Rolls-Royce – Spirits Of Ecstasy

A new book celebrates Rolls-Royce’s singular achievements in the bespoke luxury world

- By Jared Paul Stern

Over a century after Henry Royce and Charles Rolls put their first car into production, Rolls-Royce continues to represent the pinnacle of luxury around the world,” Simon Van Booy and Harvey Briggs write in the opening pages of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars: Making a Legend, recently published by ACC Art Books. “It is this passion for continually improving the design, quality and experience of each automobile that allows Rolls-Royce to honor its past without being shackled by it.”

The figure who perhaps best embodies the spirit of the two entrepreneurs today is Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, who penned the foreword for the beautifully-illustrated book. “When I had the honor of being appointed Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce in 2010, I assumed management of a company that on one hand brought with it an immense sense of pride, and on the other, a profound sense of responsibility,” he recounts. “To be at the helm of this great brand, which sits at the apex of the luxury world, is a great privilege.”

Müller-Ötvös writes that he often questions “what it is that makes Rolls-Royce unique in its proposition. To find an answer, we must explore and question the core principles and foundations of the luxury world around us. I challenge my colleagues and our Luxury Intelligence Unit continually to interpret what luxury means to our global clients. Is it design? Engineering? Unmatched bespoke capability? Or is it allowing our craftspeople the time and materials required to perfect their art? Our finding is this: it is these elements, combined with a mindset—to collectively achieve the very best of human endeavor.”