One-of-a-kind Rolls-Royce mascot down the memory lane

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Megha Sharma Feb 9 2011



Rolls-Royce recently celebrated 100 years of its original “Flying Lady” mascot by taking out a parade of an elite fleet of 100 cars down the lanes of London. Designed by Charles Robinson Sykes, “Spirit of Ecstasy” or “The Flying Lady” has adorned Rolls-Royce cars since the year 1911. Modeled after Eleanor Velasco Thornton, the secretary-cum-secret lover of John Walter Edward-Scott-Montagu, this graceful figurine has spurned numerous variations of hood ornaments post its unveiling as “The Whisper” on Montagu’s personal Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. The original mascot depicted a young woman in fluttering robes, with a forefinger to her lips. We mark the centenary of the legendary “Flying Lady” by bringing for you the most famous hood ornaments ever designed for the ultimate motorcar.

The Streamlined Car Of 1960 (1948)

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THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2010 AT 5:40PM



Popular Mechanics produced short films in the 1940s and 50s that showcased technology of the near and distant future. This short was released theatrically on May 21, 1948 and featured "streamlined marvels on wheels." The narrator cheerfully proclaims of the second car (pictured above), "If you're looking for a 1960 model, this may well be it!"