duty as the first sailing of the Navy’s Astute class submarine and the commissioning of the Royal Navy’s first Type 45 Destroyer, HMA Daring, which would be powered by two Rolls-Royce gas turbine engines.

Rolls-Royce’s MT30 marine gas turbine was selected to power the US Navy’s first two DDG-1000 multi-mission destroyers.

In October of the same year, the Trent 900 became the first engine to power the Airbus A380 into service with Singapore Airlines. The A380 is the world’s largest airliner and has four engines per aircraft.

The world-class Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine specifically designed for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner ran for the first time.

Rolls-Royce opened a new 6,000-square-metre marine manufacturing facility in Shanghai.

Located in the Nanhui industrial zone of Shanghai, the facility is equipped with specialised shipbuilding machinery and a 200-strong workforce, including a growing team of service engineers. The same year, Rolls-Royce’s AE 1107C engine powered the revolutionary military tiltrotor aircraft known as the V-22 Osprey in its first operational use with the US Marine Corps.

Rolls-Royce celebrated its centenary in 2004 with a series of special events for customers, partners from education and industry, and employees, families and friends in the UK, Germany, Scandinavia North America and the Far East.

1999 saw Rolls-Royce acquire the rotating compression equipment interests of Cooper Energy Services, an oil and gas venture that would become Cooper Rolls. We took full control of our oil and gas venture, Cooper Rolls, with the acquisition of the rotating compression equipment interests of Cooper Energy Services.

We also acquired National Airmotive in California, a major repair and overhaul facility now part of Rolls-Royce Engine Services.

The 1990s ended with the £575m acquisition of Vickers plc’s marine engineering business. For Rolls-Royce, this provided key products and capabilities of the former Ulstein and Kamewa companies and, together with its existing gas turbine activities, transformed Rolls-Royce into the global leader in marine power systems.

Rolls-Royce acquired Allison Engine Company in Indianapolis, United States, bringing with it major new civil engines including the AE3007 for Embraer’s new regional aircraft and existing, successful defence programmes.

In 1990, Rolls-Royce formed an aero engines joint venture with BMW of Germany, later becoming Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG and the hub of development for Rolls-Royce's two-shaft engines.

Rolls-Royce returned to the private sector in 1987 after 16 years under state ownership. It underwent a number of mergers and acquisitions to create the only company in Britain capable of delivering power for use in the air, at sea and on land.

Early problems with the RB211 widebody engine led to the company being taken into state ownership in 1971, enabling the completion of the engine’s development and its establishment at the heart of Rolls-Royce’s world-class family of engines.

The same year, Rolls-Royce Motors Limited was established as a car business as its own separate entity.

In 1966, Rolls-Royce merged with Bristol Siddeley – a Bristol-based consolidation of major British engine manufacturers – widening its military engine capability.

With the emergence of widebody airliners in the 1960s, Rolls-Royce launched the three-spool RB211 engine exclusively for the Lockheed L-1011 Tri-Star commercial jet airliner, cementing Rolls-Royce as an industry leader.

In 1953, Rolls-Royce entered the civil aviation market with the Dart turboprop aero engine for the Vickers Viscount medium-range airliner. The Dart was to become the cornerstone of universal acceptance of gas turbines by the airline industry.

During the Second World War, Rolls-Royce began the development of the aero gas turbine, pioneered by Sir Frank Whittle, the English engineer who is said to have invented the jet engine.

During the Battle of Britain in 1940, Rolls-Royce’s Merlin aero engine was used to power Britain’s Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire aircraft.

As demand for the engine grew throughout the Second World War, the Merlin transformed Rolls-Royce from a relatively small company into a major contender in aero propulsion.

In 1931, Rolls-Royce established a new world air speed record of over 400 mph with the R aero engine, developed to power Britain’s entry in the International Schneider Trophy seaplane contest.

It established further world records on both land and water and provided the technological foundation for the development of the Merlin, a liquid-cooled V-12 piston aero engine.

At the beginning of the First World War, Royce responded to the nation’s need for military aero engines by designing the Rolls-Royce Eagle – the first aero engine the company would produce.

Two Rolls-Royce Eagle engines would go on to power the first transatlantic flight in 1919 on board the Vickers Vicky heavy bomber aircraft.

The official formation of the Rolls-Royce company took place in 1906, following the huge success of its first range of cars.

That year, Rolls-Royce launched the six-cylinder Silver Ghost which would be hailed as ‘the best car in the world’ within a year.

Rolls-Royce was developed from the electrical and mechanical business, Royce Limited, established by English engineer Henry Royce in 1884. After building his first motor car in 1904, Royce met Charles Rolls, whose company CS Rolls & Co sold quality cars in London.

Rolls enlisted Royce to manufacture a range of exclusive cars that would bear the name that would become a symbol of British manufacturing – Rolls-Royce.