Rolls Royce Spirit of Ecstasy Turns 112
Lord Montagu of Beaulieu (1866-1929) was one of Britain’s motoring pioneers. As founder and editor of The Car Illustrated magazine, he employed an illustrator, Charles Sykes. In 1909, Lord Montagu commissioned Sykes (who was also a sculptor) to create a mascot for his Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. Sykes produced a bronze statue of a young woman in fluttering robes, which he named the ‘Whisper’.