In Peterborough, England, among the crowd, a boy could be seen dashing about, selling newspapers and delivering telegrams.

So quick was he that you almost missed the fact that he was only nine years old.

By the age of 14, his trajectory changed when his aunt paid for him to apprentice with the Great Northern Railway Works. The opportunity was not wasted on him—he spent every waking moment studying algebra, French, and electrical engineering.

Soon enough, he had developed the skills to secure a job offer at the Electric Light and Power Company. With a fellow engineering friend, he began designing electrical components such as doorbells and generators.

Eventually, after purchasing a second-hand, two-cylinder French Decauville, his interest in cars grew.

After discovering faults in the system, Royce became determined to improve it.

It was only a matter of time before he designed and built his first petrol engine.

And in 1904, he drove his creation—the first Royce.