The Engineering Trick That Keeps Rolls Royce Car Ornaments From Being Stolen

[Express]

This has probably been seen a million times but it’s new to me.

The Engineering Trick That Keeps Rolls Royce Car Ornaments From Being Stolen

Rolls Royce cars are expensive items, so it wouldn't be surprising if an industrious passerby wanted to hack off a piece of that luxury for themselves. The car ornament found on all models is particularly flashy. (It even has its own name: the Spirit of Ecstasy.)

But while the hood ornaments are obviously very exposed, you don't generally see Rolls Royce cars with the ornament sawed off. Here's why: There is a special storing mechanism—standard in all Rolls Royce cars since 2004—that hides the ornament when it's tampered with. Give the Spirit of Ecstasy a little tap and it flips inside a secret hatch, until the rightful owner comes back to set it straight.




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[Bossxr8]

Could it save it if you tried to smack it off with a cricket bat for example?

[BA GT-HO]

I'd love to attach a giant padlock to it and see what happens when it retracts

[mik]

Bruce lee would have snatched it no problem ............. Wa Gah !

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by Express

This has probably been seen a million times but it’s new to me.

REALLY old news. I actually thought it went back further than 2004.

Oh, and its got nothing to do with theft, that's a myth. It's a safety requirement.

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Could it save it if you tried to smack it off with a cricket bat for example?

Supposedly yes. It is designed to retract quickly enough to avoid injuring a struck pedestrian, so it must be exceptionally quick.

[Tassie f100]

Pity we couldn't set something like that up on the side of the car for when some **** breaks a window to steal something.When the arm goes in a guillotine type blade comes down and takes the arm off at the elbow,would make the,now one handed, scum think twice about doing it again.

[XD 351 Ute]

Chuck Norris lives under the bonnet of each and every Rolls to protect their Spirit....

Ed

[Brodes]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Could it save it if you tried to smack it off with a cricket bat for example?

+1 for my bucket list.

[blackf6]

I just hook my battery terminals to the Grille badge when I park. Keeps it welded in place.

[NX74205]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Could it save it if you tried to smack it off with a cricket bat for example?

As far as I know it can be programmed to be retracted upon locking the car.

Now, if only Mercedes-Benz would also make their bonnet ornaments retractable, that'd be great.

Originally Posted by Tassie f100

Pity we couldn't set something like that up on the side of the car for when some **** breaks a window to steal something.When the arm goes in a guillotine type blade comes down and takes the arm off at the elbow,would make the,now one handed, scum think twice about doing it again.

Great in theory, but I wouldn't want blood and a severed arm all over my cream coloured leather interior and sheepskin carpets.

[mike_nofx]

How do you clean it when a bird ***** on it?

[thefargo]

Originally Posted by mike_nofx

How do you clean it when a bird ***** on it?

birds don't dump on Rolls Royce cars