6 hidden truths behind the luxury Rolls-Royce flying lady ‘spirit of ecstasy’

The Rolls-Royce “Flying Lady” mascot, known as the Spirit of Ecstasy, it has a deeper story than most people realise. The woman who inspired it was Eleanor Velasco Thornton. She was secretly in love with her boss, Baron John Montagu, who was a pioneer in early British motoring and an influential car magazine editor. He and Eleanor had a secret romance, which inspired this famous mascot.

Before the famous Spirit of Ecstasy, there was “The Whisper”. Once Montagu asked sculptor Charles Sykes to make a mascot for his Silver Ghost. He created a figure of Eleanor placing a finger to her lips. This gesture symbolised the need for secrecy about their hidden relationship.

Originally, Rolls-Royce cars only bore the classic badge. Owners often added their own mascots sometimes in poor taste. In 1911, after seeing this, Rolls-Royce commissioned Sykes to design an official mascot. He transformed “The Whisper” into what we know as the Spirit of Ecstasy.

Not everyone liked the idea. Henry Royce, one of the company’s founders, reportedly disliked the mascot, he argued it blocked the view of the road.

Charles Sykes called his creation a “graceful little goddess. who has selected road travel as her supreme delight”. The figurine stands for luxury, freedom and elegance. Today’s version even drops into the grille to prevent theft, showing how the Flying Lady keeps moving with the times.

When the Spirit of Ecstasy first arrived in 1911, it was just an optional extra, not standard on every car. Yet nearly all buyers wanted one, and it soon became the symbol of Rolls-Royce, recognised in every corner of the world for its meaning of luxury.

The story has a tragic end. In 1915, Eleanor died when her ship was sunk by a submarine during the First World War. Her image, however, lives on as one of the most iconic emblems in luxury, which forever remind the secret love story hiding beneath the shining bonnet of Rolls-Royce cars.