April 13, 2021

Rolls-Royce (BMW) Bentley (VW) entanglement, Mike Tyson, smashed cars

3:34 Jeff's relationship with George started when he was General Manager of Rolls-Royce. George was the first employee of Rolls-Royce through BMW.
4:05 was called over to Germany. And when that happens, you're never quite sure if it's good or bad. It's usually bad.
5:33 George's neighbor (Cadillac sales manager) took George to the dealership to wash cars at age 10.
6:49 George travelled to every R-R dealer in the USA and reduced the number from 41 to 29.


8:24 BMW supplied V-12 engines for Crewe-built cars.
9:47 Volkswagen was trying to sue BMW because BMW is buying Rolls Royce at a much less expensive point than Volkswagen was

right in in 1959 in Ardmore, Pennsylvania.
And then you ended up not a car guy with your first real career. Xerox?
11:43 George veers off his automotive path and worked for Xerox.
13:01 George applies successfully to BMW. Leaves Chrysler.
15:46 In 1975 only 17% of USA heard of the brand or knew that BMW was a car.


17:24 Ammirati and Puris coins THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE

19:08 George earns the moniker "Mr. Fix It" with BMW. HE served 3 of the 4 regions.
24:00In the LA region there was a BMW ad. "In Japan, they have a wonderful name for Lexus. It's called Toyota"


I know Black Hawk and and a gorgeous car.
26:05 George sells his '48 Packard Convertible to Mike Ditka.
26
26:31 Other cars: '65 Silver Cloud lll. Rolls Corniche 2 Spurs. '72 DeVille Convertible.
30:17 George founds ST. MICHAELS CONCOUR D'ELEGANCE
30:43 (Some R-R sayings re: breakdown) "That's not a leak. That's internal and external lubrication like aircraft." And of course, "the cars never broke. They just ceased forward motion."


37:33 About "The Closed Room"

2:26 The Phantom mock up car in a secret room in an industrial warehouse with a sheer cover being raised to opera music... a client cried one time! Client got to sit and speak to the car's designer, Marek Djordjevic.

5:17 sometimes to meet a client's time schedule on an ordered car, Rolls-Royce would fly the car from England to USA.
5:48 Rolls use Amex Black Card staff to assist Rolls-Royce owners who pushed the car's "assist" button. This could help with hard to get tickets or restaurant reservations!
6:49 one of Jeff's Rolls clients planned to don a waiter's outfit to get into a white-tie event that was out of space!
9:00 George shares a little known complex legal story between Rolls and Bentley.


9:41 Volkswagen paid $790,000,000 for R-R and Bentley and $50,000,000 for Bugatti and didn't obtain the Rolls-Royce trademark Flying Lady and Grille.

10:41 BMW owned a portion of Rolls Royce PLC. Rolls Royce PLC is the aero engine company. At the same time, it was part of the agreement with Vickers and Rolls Royce PLC, who control the name Rolls Royce. That in their contract with Vickers, it said that they ever wanted to sell Rolls Royce Motor Car Company, that they had to sell it back to the company Rolls Royce PLC, who licensed the name to them. So that's in essence, two most significant things that almost required Rolls Royce PLC, to sell it to BMW.

12:09 BMW had an agreement to supply the engines to Volkswagen for Crewe built cars,

12:28 They knew that if we (BMW) didn't agree to the deal, that they couldn't build cars.

13:17 culturally, when something like this happens in a German company, the first thing they do is decide who's going to get the finger pointed at them.