Eric Platford (1883 - 20 November 1938) was an English engineer and a Rolls-Royce pioneer. Platford had an illustrious career with Rolls-Royce. [1]
Platford was employed by Henry Royce and assisted in the construction of Royce's first car from his factory in Cooke Street, Manchester. In 1906 he won the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy as onboard mechanic alongside Hon Charles Rolls. In 1913, he took third place in the first Spanish Grand Prix having led the race. He conceded first place on team orders.
In 1919, Platford prepared the Rolls-Royce Eagle engines in St. John's, Newfoundland for the first successful non-stop transatlantic flight, by Alcock & Brown.
Platford was born in 1883 in Manchester, England. His father worked in banking but died when Eric was 6 months old. He attended Cheadle Hulme School and became an apprentice at Royce Limited at the age of 17. [2]
Bentley Motors Limited is a British designer, manufacturer and marketer of luxury cars and SUVs. Headquartered in Crewe, England, the company was founded by W. O. Bentley (1888–1971) in 1919 in Cricklewood, North London, and became widely known for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930. Bentley has been a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group since 1998 and consolidated under VW's premium brand arm Audi since 2022.
Charles Stewart Rolls was a British motoring and aviation pioneer. With Henry Royce, he co-founded the Rolls-Royce car manufacturing firm. He was the first Briton to be killed in an aeronautical accident with a powered aircraft, when the tail of his Wright Flyer broke off during a flying display in Bournemouth. He was aged 32.
Sir Frederick Henry Royce, 1st Baronet, was an English engineer famous for his designs of car and aeroplane engines with a reputation for reliability and longevity. With Charles Rolls (1877–1910) and Claude Johnson (1864–1926), he founded Rolls-Royce.
Hucknall, formerly Hucknall Torkard, is a market town in the Ashfield district of Nottinghamshire, England. It lies 7 miles (11 km) north of Nottingham, 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Kirkby-in-Ashfield, 9 miles (14 km) from Mansfield and 10 miles (16 km)south of Sutton-in-Ashfield. It is the second-largest town in the Ashfield district after Sutton-in-Ashfield.
Hulme is an inner city area and electoral ward of Manchester, England, immediately south of Manchester city centre. It has a significant industrial heritage.
The Rolls-Royce Meteor later renamed the Rover Meteor is a British tank engine that was developed during the Second World War. It was used in British tanks up to 1964. It was a result of co-operation between Leyland Motors and Rolls-Royce who between them in 1941 had suggested that a specialised de-rated version of the Merlin aero-engine would be highly suitable for use in armoured fighting vehicles.
The Rolls-Royce Armoured Car is a British armoured car developed in 1914 and used during the First World War, Irish Civil War, the inter-war period in Imperial Air Control in Transjordan, Palestine and Mesopotamia, and in the early stages of the Second World War in the Middle East and North Africa.
TheSpirit of Ecstasy Sculpture is a bonnet mascot of the Rolls-Royce cars. It is in the form of a woman leaning forwards with her arms outstretched behind and above her. Billowing cloth runs from her arms to her back, resembling wings.
The Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost name refers both to a car model and one specific car from that series. Originally named the "40/50 h.p." the chassis was first made at Royce's Manchester works, with production moving to Derby in July 1908, and also, between 1921 and 1926, in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA. Chassis no. 60551, registered AX 201, was the car that was originally given the name "Silver Ghost". Other 40/50 hp cars were also given names, but the Silver Ghost title was taken up by the press, and soon all 40/50s were called by the name, a fact not officially recognised by Rolls-Royce until 1925, when the Phantom range was launched.
The Bentley S3 is a four-door luxury car produced by Bentley from late 1962 until 1965, as the sucessor of the Bentley S2.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom IV is a British automobile produced by Rolls-Royce. Only eighteen were made between 1950 and 1956, sold only to buyers whom Rolls-Royce considered worthy of the distinction: the British royal family and heads of state. Sixteen are known to still exist in museums as well as in public and private collections.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom II was the third and last of Rolls-Royce's 40/50 hp models, replacing the New Phantom in 1929. It used an improved version of the New Phantom engine in an all-new chassis. A "Continental" version, with a short wheelbase and stiffer springs, was offered.
The Rolls-Royce 10 hp was the first car to be produced as a result of an agreement of 23 December 1904 between Charles Rolls and Henry Royce, and badged as a Rolls-Royce. The 10 hp was produced by Royce's company, Royce Ltd., at its factory in Cooke Street, Hulme, Manchester, and was sold exclusively by Rolls' motor dealership, C.S.Rolls & Co., at a price of £395. The 10 hp was exhibited at the Paris Salon in December 1904, along with 15 hp and 20 hp cars and engine for the 30 hp models.
Rolls-Royce Limited was a British luxury car and later an aero-engine manufacturing business established in 1904 in Manchester by the partnership of Charles Rolls and Henry Royce. Building on Royce's good reputation established with his cranes, they quickly developed a reputation for superior engineering by manufacturing the "best car in the world". The business was incorporated as "Rolls-Royce Limited" in 1906, and a new factory in Derby was opened in 1908. The First World War brought the company into manufacturing aero-engines. Joint development of jet engines began in 1940, and they entered production in 1944. Rolls-Royce has since built an enduring reputation for the development and manufacturing of engines for military and commercial aircraft.
The Rolls-Royce 20/25 was the second of Rolls-Royce Ltd's pre-war entry level models. Built between 1929 and 1936, it was tremendously popular, becoming the most successful selling inter-war Rolls-Royce. Its success enabled Rolls-Royce to survive the economic difficulties of the Great Depression years and remain one of world's great brands. A total of 3,827 20/25s were produced, of which over 70% are still on the road today.
The Rolls-Royce 15 hp was one of four cars to be produced as a result of an agreement of 23 December 1904 between Charles Rolls and Henry Royce. Badged as a Rolls-Royce, the 15 hp was produced by Royce's company, Royce Ltd., at its factory in Cooke Street, Hulme, Manchester. It was sold exclusively by Rolls' motor dealership, C.S.Rolls & Co., at a price of GBP500. The 15 hp was exhibited at the Paris Salon in December 1904, along with the 10 hp, 20 hp and engine for the 30 hp models, but as the new three-cylinder engine was not ready the chassis was incomplete.
The Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts' Club (RREC) is an international association for owners and admirers of Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars.
Claude Goodman Johnson was a British motor vehicle manufacturer who was instrumental in the creation of Rolls-Royce Limited.
Events from the year 1905 in Scotland.
Lillie Hall was a disused roller skating or ice skating rink off Seagrave Road, Fulham, London, that in 1902 became Charles Rolls' first car showroom, to sell imported French Peugeot and Belgian Minerva vehicles. Rolls went on to co-found the Rolls-Royce company in 1906.