On May 4, 1904, 26-year-old car dealer Charles Rolls and 42-year-old engineer Henry Royce were introduced to one another at the Midland Hotel in Manchester, England. The fortuitous tête-à-tête led to the first Rolls-Royce 10 hp, which premiered seven months later in Paris.

During the subsequent 113 years, the acclaimed automaker has built cars at the cutting edge of each era: vehicles that epitomise elegance in engineering, design and detailing. This past July, the company debuted the eighth edition of its flagship Phantom, a model that dates back to 1925 and has been owned by both heads of state and glitterati around the globe.

To commemorate the latest release, Robb Report Malaysia asked Rolls Royce’s head of design, Giles Taylor, what he thought were the 10 most important Rolls-Royce cars ever constructed. Here is what made his list, in order of relevance, along with a few insights from Robert Austin, the executive director of the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club.