Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Today, Rolls-Royce colleagues and enthusiasts around the world are marking the anniversary of the birth of The Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls, on this day in 1877. A fearless and record-breaking pioneer of both motoring and aviation, he was a skilled engineer, gifted salesman and visionary thinker. In 1904, he brought those numerous accomplishments and remarkable personal qualities to a partnership that would change the world. Given his enduring fame and extraordinary legacy, it’s easy to forget that Rolls worked alongside Henry Royce for a mere six years before his death in 1910, aged just 32. Yet in that time, he provided the creative impetus, commercial acumen, social connections and audacious thinking that made Rolls-Royce an enduring and iconic brand, with its products universally recognised as the very best of their kind. We invite you to discover more about Rolls’ remarkable life in the latest in our year-long ‘Makers of the Marque’ series, which you can read here: https://bit.ly/3T4Yzla #InspiringGreatness

Phantom Scintilla’s exterior is presented in a two-tone Bespoke finish. The upper body is finished in Andalusian White, with the lower body in Thracian Blue, inspired by the colours of the sea around the island of Samothrace, where the statue of The Winged Victory of Samothrace originates from. A subtle metallic flake mimics the sparkle of sunlight on the water. The hand-painted double Coachline and Wheel Pinstripes in Spirit Blue complete the graceful exterior. Discover more: https://bit.ly/3YKS6PV #BespokeIsRollsRoyce - NEDCcorr (combined): CO2 emissions: 345 g/km; Fuel consumption: 15.1 ltr/100 km / 18.7 mpg. WLTP (combined): CO2 emissions: 362-348 g/km; Fuel consumption: 15.9-15.2 ltr/100 km / 17.7-18.6 mpg.

Phantom Scintilla’s ‘Celestial Pulse’ Gallery artwork and animated Starlight Headliner capture the fleeting moment of the Spirit of Ecstasy’s presence. The Bespoke Starlight Headliner features an animation inspired by the Spirit of Ecstasy’s flowing gown. 1,500 fibre-optic ‘stars’, all placed and fitted by hand in a unique pattern, illuminate in sequence, adding to the sense of motion. The centrepiece of Phantom Scintilla is a Bespoke artwork in the Gallery, which runs the full width of the front fascia. Entitled Celestial Pulse, the work consists of seven ribbons, each individually milled from solid aluminium, then given the same finely-grained ceramic finish as the Spirit of Ecstasy figurine. Discover more: https://bit.ly/3YKS6PV #BespokeIsRollsRoyce - NEDCcorr (combined): CO2 emissions: 345 g/km; Fuel consumption: 15.1 ltr/100 km / 18.7 mpg. WLTP (combined): CO2 emissions: 362-348 g/km; Fuel consumption: 15.9-15.2 ltr/100 km / 17.7-18.6 mpg.

Phantom Scintilla, pays tribute to our enduring muse, the Spirit of Ecstasy. The interior is filled with design elements, textures and a continuous graphic inspired by the Spirit of Ecstasy’s expressive, dynamic form. The coach doors and fabric seats feature the most extensive density of embroidery ever seen in a Rolls-Royce motor car. The embroidered motif on the doors is made of 633,000 stitches, complemented by illuminated perforations. By night, the embroidery takes on a mesmerising, luminescent sparkle and appears to glow from within. Discover more: https://bit.ly/3YKS6PV #BespokeIsRollsRoyce - NEDCcorr (combined): CO2 emissions: 345 g/km; Fuel consumption: 15.1 ltr/100 km / 18.7 mpg. WLTP (combined): CO2 emissions: 362-348 g/km; Fuel consumption: 15.9-15.2 ltr/100 km / 17.7-18.6 mpg.

The Winged Victory of Samothrace, the statue that inspired the original idea for a Rolls‑Royce mascot, is sculpted in Parian marble – a fine-grained white marble quarried during the classical era on the Greek island of Paros. Known for its purity and radiance, this material allows light to penetrate to a depth of several centimetres, giving it a lustre that appears to come from within. To capture the translucence, purity and power of this unique material, we have introduced a new interpretation of the Spirit of Ecstasy. For the first time, the figurine has been given a ceramic finish that skilfully alludes to the texture of Parian marble, while retaining its familiar femininity and ethereality – an icon that finally unites the visions of both Johnson and Sykes. Discover more: https://bit.ly/3YKS6PV #BespokeIsRollsRoyce - NEDCcorr (combined): CO2 emissions: 345 g/km; Fuel consumption: 15.1 ltr/100 km / 18.7 mpg. WLTP (combined): CO2 emissions: 362-348 g/km; Fuel consumption: 15.9-15.2 ltr/100 km / 17.7-18.6 mpg.

In this episode of the Voice of the Maker, Rolls-Royce Bespoke Designers explore the mesmerising craftsmanship behind Phantom Scintilla – a new Private Collection inspired by the marque’s fleeting muse. Discover more: https://bit.ly/3YKS6PV #BespokeIsRollsRoyce - NEDCcorr (combined): CO2 emissions: 345 g/km; Fuel consumption: 15.1 ltr/100 km / 18.7 mpg. WLTP (combined): CO2 emissions: 362-348 g/km; Fuel consumption: 15.9-15.2 ltr/100 km / 17.7-18.6 mpg.

Introducing Phantom Scintilla, a unique Private Collection in homage to our timeless muse, the Spirit of Ecstasy. In the year we celebrate our 120th Anniversary, the Phantom Scintilla Private Collection celebrates the ethereal beauty, grace, and legacy of the Spirit of Ecstasy. Phantom Scintilla’s design evokes the wonder of the Spirit of Ecstasy’s fleeting presence. Its exquisite interior features were inspired by the apparent movement of her robes, as the motor car glides by. Carefully curated design features also allude to the figurine’s origins with references to Parian Marble – it was in this famed material that, more than 2,000 years ago, an unknown genius of Classical Greece sculpted The Winged Victory of Samothrace – the statue that inspired Claude Johnson’s original idea for a Rolls‑Royce mascot. Discover more: https://bit.ly/3YKS6PV #BespokeIsRollsRoyce - NEDCcorr (combined): CO2 emissions: 345 g/km; Fuel consumption: 15.1 ltr/100 km / 18.7 mpg. WLTP (combined): CO2 emissions: 362-348 g/km; Fuel consumption: 15.9-15.2 ltr/100 km / 17.7-18.6 mpg.

In 2022, the iconic Spirit of Ecstasy figurine was recreated for Rolls-Royce Spectre. The figurine was remodelled with a lower, more dynamic stance that brings her much closer to the drawings made by her original creator, the illustrator and sculptor Charles Sykes, in the early years of the 20th century. The Spirit of Ecstasy now stands 82.73mm tall. Her robes, which flow behind her in the slipstream – often but erroneously characterised as ‘wings’ – have been subtly reshaped to make them more aerodynamic. She is a true goddess of speed, braced for the wind, one leg forward, body tucked low, her eyes focused eagerly ahead. #InspiringGreatness - WLTP: Power consumption: 2.6-2.8 mi/kWh / 23.6-22.2 kWh/100km. Electric range 329 mi / 530 km. NEDC: CO2 emissions 0 g/km.

The Spirit of Ecstasy, adorned on every Rolls-Royce from the Goodwood-era, is crafted through an intricate process that combines ancient techniques and modern technology. The first step was to digitally ‘map’ the original Spirit of Ecstasy, manipulating and enhancing individual details to create a perfect three-dimensional computerised image. To ensure even the finest details were precisely replicated, the injection mould was formed by skilled craftspeople using cutters measuring just 0.2mm in size. The mould is then filled with molten stainless steel at 1600°C. After cooling, the Spirit of Ecstasy is revealed in her full glory. In the Finishing Department, the casting undergoes peening, where tiny stainless-steel balls polish the surface. The final steps involve machining, mirror polishing and rigorous quality checks, ensuring that each figurine is perfect before taking its place above the Rolls-Royce grille. #InspiringGreatness

Today, the ability to add all manner of Bespoke details to their Rolls-Royce motor car is one of the marque’s principal attractions for our patrons. But, in fact, this merely continues a desire for personalisation that emerged in the marque’s very earliest days. In 1910, General Managing Director Claude Johnson sought to protect Rolls-Royce motor cars from ‘undignified’ mascots by commissioning a talented artist and sculptor, Charles Sykes, to create an official one. No one can be entirely sure how Sykes came to conceive the Spirit of Ecstasy, but one well-established theory is that Johnson, after viewing The Winged Victory of Samothrace at the Louvre, was so impressed that he instructed Sykes to also see it. Sykes, understanding Johnson’s vision, designed the Spirit of Ecstasy as we know it. However, legend also has it that Eleanor Velasco Thornton, Private Secretary to Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, is believed to be Sykes’ model for the Spirit of Ecstasy. It was also through Montagu, an early Rolls-Royce patron and motoring pioneer, that Sykes was introduced to Johnson. Fittingly, Montagu’s Silver Ghost was the first motor car to bear the Spirit of Ecstasy. The Spirit of Ecstasy is an enigmatic figure and precisely captures the vision that Johnson sought to bring to life. #InspiringGreatness