What Is The 'Flying Lady'?

The flying lady is also known as the Spirit of Ecstasy.  She is the mascot of the Rolls-Royce and is the minature statuette of a woman 'flying'.
The mascot has not always appeared on the car, the first Rolls-Royce was produced in 1904, but the flying lady did not appear until 1911.  It started after Rolls-Royce owners began to place their own mascots on the bonnets, such as black cat etc.  Rolls-Royce decided to create a suitably tasteful mascot, which would clearly symbolise a Rolls-Royce and so the flying lady was created.
Since 1911, nearly all Rolls-Royce cars have had the statuette which used to be made from copper, zinc and nickel alloys, but is now made from stainles steel.  Queen Elizabeth ceremonial Rolls-Royce does not carry the mascot, but rather a steel figure of England's patron saint, St George who is slaying the dragon.  
The flying lady is now so prized by Rolls-Royce that since 1980 'she' is fitted with a mechanism which means that she is pulled into the body of the car upon impact.  Thus shielding her from any danger!