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ROLLES-ROYCE
The double R (Badge of Honor) symbolizes the founder’s trust
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[1] Charles Rolls, one of the founders. [2] Henry Royce later received the title of “Sir.” [3] The 1905 Rolls-Royce “15HP” model. [4] When talking about Rolls-Royce, in addition to the “Double R” emblem, one must also mention the mascot “Speed of Ecstasy” on the hood.
Charles Rolls and Henry Royce met in 1904, and Rolls-Royce Limited was founded in 1906. The “double R” logo, which combines the initials of their surnames, was designed as a symbol of the trust and partnership between the founders, and is officially called the “Badge of Honour.”
The transition from red to black
Initially, the car featured a red double R, but in the 1930s it was changed to black. One theory is that the change was made in memory of Reuss’s death in 1933, but the official explanation is that “priority was given to harmonizing with the body color.” The black RR blended well with any body color, further emphasizing its dignity and stateliness.
A unique feature of Goodwood models
This Badge of Honor is awarded only to genuine models manufactured at the Goodwood plant in the UK. It was inherited unchanged even when the new Rolls-Royce was launched under BMW in 2003. It is positioned as “a unique symbol that remains unchanged through the ages.”
The red logo returns as a sign of innovation
Although the double R emblem continues to maintain its tradition, there are exceptions. The red RR was deliberately revived in the experimental model “EX series” from the 2000s onwards. This is said to represent the brand’s stance of embodying both tradition and innovation.
Spirit of Ecstasy “Symbol of Elegance and Speed”
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[5] The Whisper, the prototype for the Speed of Ecstasy. [6] To prevent theft and ensure safety, the car now features an automatic retractable mechanism that retracts into the hood.
Model Eleanor Thornton (far left) and artist Charles Sykes (center).
Rolls-Royce is perhaps best known for its bonnet mascot, even more so than its double R emblem. In 1911, Rolls-Royce unveiled the “Spirit of Ecstasy” as its official mascot. The leaning female figure, with her robes flowing, symbolizes “the union of speed and grace, and silent strength.”
The story behind its creation and its model
The statue was created by sculptor Charles Robinson Sykes and featured Eleanor Velasco Thornton, secretary to Rolls’s business partner, Claude Johnson, and lover of Baron John Montagu, founder of the British car magazine The Car Illustrated.
Sykes, who was working as an illustrator for Car magazine, created a figurine of Eleanor for Lord Montagu’s Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. This figurine, called “The Whisper,” became the prototype for the Spirit of Ecstasy.
New design for the electrified era
In 2023, with the launch of Rolls-Royce’s first electric car, the Spectre, the Spirit of Ecstasy was redesigned with a lower, more rearward-leaning stance to improve aerodynamics, contributing to the company’s best-ever aerodynamic performance with a Cd value of 0.26.
The brand philosophy expressed through two symbols
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[7] The first electric vehicle, the Spectre, will be released in 2023. [8] The Speed of Ecstasy model is designed with a more forward-leaning posture.
The double R emblem (Badge of Honour), a symbol of the founder’s trust and high quality, and the Spirit of Ecstasy, which represents the fusion of elegance and speed and speaks to the brand’s sensibility and emotion, stand side by side on the front, ensuring that Rolls-Royce continues to exist as a brand with a story, not just a luxury car. Even in the age of electrification, that brilliance will not fade.
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