The legendary Rolls-Royce incident in Sweden in 1986

Published 2023-04-16 by Peter Ternström

The story today is about an exemplary way of taking care of it’s customers. It is about a famous incident with a Rolls-Royce in the late 80s, owned by a CEO in Stocksund, a fashionable suburb north of Stockholm.

On this particular day, the CEO and his driver were going from Stockholm to Jönköping. Just around Mjölby, however, the car had broken down. The engine had died, and they had to roll up to an emergency area by the side of the road on the E4 motorway.

The driver concluded that the problem with the car was most likely serious. They could not continue their journey. While the CEO stayed in the car, the driver had walked three kilometers to a gas station and called Rolls-Royce customer service in England.

He had explained exactly what situation they found themselves in, and what car they had. He was then instructed to go back to the car and wait for a little while.

The walk back to the car took him about 20 minutes. Another hour later, a helicopter arrived. Two technicians stepped out and quickly built a small tent over the car before starting to troubleshoot.

About an hour later, another Rolls-Royce arrived at the scene. It was almost identical to the car owned by Mr. CEO from Stockholm. The color was the same, the interior spec was also the same. However, it was a newer model year, and had considerably fewer miles on it.

The technicians quickly transferred the luggage and other belongings from the broken down car, to the new Rolls that was parked behind it.

Mr. CEO could then continue his journey to Jönköping in his identical Rolls-Royce. Somewhat surprised, but certainly not complaining.

Now the strange thing. Rolls-Royce never reached out to him after this incident. After two months with his loan car, the owner had wondered what was going on. When would he get back his car, which had broken down on the highway?

Customer service at Rolls-Royce in England had not even acknowledged the incident. They had replied that “their cars never break down”. Was he really sure it had happened? Maybe he had been dreaming?

The CEO had then contacted the road authorities. The car in his garage had been registered to him. His old car, which had broken down, and stopped at the roadside, had been registered at the Rolls-Royce dealership as a replacement car. Rolls-Royce had changed ownership of the cars. The CEO now had essentially a new car.

Helicopters, technicians arriving within an hour, and an unbelievably generous trade-in car to compensate for a single engine failure? This sounds incredible. I am very uncertain if this had actually happened.

However, it is a very good story. I have heard it from two separate sources, which both confirm that it did in fact happen.

Real or fake? Good question. Maybe Mr. CEO actually had engine problems on the E4 towards Jönköping one day? The problem had been exceptionally taken care of by Rolls-Royce, though perhaps without helicopters, and a free car, but he loved the brand so much that on one occasion he got a little too creative when retelling the incident to his closest friends around the boardroom table. Creating a tale that lives to this day.

Regardless of what actually happened, the myth lives on. Rolls-Royce takes good care of it’s customers.