ARTICLE · 21 JANUARY 2026

How BMW (Quietly) Won "Rolls Royce" From Volkswagen And Why It Still Matters

ENS

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In the late 1990s a tussle over Rolls‑Royce played out between Volkswagen ("VW") and BMW. While Volkswagen paid more for the carmaker, it was BMW who ended up with the brand.

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In the late 1990s a tussle over Rolls‑Royce played out between Volkswagen ("VW") and BMW. While Volkswagen paid more for the carmaker, it was BMW who ended up with the brand. This is a wonderful case study on how getting the IP wrong can rewire an entire industry.

History - the short version

In 1998, Volkswagen outbid BMW to acquire Rolls‑Royce Motor Cars from Vickers (for GBP430 million), gaining the Crewe factory, engineers and Bentley. But the "Rolls‑Royce" ("RR") name and the famous "RR" device were owned not by the car company Vickers sold, but by Rolls‑Royce plc (the aerospace company), which had licensed those marks into the motor business.

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