Why You Can't Steal The Rolls-Royce Spirit Of Ecstasy Hood Ornament

While you may have seen logos of luxury car makers like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and even Porsche being stolen from the vehicles; there are never complaints of the Spirit of Ecstasy being stolen and that is because Rolls-Royce won't let that happen.

By Sameer Contractor

1 mins read

Published on August 9, 2016

Highlights

The Spirit of Ecstasy has been fitted on all Rolls-Royce cars since 1920
The ornament is mounted on a retractable spring loaded mechanism
Drivers can retract the ornament from the press of a button as well

There is no doubt in the fact that Rolls-Royce cars are a spectacle in itself, but if there is one element that has been highly fantasised, written and spoken about relating to the car, it is the 'Spirit of Ecstasy' hood ornament. The Flying Lady has been synonymous with the marque British brand since 1920 and is available in stock stainless steel, while customers have spruced up their iterations in complete gold or crystal which are available as optional extras, with certain examples worth over $10,000 (over Rs. 6 lakh). No wonder then, the Silver Lady is highly desired by enthusiasts and thieves alike. However, while you may have seen logos of luxury car makers like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and even Porsche being stolen from the vehicles; there are never complaints of the Spirit of Ecstasy being stolen and that is because Rolls-Royce won't let that happen. Attention to detail has always been one of the attributes of buying a Rolls and the folks at Goodwood have thought this through as well. Since the brand was resurrected in 2003, all modern day Rolls-Royce cars have the hood ornament mounted on a spring-loaded mechanism which will automatically detract into the radiator shell, should the 3-inch icon if struck from any direction. This makes is almost impossible to steal the Flying Lady. Moreover, the driver can also raise or lower the Spirit of Ecstasy emblem with the touch of a button, in order to ensure its safety. The hood ornament is a part of every Rolls-Royce that comes out of the British car maker's facility in the UK right from the flagship Phantom to the new Dawn convertible and continues to stun everyone with its presence. Just one of the reasons why Rolls-Royce cars are all the more desirable we say.