Ode to the Spirit of Ecstasy

For over a century, the Spirit of Ecstasy has been the iconic symbol of Rolls-Royce. Taking advantage of the fact that This year 2024 marks the 120th anniversary of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, The British brand pays tribute to its muse with a limited series of ten fully customized vehicles: the Rolls-Royce Phantom Scintilla.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom Scintilla is based on the Phantom Extended –a 6.09-metre-long saloon–which is a perfect base to reflect the level of luxury and refinement that can be developed on one of these vehicles.

This is the Rolls-Royce Phantom Scintilla

The official press release states that the design of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Scintilla is conceived to evoke the fleeting presence of the Spirit of Ecstasy. Its creators comment that the vehicle’s exquisitely crafted interior features are inspired by the apparent movement of the figure’s robes as the car moves.

The attention to detail is certainly striking. There are references to the origins of the figure, specifically to Paros marble, the material from which, more than 2000 years ago, an anonymous artist from classical Greece sculpted the Winged Victory of Samothracethe statue that inspired the original creation of the Rolls-Royce figurine.

By the way, if you’re wondering why this limited series was named after itself, Scintilla comes from Latin and means “spark,” a bright flash that is perceived only for an instant and which refers to Claude Johnson’s moment of inspiration, who was impressed by the Victory of Samothrace during a trip to Paris and decided to commission a figure that would capture that same ethereal grace: The Spirit of Ecstasy.

And the history of this iconic figure dates back to 1910. Claude Johnson, then CEO of Rolls-Royce, commissioned sculptor and illustrator Charles Sykes to create a mascot for the brand. Johnson suggested using the Winged Victory of Samothrace, a Greek marble statue depicting a deity descending from the heavens. However, Sykes found the statue too dominant and proposed a more blurred figure.

Legend has it that Sykes was inspired by Eleanor Thornton, Lord Montagu’s secretary and mistress, for what would eventually become the Spirit of Ecstasy. And today, 120 years later, the Rolls-Royce Phantom Scintilla pays homage to this figure by incorporating new materials and subtle references to the legendary Rolls-Royce figurine.

A little piece of Greece in the Rolls-Royce Phantom Scintilla

We mentioned that the Winged Victory of Samothrace is sculpted in Paros marble, a material famous for its purity and brilliance, which allows light to penetrate up to several centimeters, giving it a glow that seems to emanate from within. Inspired by these qualities, British designers have given the Spirit of Ecstasy of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Scintilla a ceramic finish which imitates the texture of Paros marble.

Also inspired by the original statue, the vehicle features a Two-tone exterior reflecting the colors of the sea surrounding the Greek island of Samothrace, where the Winged Victory comes from. The upper part of the body is painted in Andalusian White, while the lower part is Thracian Blue, evoking the shades of the Aegean Sea.

The release adds that a subtle metallic foil mimics the glint of sunlight on water, while hand-painted double stripes on the body line and wheels in Spirit Blue complete the Greek-inspired exterior design.

The interior of the Rolls-Royce Phantom Scintilla is designed to envelop occupants in “a continuous flow of energy”, with a continuous graphic inspired by the dynamic form of the Spirit of Ecstasy running throughout the cabin, creating a sense of perpetual movement. Using a technique dubbed “thread painting”, the designers have created a luminescent effect by combining four colours and different thicknesses of thread. This graphic, which runs along the doors, is the most complex ever seen on a Rolls-Royce, with 869,500 stitches. which required more than 40 hours of work to complete.

The dashboard of each of these 10 units features a bespoke artwork titled Celestial Pulse, made up of seven ribbons, each individually milled from solid aluminium and adorned with the same ceramic finish as the figurine. The edges of the ribbons are polished to a mirror shine, capturing the light to try and create a sense of movement and fluidity.

There is no shortage of a new iteration of the traditional starry ceiling, equipped with 1,500 fiber optic stars, all placed and adjusted by hand to recreate the sensation of movement as the stars light up sequentially. In addition, 4,450 perforations reveal flashes of a metallic silver fabric.

Of course, the rear side tables are also customised with an Arctic White finish and a lacquer that mixes iridescent metallic particles, a process that requires up to 19 layers of lacquer and more than 190 hours of work per vehicle. To top off the look, the polished stainless steel running boards are also customised, and every Rolls-Royce Phantom Scintilla is delivered with a Bespoke car cover.