Rolls-Royce celebrates 112th anniversary of Spirit of Ecstasy

MANILA: The Spirit of Ecstasy mascot, which Rolls-Royce Motor Cars initially filed as its intellectual property on February 6, 1911, turned 112 years old on Monday.

The Spirit of Ecstasy has gained widespread recognition and admiration because of its elegance, making it a global icon.

In 2022, Rolls-Royce reimagined its iconic Spirit of Ecstasy figurine to embellish the bonnet of the Spectre electric motor car.

The figurine now features a lower, more dynamic stance that closely resembles the sketches created by its original creator, illustrator, and sculptor Charles Sykes in the early 20th century. Its physical form also serves as a representation of The Expression, a visual device that is part of the brand’s new visual language.

The Spirit of Ecstasy is 82.73mm tall. Its robes, which flow behind it in the slipstream — sometimes but mistakenly referred to as “wings” — have been subtly modified to make them more aerodynamic and realistic.

The Spirit of Ecstasy is a true goddess of speed, braced against the wind, one leg forward, body tucked low, and eyes fixed on the road ahead. These help boost Rolls-Royce Spectre’s exceptional aerodynamic qualities in both practical and stylish ways. The early prototypes of the Rolls-Royce Spectre had a drag coefficient of only 0.26, making it the most aerodynamic Rolls-Royce ever built.

This new expression conveys a sense of Sykes’ originals drawings, but instead of being “redrawn” or “redesigned,” the Spirit of Ecstasy’s new shape has been digitally sculpted by a computer modeler at the Home of Rolls-Royce, who has a passion for life drawing and sculpture. Their expertise in this field was important in creating the figurine’s delicate realistic facial features and expression, which skillfully balances focus and tranquility. The designers also sought advice from Goodwood stylists on the figurine’s hair, clothes, stance, and attitude, giving it vitality and strong presence.

While all figurines are formed using one of the oldest casting techniques, known as “lost wax casting” or “cire-perdue,” each is finished by hand and will vary slightly from one to the other. This subtle, elusive human aspect presents an interesting contrast to the precise, highly engineered motor car it stands on, and continues a long Rolls-Royce tradition — until 1939, the mascots were crafted and polished by Sykes himself.

Changes to the Spirit of Ecstasy have been made throughout its 111-year existence, albeit they are rather rare in the modern era. It has been depicted in a variety of sizes and materials, and in a kneeling position.

In its original form, the mascot stood a statuesque 6 7/8 inches tall. By the 1960s, it had gone through eight versions and was a more petite 4 5/16 inches tall. The gap between its nose and the tip of its extended robes had shortened from five inches to three. Over the years, its base shape, stance, and the precise inclination of its “wings” have all changed slightly.

Customers who purchased models from 1934 to 1959 had the option of a kneeling figure, which some thought was better suited to the coachwork designs of the period.

In the 1970s, some countries attempted to ban the mascot. For instance, clients in Switzerland were not allowed to exhibit the mascot at all, and when their cars arrived, they found it languishing in the glove box. Rolls-Royce’s ingenious solution was to place the mascot on a spring-loaded base, allowing it to descend into the radiator out of harm’s way at a push of a button. This retraction mechanism has evolved into a smooth, graceful movement called “the rise” and is standard on every Rolls-Royce motor car handcrafted at Goodwood.

The current design made for will be used on all future models, however, the previous design will still be applied on Phantom, Ghost, Wraith, Dawn, and Cullinan, as well as their Black Badge variants, if applicable.

Photos from Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Also read: Rolls-Royce celebrates 20 years of production at Goodwood