'THE SPIRIT OF ECSTASY': The new Phantom will be imported to India by Navnit Motors, a company that has been importing BMWs for the last 10 years.
BMW builds Rolls-Royces from a brand new plant at Goodwood, near London. BMW acquired the naming rights from the unsuspecting Volkswagen, which ended up with the original factory and the rights to build Bentley cars after an hostile war of bids in 1999.
Rolls-Royce celebrated its 100th anniversary in May this year, and has been building cars named after silent things because that has been the selling point ever since the Silver Ghost earned the title of the 'best car in the world' in 1907.
The famous 'Spirit of Ecstasy' logo displayed on the bonnet of the newly unveiled Rolls-Royce 'Phantom' model. The Phantom is the first entirely new Rolls-Royce built from the ground-up since German car manufacturer BMW acquired the luxury brand in July 1998. The badge is the traditional interlaced two 'R's, but in red, as was the case until 1930, and not the black used thereafter. The mascot, or hood (bonnet) ornament, will be the traditional Spirit of Ecstasy -- a young woman in a flowing robe, her arms stretched behind her but cast in solid silver and detachable.
Photo: Steve Parkin/AFP/Getty Images