One Of Our Strangest Purchases Yet: A 77cm Spirit Of Ecstasy

We buy some strange things.

Usually they have wheels.

This one doesn’t.

Today’s purchase is probably one of the more unusual motoring-related objects we’ve brought home: an enormous reproduction of the Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy.

It stands around 77cm tall, sits on a marble plinth and weighs an absolute ton.

Well, perhaps not literally.

But carrying it any meaningful distance certainly makes you wonder whether somebody has secretly filled the base with lead.

And then there’s the signature.

Scratched into the base is one word:

Bugatti.

Naturally, that sent us down a rabbit hole.

Definitely Not A Bonnet Mascot

The first thing to establish is that this isn’t some gigantic original Rolls-Royce mascot.

It’s a large decorative reproduction of the famous Spirit of Ecstasy, the figure that has adorned Rolls-Royce cars for more than a century.

At 77cm tall, you’d need a fairly substantial radiator grille to mount this one.

It was described when sold as a reproduction Spirit of Ecstasy on a marble plinth, probably silver-plated brass.

That would certainly explain the weight.

The finish has worn in places and there are marks and signs of age across the surface, particularly around the base, but that’s part of what attracted us to it.

We didn’t want something shiny and new.

We wanted something slightly ridiculous with a bit of age and character.

This qualifies on both counts.

The Real Spirit Of Ecstasy

The genuine Spirit of Ecstasy dates back to 1911 and was created for Rolls-Royce by artist and sculptor Charles Robinson Sykes.

The figure depicts a woman leaning forwards into the wind, her arms stretched behind her and her flowing robes creating the appearance of wings.

It has become one of the most recognisable pieces of automotive design ever created.

The story behind the mascot is rather more interesting than simply designing something pretty to put on a radiator.

Eleanor Thornton, who moved in the same early motoring circles as Sykes and motoring pioneer John Montagu, is closely associated with the story of the figure.

Sykes had previously created another mascot known as The Whisper, and Eleanor was his model and muse.

The Spirit of Ecstasy followed in 1911 and has been associated with Rolls-Royce ever since.

More than a century later, the basic pose is instantly recognisable.

Even when she’s nearly three feet tall.

So Why Does This One Say ‘Bugatti’?

And this is where our big lady becomes a little more mysterious.

There is a clearly scratched signature on the base which reads:

Bugatti

Now, before anybody gets too excited, that does not mean we’ve accidentally bought a sculpture by Rembrandt Bugatti.

Rembrandt Bugatti was a celebrated Italian sculptor from the famous Bugatti family, and brother of Ettore Bugatti, who founded the car company.

But Rembrandt became renowned primarily for his extraordinarily expressive sculptures of animals.

Authenticated examples of his work are serious pieces of art.

Our giant Spirit of Ecstasy is not being presented as one of them.

Without provenance or other supporting evidence, the signature is simply an intriguing detail on a reproduction piece.

Who put it there?

Why Bugatti?

Was the sculpture originally sold under that name?

Was it somebody’s idea of adding a suitably prestigious motoring signature?

At the moment, we don’t know.

And we’re quite happy with that.

Sometimes the unanswered questions are the interesting bit.

It’s Enormous

Photographs don’t really convey the scale.

Standing by itself, your brain interprets the figure as being roughly the size of a large Rolls-Royce bonnet mascot.

Then you put something familiar next to it.

We photographed it alongside an old Wall’s Ice Cream pavement sign and suddenly the size becomes obvious.

At around 77cm high, it is less a bonnet ornament and more a small member of staff.

The wings make it particularly imposing.

Seen from behind, they stretch away from the figure in huge flowing sheets of metal, while the front view has that instantly recognisable forward-leaning pose.

It also has a face that becomes slightly more unnerving the closer you get.

We wouldn’t necessarily want to wake up and find it standing at the end of the bed.

Why Did We Buy It?

Because we liked it.

Sometimes that’s enough.

The whole reason we enjoy old cars, motorcycles, garage memorabilia and motoring oddities is because there are still things out there capable of making you stop and think:

“What on earth is that?”

Not everything needs to be rare, valuable or historically important.

Sometimes an object is interesting simply because somebody once thought it would be a good idea to make a 77cm-tall Spirit of Ecstasy.

And somebody else thought it would be a good idea to buy it.

That second somebody was us.

We bought it with the intention of selling it again, but for the moment it’s standing here looking wonderfully out of place among the cars.

Motoring Memorabilia Doesn’t Have To Be Obvious

We’ve written recently about old motorcycle shop stock, signs and other bits of motoring history that would once have seemed completely ordinary.

This is obviously at the opposite end of the scale.

Nobody was keeping this in a small drawer behind the counter.

But it still belongs to the same world.

Old garage signs, dealership displays, workshop equipment, petroliana, automobilia, mascots and strange decorative pieces can be every bit as interesting as the vehicles themselves.

If you fancy seeing what other Spirit of Ecstasy ornaments, mascots and automobilia are currently out there, you can browse the latest examples on eBay here.

Often they survive because somebody couldn’t quite bring themselves to throw them away.

Years later, those are exactly the things people want to see.

Got Something Strange Tucked Away?

We’re increasingly interested in the motoring-related objects that survive alongside old cars and motorcycles.

If you’re clearing a garage, workshop, dealership, motorcycle shop, motor factor or collection and you’ve got old signs, new old stock, advertising displays, automobilia, mascots, workshop equipment or other unusual motoring items, we’d love to hear from you.

You can send us some photos and details through our contact page:

https://ukbarnfinds.com/contact-us/

And if you’ve got something particularly strange, even better.

After all, we’ve apparently reached the stage where we’re buying giant Rolls-Royce mascots.