Rothmans International

Last updated
Rothmans International plc
Company type Public limited company
Industry Tobacco
PredecessorUnion Financiere Belge des Tabacs Tabacofina  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Founded1890 in London
Founder Louis Rothman
Defunct1999;25 years ago (1999)
FateAcquired by British American Tobacco [1]
Successor Rothmans, Benson & Hedges (Canada)
Headquarters London, United Kingdom
Key people
 Lord Swaythling, Chairman
Lord Pritchard, Chairman
Products Cigarettes
Footnotes /references
Carcinogenicity: IARC group 1

Rothmans International PLC was a British tobacco manufacturer. Its brands included Rothmans, Player's and Dunhill. Its international headquarters were in Hill Street, London and its international operations were run from Denham Place in Denham Village, Buckinghamshire.

Contents

The company was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index, but it was acquired by British American Tobacco in 1999. [1] Its business was the strongest in the whole of Europe. [2]

History

The company was founded by Louis Rothman in 1890 as a small kiosk on Fleet Street in London. In 1900, Rothman opened a small showroom in Pall Mall, from where he launched his famous Pall Mall cigarette brand. His reputation was such that King Edward VII granted Rothmans a royal warrant in 1905. Rothmans was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1929. [3]

In 1954, the Rembrandt Tobacco Company acquired a controlling interest in Rothmans. Rembrandt was expanding and in 1958 acquired Carreras, who in turn took a 51% stake in Alfred Dunhill in 1967.

In the 1970s, Rothmans became involved in sponsorships, sponsoring the British Olympic team in 1972 and the inaugural Hong Kong Sevens in 1976. They also sponsored Rothmans Football Yearbook, an annual football reference book, from 1970 until 2002.

In Malaysia, Rothmans was one of the popular brands of cigarette, so much so that one of the roundabouts in Petaling Jaya was named 'Rothmans Roundabout' owing to its proximity to the former headquarters of Rothmans of Pall Mall Malaysia (now British American Tobacco Malaysia). It has since converted to a 4-way junction. [4]

In 1988, Lord Swaythling became chairman and chief executive. [5]

In January 1996, the Rembrandt Group and Richemont merged their tobacco businesses under the "Rothmans International" name. [6] Then, in 1999, Rothmans was acquired by British American Tobacco. [1] The takeover resulted in the closure of the Rothmans Spennymoor and Darlington manufacturing plants in 2000 and 2001, respectively, with production moved to a larger plant at Southampton.

Sponsorship of motorsports

Rothmans 'HDT' Holden VL Commodore Group A SS.jpg
Holden VL Commodore SS Group A of Allan Moffat & John Harvey, winner of the 1987 Monza 500, on display at the Historic Sandown 2009
956 Rothmans 2-3.jpg
One of several Porsche 956s sponsored by Rothmans
1996 Williams-Renault FW cropped.jpg
The Williams FW18 Formula One car sponsored by Rothmans

Rothmans was an active promoter of motorsports in the 1980s and 1990s.

From 1982 onwards, Rothmans supported the factory Porsche sports car racing effort, winning the 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans with a 1-2-3 finish with their Porsche 956. They would win the event a further three times in the 1980s. Rothmans-Porsche also won the 1985 World Sportscar Championship before the team officially pulled out of the championship in 1987.

Rothmans were the title and founding partner of the Rothmans-Porsche Challenge Cup single-make Porsche 944 series founded by Jack Christie, [7] which ran from 1986 to 1991.

Rothmans sponsorship also extended to rallying, where they sponsored Walter Röhrl's 1982 World Rally Championship-winning Opel Ascona 400. In 1984 Porsche produced the 911 SC RS rally car specifically for Rothmans with the car being run by David Richards and the newly formed Prodrive (set up and run by both Ian Parry & David Richards). Rothmans also sponsored the winning Porsche team at the 1986 Paris-Dakar rally. Porsche has revived the 911 Dakar model introduced to their 2023 spring lineup being promoted as having roots in the Rothmans 911 and although it is all wheel drive and lifted, it carries the same colors and similar patterns the Rothmans car displayed along with the Rothmans moniker on the sides. That logo has been dropped in exchange for the logo “Roughroads” on the sides. A limited run of 2,500 cars are being made. The original three digit numbers (#175) can be used or any three digit number can be chosen by the buyer. Base price is just over $230,000 and an additional amount of options can add well over $100,000 extra.

Porsche left rallying when the Group B category was dropped, and Rothmans transferred its association to the Subaru rally team, also run by Prodrive (Ian Parry and David Richards). Coincidentally, Richards was sponsored by Rothmans when he was co-driving Ari Vatanen to his privateer 1981 World Drivers' Championship success aboard the Ford Escort RS1800. The association with Prodrive would last until 1992, when their sponsorship was replaced by sister brand State Express 555.

Between 1985 and 1993, Rothmans supported the works Honda team in Grand Prix motorcycle racing. Rothmans then sponsored Williams-Renault during the Formula 1 World Championship from 1994 until 1997. However, their time with Williams was marred when Ayrton Senna, considered by some to be the greatest Formula 1 driver of all time, died behind the wheel of the Rothmans-Williams FW16 during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Williams drivers Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve won the F1 title in 1996 and 1997, respectively, with the team also taking the Constructor's Championship both years. Sponsorship was transferred in 1998 to Winfield, another sister brand.

Rothmans was also the naming rights sponsor for Australian team Allan Moffat Racing in the early rounds of the inaugural World Touring Car Championship in 1987 (the Moffat team had a long association with Rothmans who sponsored the team's Mazda RX-7s in the early-mid 1980s in Australian Touring car racing through their Peter Stuyvesant brand). Driving a V8 powered Holden VL Commodore SS Group A, team boss Allan Moffat and co-driver John Harvey won the first ever WTCC race, the 1987 Monza 500. The pair would later drive the Rothmans sponsored car to outright 4th place in the 1987 Spa 24 Hours.

Products and brands

Distribution products

Notes

  1. 1 2 Discontinued in 2020 in Europe

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British American Racing</span> Former British Formula One motor racing team

British American Racing (BAR) was a Formula One constructor that competed in the sport from 1999 to 2005. BAR began by acquiring Tyrrell, and used Supertec engines for their first year. Subsequently, they formed a partnership with Honda which lasted for the next six years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camel (cigarette)</span> Cigarette brand

Camel is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in the United States and by Japan Tobacco outside the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martini Racing</span> Motor racing teams sponsored by Martini & Rossi

Martini Racing is the name under which various motor racing teams race when sponsored by the Italian company Martini & Rossi, a distillery that produces Martini vermouth in Turin. Martini's sponsorship program began in 1958 as Martini International Club, founded by Count Metello Rossi di Montelera of Martini & Rossi. The race cars were marked with the distinctive dark blue, light blue and red stripes mostly on white or silver background body cars, but also red or green ones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British American Tobacco</span> British multinational tobacco company

British American Tobacco p.l.c. (BAT) is a British multinational company that manufactures and sells cigarettes, tobacco and other nicotine products including electronic cigarettes. The company, established in 1902, is headquartered in London, England. As of 2021, it is the largest tobacco company in the world based on net sales and the third largest seller of vapes in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marlboro</span> Cigarette brand

Marlboro is an American brand of cigarettes owned and manufactured by Philip Morris USA within the United States and by Philip Morris International outside the US. In Canada, a separate product using the Marlboro brand is owned and manufactured by Imperial Tobacco Canada, while the international product is distributed in Canada by a unit of PMI under the name "Rooftop". Marlboro's largest cigarette manufacturing plant is located in Richmond, Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pall Mall (cigarette)</span> American brand of cigarettes

Pall Mall is a British brand of cigarettes produced by British American Tobacco.

Benson & Hedges is a British brand of cigarettes owned by American conglomerate Altria. Cigarettes under the Benson & Hedges name are manufactured worldwide by different companies such as Rothmans, Benson & Hedges, Philip Morris USA, British American Tobacco, or Japan Tobacco, depending on the region. In the UK, they are registered in Old Bond Street in London, and were manufactured in Lisnafillan, Ballymena, Northern Ireland, before production was moved to Eastern Europe in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anton Rupert</span> South African businessman (1916–2006)

Anthony Edward Rupert OMSG was a South African businessman and conservationist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Richards (motorsport executive)</span> British rally co-driver and businessman (born 1952)

David Pender Richards is the chairman of Prodrive and chairman of Motorsport UK. He is former chairman of Aston Martin and a former team principal of the BAR and Benetton Formula One teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winfield (cigarette)</span> Australian cigarette brand

Winfield is an Australian brand of cigarettes, currently owned by multinational company British American Tobacco. Cigarettes are manufactured and imported by British American Tobacco Australia (BATA), a subsidiary of British American Tobacco.

Doral is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfred Dunhill Limited</span> British luxury goods brand

Alfred Dunhill Limited is a British luxury goods brand, specialising in ready-to-wear, custom and bespoke menswear, leather goods, and accessories. The company is headquartered in Westminster, City of Westminster, London. It also owns and operates a leather and smoking pipe workshop in Walthamstow. Dunhill is currently owned by Richemont Holdings (UK) Limited and managed by CEO ad interim Andrew Holmes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State Express 555</span> British cigarette brand

State Express 555, known as 555 (Three-Fives), is a Westminster, London-based cigarette originally manufactured in the United Kingdom by the Ardath Tobacco Company. The overseas rights to the brand excluding the United Kingdom, were acquired by British American Tobacco (BAT) in 1925.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porsche in motorsport</span> Motorsport activities of Porsche

Porsche has been successful in many branches of motorsport of which most have been in long-distance races.

Barclay was an American brand of cigarettes manufactured by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in the United States and by British American Tobacco outside of the United States.

The Rembrandt Group, officially known as Rembrandt Trust (Proprietary) Limited, is a South African tobacco and industrial conglomerate founded by tycoon Anton Rupert who oversaw its eventual transition to the industrial and luxury branded goods sectors. Rembrandt was split into Remgro and Richemont.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JMB Racing</span>

JMB Racing is a racing team from Monaco that competes in sports car racing. It was founded in Nice, France, in 1995 as JB Racing by Jean-Michel Bouresche and Jean-Pierre Jabouille. It was renamed JMB in 2000 after Jabouille left the partnership. JMB relocated its headquarters to Monaco in 2004, racing with a Monegasque license since then.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Sugden</span> British racing driver (born 1964)

Timothy Philip Sugden is a British racing driver. He is both driver and manager for his own racing team, Tim Sugden Motorsport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carroll's</span> Irish cigarette manufacturer

P. J. Carroll & Company Limited, often called Carroll's, is an Irish manufacturing company of tobacco. Having been established in 1824, P.J. Carroll is the oldest tobacco manufacturer in the country, and currently a subsidiary of British American Tobacco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sax (cigarette)</span> Sax Tobacco

SAX is an Italian brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by BAT Italia, a subsidiary of British American Tobacco.

References

  1. 1 2 3 BAT will buy Rothmans, New York Times, 12 January 1999.
  2. ↑ Edmund L. Andrews (1999-01-12). "INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS; British American Tobacco Will Buy Rothmans - New York Times". The New York Times . Retrieved 2014-02-24.
  3. ↑ "Rothmans Original Kingsize - 10 Packs of 20 Cigarettes (200)". www.turmeaus.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  4. ↑ "Rothmans roundabout to become traffic light junction". Sun Daily. 28 April 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  5. ↑ Obituary: Lord Swaythling Independent, 13 July 1998
  6. ↑ Richemont: History
  7. ↑ English, Bob (2011-06-18). "Return to the proving grounds for racing enthusiasts". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.