Having constructed a factory at Pym's Lane in Crewe in 1938 in which to build its aero engines, Rolls-Royce immediately became synonymous with the Cheshire town. It was there that Merlin and Griffon engines, destined for aeroplanes as famous as the Hurricane, Spitfire and Lancaster were assembled in their thousands.

After WW2, Crewe became the home of Rolls-Royce Motors, which included Bentley as the production of these fine vehicles had been transferred from Derby.

Superb quality and attention to detail are the hallmarks of these globally celebrated cars. This book not only details the five generations of Rolls-Royces and Bentleys built at Crewe, including the Silver Cloud and Silver Shadow, but also chronicles the company history, and the affair which led to the two marques being separated in 2003 when Rolls-Royce was acquired by BMW and moved to Goodwood, and Bentley, remaining at Crewe, was sold to Volkswagen.

In 1922 Rolls-Royce introduced their new 20hp model, known as the Twenty, the first in a family of what are now called the “Small Horsepower” cars. The plan was to offer a more manageable, less expensive model than the mighty 7-litre Silver Ghost, one intended for the owner-driver rather than for the chauffeur, yet with all the quality and refinement of the bigger cars. The Twenty and its succeeding models was a success. All these models enjoy a very strong following today. More than 10,000 were made, and many survive today. These cars had an astounding range of coachwork types and styles by practically every coachbuilder in Britain along with many in Europe, the United States and elsewhere, many examples are illustrated in this book. After outlining the development of Rolls-Royce’s project for a smaller car, the author provided a detailed technical description of the Twenty,. For owners, present and prospective, there are chapters on using the cars today and on the practicalities of ownership, including advice on parts availability, maintenance and preservation.. It is illustrated with some 70 color and 150 black-and-white photographs.