Who designed the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot?

Charles Sykes designed the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot used on Rolls-Royce cars. The English sculptor created the familiar figure of a woman leaning forward with flowing robes that resemble wings.

Sykes first made a related personal mascot called The Whisper for Lord Montagu of Beaulieu’s 1909 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. Eleanor Velasco Thornton, who was associated with Montagu, served as the model. Rolls-Royce later commissioned Sykes to create a dignified mascot for the marque, and he presented the Spirit of Ecstasy in February 1911.

The mascot is often wrongly credited to Henry Royce, Frederick Henry Royce or Charles Rolls because all three names are central to the company’s history. Royce was the company’s engineer and co-founder, while Rolls was its co-founder and early promoter; neither designed this ornament. The design has changed over time, including a lower kneeling version introduced in 1934 and a redesigned, more aerodynamic version for the electric Spectre.