Founder Profile
Charles Stewart Rolls
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is Charles Stewart Rolls?
Charles Stewart Rolls is a founder of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, which was founded in 1904 with Sir Henry Royce.
- Company founded
- Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
- Founded
- 1904
- Co-founders
- Sir Henry Royce
Background
British aristocrat, aviator, and car dealer.
Founding Story
Charles Stewart Rolls co-founded Rolls-Royce in 1904. A wealthy aristocratic motoring enthusiast and highly successful car dealer in London, he desperately sought a reliable British car to sell. Upon meeting Henry Royce, he was absolutely stunned by the quality of Royce's engineering and agreed to exclusively sell every car Royce could build.
Charles Stewart Rolls was born in 1877 in Berkeley Square. Education: Eton College; Trinity College.
Rolls was born on August 27, 1877 and died on July 12, 1910, aged 32. He was the first Briton killed in an accident with a powered aircraft, when the tail of his Wright Flyer broke off during a flying display in Bournemouth.