The story of how the Peninsula Hotel began its association with Rolls-Royce in 1970 is well-documented.

But few know about the key role its owner played in the development of the ultra-luxury marque about half a century earlier.

Before the Rolls-Royce limousine became a permanent fixture of the celebrated Hong Kong hotel 37 years ago, guests were ferried around the then-British colony in Lincolns.

But when it was time to choose a replacement for the American fleet, Lawrence Kadoorie asked his son Michael Kadoorie, now the chairman of The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, which owns the Peninsula: 'Why not Rolls-Royces?'

Sir Michael replied that they must surely be too expensive, to which his father responded: 'Have you enquired?'

The younger Kadoorie had not, but resolved to do so.

As it turned out, the cost of a Rolls-Royce fleet would only be about 20 per cent more than a set of new Lincolns because of the preferential import duty on British manufacture, plus the cost of converting the American cars to right-hand drive.

The hotel thus placed an order for seven Rolls-Royces, the largest single order of its time.

But while that tale has been often heard, Sir Michael told a less well-known story over lunch in Hong Kong recently.

Like himself, his father was a keen automotive enthusiast.

In the mid-1920s, he had been despatched by his own father - Sir Michael's grandfather - to England and the Rolls-Royce factory where he was to undergo the seven-day chauffeur's course with the family's Shanghai driver.

Sir Michael's father, who had just come from France, happened to have with him a fuel gauge which he had bought there.

Noticing that the cars in the factory did not have fuel gauges, he had his own fuel gauge installed in the Rolls-Royce to be delivered to his father.

'It was the first one fitted to a Rolls-Royce,' Sir Michael said with a laugh.

That very early experience with the brand culminated in the special relationship with the Peninsula Hong Kong almost 50 years later.

After the first seven Silver Shadow cars were purchased in 1970, eight more were added in 1976.

In 1980, nine examples of the Silver Shadow II were introduced to the hotel driveway.

These were painted in Brewster Green, a deep shade of green which has since been renamed 'Peninsula Green' and appears only on cars intended for the hotel.

After a new model, the Silver Spirit, was launched, the hotel ordered eight in 1987.

Nine of the Silver Spur III - a long wheelbase version of the Silver Spirit - arrived later in 1994, along with a vintage Rolls-Royce, a 1934 Phantom.

More of the Silver Spur were bought over the years - nine in 1995, four in 1998 and one in 2004 - before last December's order for 14 Phantom Extended Wheelbase limousines - the largest order ever for a fleet of Rolls-Royce cars by any single company.

But the size of the order wasn't the only thing significant about the new fleet.

The Peninsula's Phantom EWB was specially individualised under Rolls-Royce's Bespoke programme for the hotel's specific needs, like a cool box for chilled hand towels, customised tread plates and a new, deeper luggage compartment with new counter-sunk screws to avoid damage to leather baggage.

Even the rear air-conditioning controls were relocated to the rear armrests for easier access by hotel guests.

Incidentally, the Peninsula's fleet of Rolls-Royces makes over 1,000 trips a month to and from the airport.

'For more than 35 years, the Peninsula Hong Kong has used Rolls-Royce cars, and this new fleet of Phantoms is the most impressive of their cars built to date,' said Mr Kadoorie.

The Phantoms make up the ninth fleet since the first purchase of Rolls-Royce cars back in 1970 and bring to a total 69 units purchased by the Peninsula.

The cars have their own fleet vehicle manager, with the present incumbent being a former general manager of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in England.

When not wafting serenely across Hong Kong, the cars are ensconced safely in the garage below the hotel driveway, where they are carefully cleaned and maintained by a small army of long-serving staff.

The garage was built with the hotel tower extension, which was opened in 1994.

Before that, the cars were parked in the open and their paint finish was vulnerable to water spots caused by the fountain spray, especially in windy weather.

To prevent that, a wind-controlled pump speed regulator was installed above the hotel's east entrance so that if the wind rose or changed direction, the fountain's water pressure would lower automatically, thus sparing the cars.

It was very ingenious solution for a very special marque.

And, of course, so much more dignified for its extremely elegant hood ornaments, the Spirit of Ecstasy.