Spirit of Ecstasy redesigned for new electric Rolls-Royce Spectre
Rolls-Royce has redesigned its famous Spirit of Ecstasy for a new electric era. The sleeker and more aerodynamic mascot will debut on the Spectre EV, due in 2023.
Today is the 111th anniversary of the Spirit of Ecstasy being registered as intellectual property. It has graced the bonnet of every Rolls-Royce car since 1911.
The new design contributes to a drag coefficient (Cd) of just 0.26 for early Spectre prototypes. It makes the forthcoming electric coupe the least wind-resistant Rolls-Royce ever.
A goddess of speed
Rolls-Royce engineers, based at Goodwood in West Sussex, have already spent around 830 hours on design modelling and wind tunnel testing for the Spectre.
The Spirit of Ecstasy has been reshaped to suit, with a lower and less upright stance. Positioned atop the traditional ‘Pantheon’ grille (apart from when the car is parked), the new mascot is 83mm tall, compared to 100mm for its predecessor.
The outgoing Spirit also stood with her legs straight and feet together. Now she is a ‘true goddess of speed’, says Rolls-Royce, with one leg forward and leaning into the wind.
Muse for the Spirit
The new look for the Spirit of Ecstasy is actually closer to the original drawings by the illustrator and sculptor, Charles Sykes. Amazingly, Sykes also made and polished all the mascots himself until 1939.
Eleanor Velasco Thornton (pictured above on the left) was a model and muse for Sykes, and thought to be the inspiration for the Spirit of Ecstasy. There’s also speculation, however, that its face belonged to his mother, Hannah Robinson Sykes.
Contrary to popular belief, the Spirit does not have wings. Rather, they are robes that flow behind in the slipstream – and their shape has changed several times over the past century.
Polished to perfection
Rolls-Royce has announced a competition for emerging artists to create an interpretation of the Spirit of Ecstasy in textiles.
The real thing is made in Southampton using a wax-cast mould filled with molten stainless steel. This casting is then blasted by millions of stainless steel balls, each just 0.04mm in diameter, followed by a final mirror polish.
Look out for more news on the electric Rolls-Royce Spectre in the coming months.
Tim Pitt writes for Motoring Research