Just In
- 14 hrs ago Citroen Basalt SUV Revealed In India – Launch Details & More
- 16 hrs ago Holi Fine: Man Riding Scooter With Two Girls Fined Rs 33,000
- 17 hrs ago Mercedes-Benz G-Class Facelift Revealed – Features Electrified Powertrains
- 19 hrs ago Hero Pleasure Plus Xtec Sports – Top 5 Things You Need To Know
Don't Miss!
- News Despite India's Objection, US Reiterates Remarks On Arvind Kejriwal Arrest, Congress' Bank Accounts Freezing
- Finance Stock Market Live Updates: Nifty 50 Wants To End The March Series And FY24 Strongly
- Movies Tillu Square Sequel: Siddhu Jonnalagadda Confirms A SHOCKING Climax; Exciting Female Cameo & Lead To A Sequel
- Technology Poco C61 Goes on Sale in India at 12 noon Today via Flipkart: Check Price, Specs, Offers
- Sports Madrid Spain Masters 2024: PV Sindhu Eases Into Second Round; Kidambi Srikanth Bows Out Early
- Lifestyle Summer Fashion: 7 Trendy Office Outfit Ideas To Beat The Heat In Style
- Education IGNOU June TEE 2024 registration schedule out; Check out for more details
- Travel Explore Tamil Nadu's Diverse Wedding Venues
Rolls-Royce Legalimit — The Rare Rolls-Royce Made To Prevent People From Going To Jail
An interesting read about the not-so-popular and unusual Rolls-Royce models from 1905.
Rolls-Royce cars are the epitome of luxury and are built to last forever. The first Rolls-Royce rolled out from their Manchester factory in 1904. The quality, engineering, craftsmanship and the heritage that comes along with a Rolls-Royce model can be matched only by very few car manufacturers.
Over the years, many rare varieties of Rolls-Royce models were made, each having their own uniqueness. However, there was one unusual Rolls-Royce model with an even more unusual name that started it all - The Rolls-Royce Legalimit!
Recommended Video
During the early 20th century, 7 out of 10 Rolls-Royce owners used to end up in jail. The primary reason for this was overspeeding. This seriously affected the brand image.
When Rolls-Royce was started, sales were not high and the brand faced tough competition from its rivals. Along with this, the bad reputation of ‘Rolls-Royce owners going to jail' affected the sales even more. Hence, Rolls-Royce came up with a solution to this. A car which could go below the legal limit of 32km/h, or the Rolls-Royce Legalimit!
The Rolls-Royce Legalimit is the brand's first V8-powered car and is also the first V8 passenger car. The Legalimit had three gears and two governor settings. The low-speed setting set the top speed for the first gear at 12.9km/h, second gear at 22.5km/h and the third gear at 34.6km/h. The high-speed setting allowed the car to reach 41.8km/h. Hence, the first V8-powered passenger car was built to make the car go slow.
Electric vehicles were popular between the 1880s and 1910s. They didn't have the smoke, sound or vibration associated with conventional engines. The wealthy community was slowly preferring electric vehicles over others. This affected the sales of Rolls-Royce models even more and they made a variant of the Legalimit to prevent this.
The special version of the Legallimit was labelled under the title, ‘The Car With An Invisible Engine'. The Invisible Engine Rolls-Royce used the same V8 engine, but it was placed under the driver's seat. The engine was well-enclosed to keep the sounds low.
Nobody actually knows if the sound-deadening of the engine, and that too, a V8, was enough tomatch that of electric vehicles.
However, the Legalimit and the Invisible Engine Car were flops. Perhaps they might be the only models in the history of Rolls-Royce to face market failure. Only threeLegalimits and a single Invisible Engine Rolls-Royce were made. None of them exists today. The unpopular Rolls-Royce models of the early 1900s remained unpopular ever since.
Thoughts On The Rolls-Royce Legalimit And The Invisible Engine Car
Rolls-Royce can never be imagined making a bad car. Be it power, pride or plush, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars towers over almost any other car. However, the fact that Rolls-Royce made a car which couldn't even be sold by at least one unit is unbelievable.
The Legalimit and the Invisible Engine Car were made during a time when manufacturers were experimenting with automobiles. Hence, the Rolls-Royce Legalimit remained as an experiment which is unknown to many today.