Rolls-Royce turns 100, celebrates Spirit of Ecstasy

The luxury marque's cars were displayed last week in the courtyard at the home of Rolls in England.

The breathtaking vintage vehicles were shown off by members of the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club, who joined VIPs and others to celebrate the parade of cars. More than 500 guests enjoyed seminars on the production of the Spirit of Ecstasy and Bespoke Design.

There also has been an exhibition by celebrated photographer Rankin inspired by the Spirit of Ecstasy, a manufacturing plant walkabout and an English afternoon tea.

The celebration concluded with a cavalcade of 100 cars around the Goodwood Motor Circuit. The leader car was the new Phantom Drophead Coupé.

The cars' journey included a Concours d’Elegance at the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu and other events. The lineup included the Phantom and Ghost families provided by Rolls-Royce.

“The Spirit of Ecstasy is perhaps the most famous automotive icon, gracefully adorning the prow of Rolls-Royce models past and present,” said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, chief executive of Rolls‑Royce.

“We were delighted to welcome our guests, and particularly our friends from the Rolls‑Royce Enthusiasts’ Club and their magnificent motor cars, to the home of Rolls‑Royce.”

Separately, Rolls-Royce announced today that there will be more Spirit of Ecstasy-inspired initiatives and events through December.

To mark this year of celebration, every Ghost and Phantom produced at the Rolls factory in Goodwood will have a Spirit of Ecstasy with the inscription "Spirit of Ecstasy Centenary – 2011" etched into the base of each statuette.

You can reach TorqueNews.com's Hawke Fracassa at [email protected].

Image source: Wikipedia