Rolls-Royce's Spirit of Ecstasy mascot has been at the forefront of all its vehicles for over a century now and has even been refined time & again over the years. Created by artist Charles Sykes, the original project consisted of a woman wrapped in a large coat bending forward and arms pushed back, forming what seems to be wings. Now, The luxury marque has unveiled a new look of the figurine, exactly 111 years after it first registered the original design as its intellectual property, and will debut on its first electric car, the Rolls-Royce Spectre electric coupe.
The upcoming Rolls-Royce Spectre EV will adorn the new Spirit of Ecstasy mascot.
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Anders Warming, Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars said, “111 years ago today, the Spirit of Ecstasy became an official part of Rolls-Royce. For Spectre and beyond, she becomes lower and more focussed; braced for unprecedented speed and the exciting future her presence will define.”
The new Spirit of Ecstasy stands 82.73mm tall, compared to her predecessor's 100.01mm.
Rolls-Royce has reimagined its iconic Spirit of Ecstasy figurine to grace the bonnet of its new all-electric motor car, Spectre. The figurine has been remodeled with a lower, more dynamic stance that brings her much closer to the drawings made by her original creator. It also sees her physical form represent the marque's new visual language. The new Spirit of Ecstasy stands 82.73mm tall, compared to her predecessor's 100.01mm. Her robes, which flow behind her in the slipstream – often but erroneously characterised as ‘wings' – have been reshaped to make them more aerodynamic and realistic.
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But, the most visible change is her stance, as previously, she stood with her feet together, legs straight and tilting at the waist. Now, she is braced for the wind, with one leg forward, body tucked low, her eyes focused ahead. These changes have both practical and stylistic benefits, contributing to Spectre's aerodynamic properties. The earliest Spectre prototypes have a drag coefficient (Cd) of just 0.26, making it the most aerodynamic Rolls-Royce ever created, and the new figure is expected to improve this.
The new Spirit of Ecstasy mascot is braced for the wind, with one leg forward, body tucked low, her eyes focused ahead.
While all statuettes are made using one of the oldest known casting techniques, named ‘lost wax casting' or ‘cire-perdue', each is individually finished by hand, so will be minutely different from each other. Though relatively rare in the modern era, changes to the Spirit of Ecstasy have been made throughout her lifespan and rendered in various sizes and materials, and, briefly, in a kneeling position. The new version created for Spectre will appear on all future models, while the current design will still be used on Phantom, Ghost, Wraith, Dawn, and Cullinan and their Black Badge alter egos.
