Famous British brands that are foreign-owned
The household names in foreign hands
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/5f975808-bc32-4e88-842e-c5260578256f-Harrodsdepartmentstore.jpg)
Rolls-Royce cars are German
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/bd775dd4-4495-424c-99f8-85192a0f21d4-shutterstock_618129644.jpg)
Henry Royce began his electrical and mechanical business in England in 1884. He built his first motor car in 1904 and shortly after entered into a partnership with Charles Rolls, who had a London car sales business. The Rolls-Royce company was then established in 1906 and at the start of World War I moved into aeroplane engines, earning an international reputation for quality engineering.
Rolls-Royce cars are German
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/7bf3102e-9820-47c2-806c-f99046a0f85f-shutterstock_495092371.jpg)
When Rolls-Royce got into financial difficulties in 1971 it was taken into state ownership. Then in 1980, it was bought by British engineering firm Vickers, before Volkswagen paid £340 million ($456m) for the company in 1998. But since the start of 2003 BMW have produced Rolls-Royce cars, paying Volkswagen £40 million ($53.5m) for the presitgious name and marque.
Cadbury is American
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/2c391077-d4b4-4be1-88e0-04804d199398-shutterstock_1014058624.jpg)
Cadbury is American
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/1cf4cfd7-ac8d-47a3-9af7-13753eedf2fb-shutterstock_791765419.jpg)
Walkers is American
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/a499703e-2a28-4bfa-92a0-9ffae44b10b9-shutterstock_187009265.jpg)
Walkers is American
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/7e08dbc5-8fcf-4312-9f50-5ffe4b160363-shutterstock_249084628.jpg)
Lea & Perrins is American
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/4d8063a6-76b9-46f1-a15c-b2d881460cab-shutterstock_655087798.jpg)
Lea & Perrins is American
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/465cf886-68ac-45bb-a3bd-5a4e68ccb6e9-shutterstock_2567931.jpg)
Tetley is Indian
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/b383fd76-9cc5-4de2-9143-7b7b3ddb8da1-shutterstock_711783496.jpg)
Tetley is Indian
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/da87c492-37ba-4233-af73-7a925025ddaf-Tata-tea-plantation.jpg)
Dulux is Dutch
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/577630e8-7e1c-4e50-9889-be4482b35be5-shutterstock_1036714396.jpg)
Dulux is Dutch
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/5017bb42-bc73-4b6f-8575-42dcd1119c24-shutterstock_654478381.jpg)
Lyle's Golden Syrup is American
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/62f4e16e-8483-4de4-9124-08bc02a5f5a1-shutterstock_181125029.jpg)
Lyle's Golden Syrup is American
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/af4a9949-4ce2-4e79-b1ac-1d02f597920b-shutterstock_1064081147.jpg)
Jaffa Cakes are Turkish
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/bac04660-5666-43ab-8b57-2fa326063317-shutterstock_785851240.jpg)
Jaffa Cakes are Turkish
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/7e3c49ee-86e3-4065-8f84-4194a5dbc246-shutterstock_610940471.jpg)
Harvey Nichols is owned by a Hong Kong-based company
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/811ef318-f67a-49ac-bd8c-3eb8bfe44c73-shutterstock_755504548.jpg)
Harvey Nichols is owned by a Hong Kong-based company
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/fb5b33ae-426f-4f10-a8a8-b87b42ca4614-shutterstock_754721989.jpg)
Sarson's vinegar is Japanese
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/0a7875e2-1e7c-4ede-9314-23c111580641-sar.jpg)
Sarson's vinegar is Japanese
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/9fe65499-ddb4-4c25-9ec7-e67dd37be8d1-shutterstock_683990392.jpg)
Kit Kat is Swiss
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/156e25a3-6a81-42b1-b631-55bd0afc3c98-shutterstock_789050620.jpg)
Kit Kat is Swiss
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/73da2818-70d1-4101-8cdf-5b5b5d87e92f-shutterstock_417326254.jpg)
Wall's ice cream is Dutch
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/89cca5da-ab80-4b71-b9e9-d5ab56a6d0b6-walls.jpg)
Wall's ice cream is Dutch
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/55d26bde-f455-4865-8e6e-bdfb52826608-Wall-ice-crea-van.jpg)
Marmite is Dutch
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/2439d664-3c07-4202-869f-cc502639126f-shutterstock_498433636.jpg)
Marmite is Dutch
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/6369e79e-9403-482e-be95-2caa80f5043e-shutterstock_779088322.jpg)
Mini is German
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/7ff416b2-469b-483a-b78c-77274eda04e4-shutterstock_59974399.jpg)
Mini is German
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/c741918a-e57a-41d0-aef8-d31fec3b1d53-shutterstock_1062215018.jpg)
The Financial Times is Japanese
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/b56a8176-dd98-4f73-a5b2-1e491c4ef630-shutterstock_1049502986.jpg)
The Financial Times is Japanese
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/b7f59b9f-07e4-4d5d-b80b-eee0e1bb6dae-shutterstock_465328232.jpg)
House of Fraser is Chinese
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/81bfcb07-169f-4714-acf6-078a3919ac5d-shutterstock_720214027.jpg)
House of Fraser is Chinese
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/d5e365dc-3750-440d-8c63-b945066d0b4a-shutterstock_537218560.jpg)
Hartley's Jam is American
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/9b410678-5311-4891-a32d-93e068379dde-Hartleys-jam.jpg)
Hartley's Jam is American
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/76faaf29-ac01-4c42-9a4d-e66351c69bc6-f.jpg)
Ella's Kitchen is American
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/54c6971d-e45e-4008-a637-542fb9c7dde7-d.jpg)
Manchester United is American
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/fcf35d8d-da5e-40be-9f98-3dec17fa7a7d-shutterstock_1070537975.jpg)
Manchester United is American
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/f20561f3-9364-433f-bb53-9dad046305db-Old-trafford.jpg)
Hamleys is Chinese
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/0b04d026-6930-4774-b5fc-d6851975dd26-shutterstock_1022396773.jpg)
Hamleys is Chinese
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/1813055c-323c-4727-94c9-ecff80a213f8-shutterstock_744862045.jpg)
Waterstones is American
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/135bac37-85f6-49bb-9276-46e09267a608-shutterstock_1011163903.jpg)
Waterstones is American
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/a3af73fb-d4ff-4432-9c97-19781f7ba465-shutterstock_1061982257.jpg)
Innocent is American
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/6a05a8f1-4208-40c5-b90f-586a6d261f46-i.jpg)
Innocent is American
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/b015e3f5-1917-41d7-b10b-9d09951c754f-shutterstock_253152865.jpg)
Beefeater gin is French
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/9c0fd788-cc05-44df-baa1-ea59e908b138-shutterstock_1064131454.jpg)
Beefeater gin is French
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/3c9ef6e4-3e85-4f03-bb7a-050d0372b1e7-b.jpg)
Newcastle Brown Ale is Danish
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/0a01efb5-329e-43b6-a960-ef1977bf25fb-shutterstock_1028666404.jpg)
Newcastle Brown Ale is Danish
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/84514377-7494-4679-85c9-0cf81bb86fc0-shutterstock_1064422235.jpg)
Harrods is Qatari
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/1ddc9f95-b253-4db2-9868-2112a1cb1099-Harrods-big-brands-that-aren't-british-anymore.jpg)
Harrods is Qatari
![](https://loveincorporated.blob.core.windows.net/contentimages/gallery/3b508295-4974-4d94-909b-7f17b882ea7c-shutterstock_1080524390.jpg)
Harrods was taken over by rival Scottish department store chain House of Fraser in 1959. It then moved into Egyptian hands in 1985 when the Al Fayed brothers bought House of Fraser for £615 million ($841.5m). In 2010 the store changed hands again as Qatar's sovereign wealth fund reportedly paid £1.5 billion ($2 billion) for Harrods' brands, which included the stores, estate agency Harrods Estates and the charter aircraft service, Air Harrods.
READ MORE: 23 brands that have disappeared from UK high streets
Comments
Be the first to comment
Do you want to comment on this article? You need to be signed in for this feature