In 1977, Rolls-Royce was allowed to drop the company name of the spin-off, (1971) again becoming known as Rolls-Royce Limited. The Rolls-Royce business remained nationalized until 14, when the British government sold it to the public after renaming the company Rolls-Royce plc. Rolls-Royce plc continues to own and operate the core Rolls-Royce business, although since 2003 it has technically been a subsidiary of the listed holding company Rolls-Royce Holdings plc. A marketing study conducted in 14 showed that only Coca-Cola was a better known brand than Rolls-Royce.
Rolls-Royce Limited was founded on March 15, 1906, when it was obvious that new areas were needed for the production of cars. After considering sites in Manchester, Coventry, Bradford and Leicester, Derby Council’s offer of cheap electricity led to the decision to purchase a 12.7 hectare (51,000 m2) site on the southern edge of the city. Sir John Montagu was officially opened on 9 July 1908. Investment in the new company required additional capital and on 6 December 1906 £100,000 of new shares were offered to audience .