The equivalent of one month’s paycheck came clattering to the ground.
A Rolls-Royce salesman wishes he made sure this Rolls-Royce emblem anti-theft device was in working order before he attempted to swipe it for a customer demo. According to a viral vid making the rounds earlier this week (Mar 1, 2021) a Rolls-Royce salesman successfully knocks off “The Spirit of Ecstasy” hood ornament off what looks like a Rolls Royce Ghost.
We’ve kept the video source anonymous to protect the identity of the salesman but check out our copies of the vid below.
And here’s an explainer how the mechanism works.
I’ve had my suspicions a swift chop is all it takes to steal the SOE. In reality, this mechanism is more a party trick or pedestrian safety device than an actual, fool-proof emblem guard.
Keen eyes will notice the SOE is knocked cleanly off its pedestal, which says to me this was perhaps engineered that way to protect the rest of the hood from damage.
In his redemption video we can see the proper technique to demo this feature, a slight knock is all it takes to retract the expensive hood ornament.
As far as Rolls-Royce tech goes, this is a fairly new feature first rolled out on new Rolls-Royce cars in 2004 for obvious reasons, people kept stealing them.
Business Insider has an article of how the “Spirit of Ecstasy” is actually made. Each hood ornament is handmade by PolyClast Limited, professional casters based out of Southhampton in South East England. Formed from wax, cast from steel, and hand finished, it’s no wonder they cost what I’ve screenshot below.
Converted to American Dollars, that’s roughly $2,677 each. Compare that to a $20 Honda emblem for a newer model Civic. Then again, we’re talking about a Rolls-Royce Ghost that starts at around $330,000.
I’m sure this salesman will demo with a lighter touch from now on.
