Rothmans International plc
Encyclopedia
Rothmans International plc was a British
tobacco
manufacturer. Its brand
s included Rothmans and Dunhill
. Its international headquarters were in Hill Street, London
and its international operations were run from Denham Place, Denham Village
in Buckinghamshire
. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange
and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index
but was acquired by British American Tobacco
in 1998.
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.
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 sponsorship 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 1988 Lord Swaythling
became Chairman and Chief Executive.
In January 1996 the Rembrandt Group
and Richemont
merged their tobacco business under the Rothmans International name. Then in 1999 Rothmans was acquired by British American Tobacco
.
Rothmans was an active promoter of motorsports in the 1980s and 1990s.
From 1982 onwards, Rothmans supported the factory Porsche
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 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
. Rothmans also sponsored the winning Porsche team at the 1986 Paris-Dakar rally. When the Porsche involvement ended at the end of the Group B
days, Rothmans transferred its association to the Subaru
rally team
, also run by Prodrive. 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 to 1993 Grand Prix motorcycle racing
, Rothmans supported the works Honda team. Rothmans then transferred their association to Williams F1 during the World Championship until 1998, when sponsorship was transferred to Winfield
, another sister brand.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
manufacturer. Its brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
s included Rothmans and Dunhill
Dunhill (cigarette)
Dunhill cigarettes are a luxury brand of cigarettes made by the British American Tobacco company. They are usually priced above the average for cigarettes in the region where they are sold...
. Its international headquarters were in Hill Street, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and its international operations were run from Denham Place, Denham Village
Denham, Buckinghamshire
Denham is a village and civil parish in the South Buckinghamshire district of Buckinghamshire, England. It is north west of Uxbridge and north of junction 1 of the M40 motorway. Denham contains the Buckinghamshire Golf Club.-Origin:...
in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index
FTSE 100 Index
The FTSE 100 Index, also called FTSE 100, FTSE, or, informally, the footsie , is a share index of the 100 most highly capitalised UK companies listed on the London Stock Exchange....
but was acquired by British American Tobacco
British American Tobacco
British American Tobacco p.l.c. is a global tobacco company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second largest quoted tobacco company by global market share , with a leading position in more than 50 countries and a presence in more than 180 countries...
in 1998.
History
The Company was founded by Louis RothmanLouis Rothman
Louis Rothman was the founder of Rothmans International, one of the United Kingdom's largest tobacco businesses.-Birth:He was born in 1868 or 1869 in Cherkassy near Kiev in Ukraine...
in 1890 as a small kiosk on Fleet Street in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In 1900 Rothman opened a small showroom in Pall Mall
Pall Mall, London
Pall Mall is a street in the City of Westminster, London, and parallel to The Mall, from St. James's Street across Waterloo Place to the Haymarket; while Pall Mall East continues into Trafalgar Square. The street is a major thoroughfare in the St James's area of London, and a section of the...
from where he launched his famous Pall Mall cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
brand. His reputation was such that King Edward VII granted Rothmans a royal warrant
Royal Warrant
Royal warrants of appointment have been issued for centuries to those who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the royal family, so lending prestige to the supplier...
in 1905. Rothmans was first listed on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
in 1929.
In 1954 the Rembrandt Tobacco Company
Rembrandt Group
The Rembrandt Group is a South African tobacco and industrial conglomerate founded by Afrikaner tycoon Dr Anton Rupert who oversaw its eventual transition to the industrial and luxury branded goods sectors...
acquired
Mergers and acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions refers to the aspect of corporate strategy, corporate finance and management dealing with the buying, selling, dividing and combining of different companies and similar entities that can help an enterprise grow rapidly in its sector or location of origin, or a new field or...
a controlling interest
Controlling interest
Controlling interest in a corporation means to have control of a large enough block of voting stock shares in a company such that no one stock holder or coalition of stock holders can successfully oppose a motion...
in Rothmans. Rembrandt was expanding and in 1958 acquired Carreras
Carreras Tobacco Company
The House of Carreras was a tobacco business that was established in London in the nineteenth century by a nobleman from Spain, Don José Carreras Ferrer. It continued as an independent company until November 1958, when it merged with Rothmans of Pall Mall...
who in turn took a 51% stake in Alfred Dunhill in 1967.
In the 1970s Rothmans became involved in sponsorship sponsoring the British Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
team in 1972 and the inaugural Hong Kong Sevens
Hong Kong Sevens
The Hong Kong Sevens is considered the premier tournament on the IRB Sevens World Series in rugby sevens—a variant of rugby union....
in 1976. They also sponsored Rothmans Football Yearbook, an annual football reference book, from 1970 until 2002.
In 1988 Lord Swaythling
David Montagu, 4th Baron Swaythling
David Charles Samuel Montagu, 4th Baron Swaythling was a British peer who held prominent positions in a number of notable British companies...
became Chairman and Chief Executive.
In January 1996 the Rembrandt Group
Rembrandt Group
The Rembrandt Group is a South African tobacco and industrial conglomerate founded by Afrikaner tycoon Dr Anton Rupert who oversaw its eventual transition to the industrial and luxury branded goods sectors...
and Richemont
Richemont
Compagnie Financière Richemont S.A. is a Swiss luxury goods holding company founded in 1988 by the South African businessman Johann Rupert. Richemont categorizes its businesses into four areas: jewellery, watch making, writing instruments and other, which encompasses clothing and firearms. The...
merged their tobacco business under the Rothmans International name. Then in 1999 Rothmans was acquired by British American Tobacco
British American Tobacco
British American Tobacco p.l.c. is a global tobacco company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second largest quoted tobacco company by global market share , with a leading position in more than 50 countries and a presence in more than 180 countries...
.
Sponsorship of motorsports
From 1982 onwards, Rothmans supported the factory Porsche
Porsche in motorsport
Porsche has been successful in many branches of motorsport of which most have been in long distance races.Despite their early involvement in motorsports being limited to supplying relatively small engines to racing underdogs up until the late 1960s, by the mid-1950s Porsche had already tasted...
effort, winning the 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans
1982 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 50th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 19 and 20 1982. It was also the fourth round of the World Endurance Championship.-Race:For 1982, the new FIA Group C rules were in effect...
with a 1-2-3 finish with their Porsche 956
Porsche 956
The Porsche 956 was a Group C sports-prototype racing car designed by Norbert Singer and built by Porsche in 1982 for the FIA World Sportscar Championship...
. They would win the event a further three times in the 1980s. Rothmans-Porsche also won the 1985 World Sportscar Championship
1985 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1985 World Sportscar Championship season was the 33rd season of FIA World Sportscar Championship motor racing. It featured the 1985 World Endurance Championship which was contested over a series of races for Group C1 and Group C2 Prototypes, Group B GT Cars and IMSA GTP cars...
before the team officially pulled out of the championship in 1987. Rothmans sponsorship also extended to rallying
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
, where they sponsored Walter Röhrl
Walter Röhrl
Walter Röhrl is a German rally and auto racing driver, with victories for Fiat, Opel, Lancia and Audi as well as Porsche, Ford and BMW.-Career:...
's 1982
1982 World Rally Championship season
The 1982 World Rally Championship season was the tenth season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 12 rallies. By this time, the schedule format had become generally stable, with only one or two changes to venues year to year...
World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
-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
David Richards (racing)
David Pender Richards CBE is the chairman of Prodrive and Aston Martin, and a former team principal of the BAR and Benetton Formula One motor racing teams. He lives with his wife, Karen, in Warwickshire and has three children....
and the newly formed Prodrive
Prodrive
Prodrive is a British motorsport and automotive engineering group based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. It designs, constructs and races cars for companies and teams such as Subaru, Aston Martin and Ford...
. Rothmans also sponsored the winning Porsche team at the 1986 Paris-Dakar rally. When the Porsche involvement ended at the end of the Group B
Group B
Group B was a set of regulations introduced in 1982 for competition vehicles in sportscar racing and rallying regulated by the FIA. The Group B regulations fostered some of the quickest, most powerful and sophisticated rally cars ever built. However, a series of major accidents, some fatal, were...
days, Rothmans transferred its association to the Subaru
Subaru
; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as...
rally team
Subaru World Rally Team
The Subaru World Rally Team was Subaru's World Rally Championship team. It used a distinctive blue with yellow color scheme that is a throwback to the sponsorship deal with State Express 555, a BAT cigarette brand popular in Asia. 555 logos were found on Subaru cars from 1993 to 2003...
, also run by Prodrive. Coincidentally, Richards was sponsored by Rothmans when he was co-driving Ari Vatanen
Ari Vatanen
Ari Pieti Uolevi Vatanen is a Finnish rally driver turned politician and Member of the European Parliament 1999–2009. Vatanen won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 1981 and the Paris Dakar Rally four times....
to his privateer 1981
1981 World Rally Championship season
The 1981 World Rally Championship season was the ninth season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 12 rallies...
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
State Express 555
State Express 555 is a brand of cigarette manufactured by British American Tobacco. It was first launched in 1895 and is a very popular brand in Asia, especially China where it is BAT's most popular brand.-Sponsorship:...
.
Between 1985 to 1993 Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...
, Rothmans supported the works Honda team. Rothmans then transferred their association to Williams F1 during the World Championship until 1998, when sponsorship was transferred to Winfield
Winfield (cigarette)
Winfield is a brand of cigarette that is popular in Australia and New Zealand. They are also sold in other markets in Europe, Canada, South Africa and Asia...
, another sister brand.