Rolls-Royce bonnet emblem redesigned for electric future

The legendary

‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ has been downsized and streamlined to improve efficiency in future electric cars.

Rolls-Royce’s iconic bonnet emblem – dubbed the ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ – has been redesigned to improve aerodynamics for the electric era.

Adorning all vehicles built by the luxury British marque since the early 1920s, the legendary metal statue depicts a woman leaning forward into the wind with outstretched arms.

The newest rendition has been scaled down – shrinking from

100.01mm to 82.73mm tall – and had its edges rounded off to reduce drag.

This updated design will debut on the upcoming electric Spectre coupe in 2023 (shown below) and will be fitted to all subsequent new models.

However, the existing Phantom, Ghost, Wraith, Dawn and Cullinan will retain the current iteration of the emblem.

The

Spirit of Ecstasy was commissioned in 1909 – more than a decade before it became ubiquitous on Rolls-Royce cars – by sculptor Charles Robinson Sykes, and modelled on English actress Eleanor Thornton. It was trademarked 111 years ago, on 6 February 1911.

It has undergone several design updates over its lifetime – including, briefly in the 1930s, depicting the flying woman on her knees (scroll through the gallery above) – however the basic premise has not changed for more than a century.

Despite this, in newer cars owners can choose between four finishes: Silver, Gold, Crystal, or Black. A button on the dashboard – or an icon on the car’s touchscreen – allows the driver to retract the statue into the bodywork.

While the COVID-19 pandemic and and semiconductor chip shortages have slammed the brakes on the automotive market, Rolls-Royce sales have skyrocketed in recent times. During 2021, the BMW-owned marque sold more cars than any other year in its history.

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