The Car Mascot Story: Spirit of Ecstasy on a Rolls-Royce Bonnet

Every self-respecting car brand has its own mascot. Peugeot has a lion, Volga has a deer, Rolls-Royce has the Spirit of Ecstasy. We’ll talk about him. Beautiful women, love affairs and tragedies intertwined in the history of the “Spirit of Ecstasy”. Well, it could not be otherwise when it comes to modern luxury cars.

The Spirit of Ecstasy is a piece of jewelry that can be found on the hood of a Rolls Royce. It is made in the shape of a girl leaning forward with arms extended back. Above it is a flying fabric resembling wings. This symbol has become a sign of luxury and elegance.

He appeared thanks to the English leader, who strongly supported the automotive industry, Baron Montague. His full name was as follows: John Walter, Edward Douglas-Scott-Montague, 2nd Baron Montague of Beaulieu. He was the first to place the figure on his car.

John asked his friend, sculptor Charles Robinson Sykes, to come up with what a figure should look like that would distinguish his car from others. Sykes came up with a woman standing on one leg, with a dress flowing behind her, holding one finger pressed to her lips, as if she was begging to keep something a secret.

John Montague

The model for the figure was Eleanor Velasco Thornton (known as Thorn). Around 1911, only a few copies were made, of which not many were preserved. Eleanor was the secretary of Baron Montague and, according to the English gossip, or rather well-informed people, was also her lover. This statuette, made by Sykes, was intriguingly called "Whisper."

Seeing her, the managing director of Rolls Royce, Claude Johnson, persuaded Charles Sykes to develop an elegant mascot that would adorn all future Rolls Royce cars. He set him the task of reflecting the spirit of the Rolls-Royce: "speed combined with silence, lack of vibration, mysterious power and a wonderful living creature with perfect grace."

Eleanor Velasco Thornton

Claude Johnson meant by the symbol a statue of Nicky of Samothrace, stored in the Louvre, the goddess of power, speed and victory. She was often portrayed as winged.

But sculptor Sykes felt he needed something more feminine, softer, and he continued to be inspired by the beauty of Eleanor Thornton. His heroine, like Nick’s “Winged Victory”, faced with the wind, became a symbol of movement and triumph.

A secret romantic passion and passion between Montague and Secretary Thornton continued for 10 years. Only close friends knew about this. The Baron has always been married to Lady Cecil Victoria Constance Kerr.

The mascot had eleven options. At different times, they changed in size and had different names. Starting from the mentioned "Whisper" to the "Spirit of speed" and the current name "Spirit of Ecstasy." Car owners sometimes called her Emily, or the Silver Lady.

On vehicles of modern design, an anti-vandal mechanism is provided. If someone thinks of stealing and breaking it off, the car will recognize what is happening and immediately drag the figure into the hood.