Rolls-Royce Has Just Unveiled a New ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ Ornament
The iconic figurine gets a new streamlined look for its 111th birthday.
Rolls-Royce has decided to go for a notable change for its iconic ornament on its 111th birthday. The British marque has unveiled a new Spirit of Ecstasy, its ornament. It’s a new and more aerodynamic version of the Silver Lady that was shared with the world on Sunday. It will sit on the first EV of the brand, the Spectre.
The History
On February 6th, 1911, the Spirit of Ecstasy was trademarked. But long before that, its origin had begun. To cut a long story short, the emblem seen on the bonnet was initially a custom trophy that was sculptured by an illustrator Charles Robinson Sykes for John Walter Edward Douglas-Scott-Montagu. Charles worked as an illustrator for the founder of The Car Illustrated, Montagu.
At that time, Montague was having an affair with his office manager Eleanor, and during that time, Sykes handed Montagu a figure of a woman with a forefinger to her lips. Montagu displayed the trophy on every Rolls-Royce car he owned from then on. Many people assume that the face of the woman resembled Eleanor Thornton, but the fact is it resembles Sykes’s mother. He had a remarkably close relationship with his mother.
The Differences
The new Spirit of Ecstasy is 3.3 inches tall and 0.7 shorter than the current hood ornament. Her robes have also been reshaped, and her stance has also changed. Earlier, the Spirit stood tilted at the waist, and her legs were straight while her feet were together. Now, she is slightly crouched, and one bent leg is in front of another. The Silver Lady is also more aerodynamic than ever because it will adorn The Spectre, the most aerodynamic vehicle by Rolls-Royce that will have a drag coefficient (cd) of just 0.26 that helps improve battery efficiency.
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, the CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, stated, “Like our brand, [the Spirit of Ecstasy] has always moved with the times while staying true to her nature and character. In her new form, she is more streamlined and graceful than ever before—the perfect emblem for the most aerodynamic Rolls-Royce ever created and for gracing the prow of our bold electric future.”
The Debut
The new Spirit of Ecstasy will have a debut on the Spectre in 2023, and from then on, it will feature on all new Rolls-Royce models. The current version of the Silver Lady will remain in use on the Phantom, Ghost, Wraith, Dawn, and Cullinan. The new model will also be finished in silver so that she won’t be banned in the EU like the current model.
The updated ‘Spirit of Ecstacy’ of Rolls-Royce
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