Making a Marque

As someone who has dabbled in vintage motoring advertising for more than four decades, this reviewer’s golden rule is that if you see a piece promoting Rolls-Royce, it’s almost certainly a fake. The company didn’t need to hawk its wares to Joe Public, and yet its name is so well-known that it’s long been a target for less scrupulous traders in ‘antiques’.

It’s surprising, then, to discover how assiduously Rolls-Royce did advertise its products – in print, at least – thanks to this beautiful 464-page hardback. Dedicated to Rolls-Royce promotion from the very earliest days up to and including World War Two, it’s a fabulous compendium of magazine covers, advertisements, brochures and more. Yes, there’s accompanying text to put all this into context and guide you through the story, but it’s the artwork and ephemera that pull you