| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| HTA ID | HTA-0449 |
| Title | Rolls Royce Factory — England Week |
| Date | c. 1980–1981 |
| Date Confidence | MODERATE — PM Magazine England Week; the Rolls Royce factory in Crewe and the episode structure confirm the period |
| Program | PM Magazine (England Week) |
| Station | WDVM-TV (formerly WTOP-TV), Channel 9, Washington DC |
| Duration | ~8:00 (estimated) |
| Format | Travel feature / Factory tour |
Part of PM Magazine's England Week, Henry visits the Rolls Royce factory in Crewe, about two hours north of London. He opens from Berkeley Square ("which during the 19th century was famous for the nightingales that sang their beautiful songs here — as you can tell, times have changed just a little bit").
Henry is chauffeured to the factory in a Bentley — "You don't take a taxi to this factory." He notes the irony that "a rather innocuous looking town houses a rather drab looking factory that produces the ultimate automobile in the world." The piece explores how Rolls Royces are made by skilled craftsmen who spend lifetimes learning their trade, with cars averaging about $120,000 (early 1980s dollars).
The factory is described not as a factory but as "an artist's studio, where skilled craftsmen spend a lifetime learning how to make the world's most prestigious car."
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| People | Henry Tenenbaum (host) |
| Organizations | WDVM-TV, PM Magazine, Rolls Royce |
| Locations | Berkeley Square, London; Crewe, England (Rolls Royce factory) |
| Subjects | Automobiles, luxury manufacturing, craftsmanship, British industry |
| Themes | Luxury, craftsmanship, British heritage, manufacturing art |
| Tone | Admiring, sophisticated, travelogue |
"What would it take for a car to be worth $120,000? Tires, a steering wheel, headlights, headlight washers?"
"You don't take a taxi to this factory. To get here, you are chauffeured in a Bentley."
"It strikes the fancy as odd that a rather innocuous looking town houses a rather drab looking factory that produces the ultimate automobile in the world, but they do."
Shot on location in London (Berkeley Square) and Crewe, England. The piece required a train trip from London to Crewe and access to the Rolls Royce factory floor. Part of PM Magazine's England Week that also included the Pope John Paul II audience in Vatican City (same tape). The chauffeur-in-a-Bentley arrival is a nice production touch. Regular PM Magazine departments included: Camilla Carr on London on the cheap, Chuck Rich reviewing The Elephant Man, and Chef Tell making pesto sauce.
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Series | PM Magazine England Week |
| Related | HTA-0450 Pope John Paul II (same tape, same week) |
| Era | PM Magazine/WDVM period (1979–1981) |
| Theme | International travel stories (France Week, Tahiti) |
| Theme | Luxury/prestige stories (Madame Wellington gems) |
| Tape | HN_39 — England week tape |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Source File | HN_39 Rolls _ POEM.txt |
| Alternate Files | None identified |
| Source Location | /transcript_working/!transcript macwhisper/ |
| Transcription Quality | Good — clear narration, factory ambient sound |
| Repository Status | Preserved |
The Rolls Royce factory in Crewe has been producing cars since 1946 (Rolls Royce moved production from Derby to Crewe during WWII). In the early 1980s, a new Rolls Royce Silver Spirit cost approximately $100,000–$150,000 USD, consistent with Henry's $120,000 figure. The factory tour format — showing skilled craftsmen at work — was a natural fit for PM Magazine's visual storytelling. The Berkeley Square opening references the famous song "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" (1940). The England Week demonstrates PM Magazine's ambitious international production schedule.