The Spirit of Ecstasy has been a standard feature of Rolls-Royce motor cars since 1911.

“Rolls-Royce were keen to design their own mascot because some Rolls-Royce owners were commissioning their own designs, which were not always in keeping with the ethos of the company. So Rolls-Royce’s Claude Johnson (often known as the hyphen in the name Rolls-Royce) commissioned Charles Sykes to create the now infamous ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’.”

Ian Robertson, the Chairman and Chief Executive of Rolls-Royce Motors Ltd, unveiled the latest addition to the Phantom line – the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé at the Geneva Motor Show on the 4th of February. Two years ago in Geneva, Rolls-Royce showed their experimental 101EX Coupé, and two years later they unwrapped the production model.

Sir Alan Sugar recently met the future workforce of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars during a visit to the Goodwood factory. Sir Alan took a tour of the West Sussex facility and took the opportunity to chat with apprentices from the wood, leather, assembly and paint departments. The star of the Apprentice TV show is endorsing Gordon Brown’s new policy to boost the skills of the nation, with a goal of one in five young people gaining an apprenticeship within the next ten years.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will reveal a new model to their Phantom line at the Geneva Motor Show on the 4th March 2008. The Phantom Coupé will stand alongside the Phantom and Phantom Drophead Coupé and production is due to start in the summer at Goodwood.

The Phantom Coupé is described by Rolls-Royce as the most driver-orientated model of the Phantom range. With a 25% increase in fuel capacity compared to the Phantom Drophead Coupé. The Phantom Coupé is the most torsionally rigid car Rolls-Royce have ever produced. These two factors along with the 453 BHP normally aspirated 6.75-litre V12 will on paper make this a great grand tourer.

I have discussed the Rolls-Royce bespoke programme before. But John Griffiths writing for the FT has gleamed some interesting details about the bespoke service in his road test of the dazzling Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé has helped Rolls-Royce achieve their best ever year. 2007 sales were up 25 per cent, compared to 2006, with Rolls-Royce selling 1010 cars. This is the first time sales reached four figures and the fourth successive sales increase since BMW took the helm in 2003.

Plans are being made to commission a statue of Sir Henry Royce in Knutsford, Cheshire. Rolls-Royce Motors support the idea for a lasting tribute to the great engineer to be constructed in Regents Street.

The Rolls-Royce clientele are demographically classified as high-net worth individuals. With an average bank balance of $30 million, the typical Rolls-Royce customer is from a very exclusive club. A club where quite simply money talks. Even at these rarified heights of wealth the Rolls-Royce customer may not always get what they want, as Bojan Pancevski writes in the Telegraph.

Can you imagine winning a Rolls-Royce? Mr Kilby won a 1968 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow in a raffle!