See How the Rolls-Royce Hood Ornament is Made

The hood ornament for Rolls-Royce dates back to beginning days of the company, when they weren’t the amazing giant they are now. When they were smaller, but still making amazing cars. The little statuette is officially named the “Spirit of Ecstasy” and was first created by sculptor Charles Robinson Sykes. Interestingly enough, Sykes didn’t actually make the ornament for Rolls-Royce. Rather, he made it for motoring enthusiast Lord Montagu. So who is the Spirit of Ecstasy? Montagu’s secretary and mistress, Eleanor Thornton.

Of course, Rolls-Royce wasn’t exactly excited at the prospect of customers making ornaments for their cars, so the company took things into its own hands and commissioned Sykes to do the same for all their cars. Thus the Spirit of Ecstasy was officially born. They’ve been in production since the early 1920s, and in 2003, Polycast Limited was graced with the job of creating every ornament since. They make around 5,500 per year.

The statuette starts out as a wax form which allows for intricate details, including the waves in her hair. The wax form allows for a mold to be made. Steel is then melted and poured into the mold. When the statuettes are cool enough, they are finished by hand, buffed out to a beautiful shine and adjusted in any way necessary in order to enhance details or remove rough edges. Once finished, she simply needs to be adhered to the car.

Every new Rolls-Royce gets a Spirit of Ecstasy ornament. A visit to any Rolls-Royce Palm Beach Florida dealership will reveal rows of beautiful Rolls-Royce cars with the hood ornament ready and waiting for a trip down the road. Perhaps now is a great time to invest in a Rolls-Royce and take the Spirit of Ecstasy for a ride. Visit Braman Rolls-Royce and discover which Rolls-Royce is perfect for you.