Can You Steal The Spirit of Ecstasy Off the Nose of a Rolls-Royce?

Well, as the piece of footage at the bottom of the page demonstrates, the thief will only draw unwanted attention, with the move basically having over 99 percent chances of failing.

That's because modern-day Goodwood machine comes with a safety feature that allows the mascot to retract swiftly into the body of the car when subjected to certain forces.

And while chances are you'll rarely get to appreciate the feature thanks to its theft-proof assets (after all, the one who failed to steal the thing won't stick around to complain, will he?), another key benefit of this feature becomes visible in the unfortunate event of a crash.

And while the accident-friendly nature of the Spirit of Ecstasy doesn't need to be explained, we can't say the same about the birth of this symbol.

It all started back in 1911, when the British marque wanted to ensure customers don't decorate their Rolls-Royces with mascots that were unworthy of the brand. To put things shortly, the Spirit of Ecstasy embodies the forbidden love story involving a Lord and his secretary.

Returning to the potential theft attempts, we'll remind you that, nowadays, the mascot doesn't just come in the chrome form visible here. You can also have it in a Dark finish or a transparent one, with the last amplifying the lighting function of the ornament. Heck, customers who turn to aftermarket solutions have already had their mascots plated with gold. Come to think of it, we're ready to bet that, somewhere in this world, you can find a carbon fiber Spirit of Ecstasy, even though such a piece might not necessarily be attached to a Rolls-Royce.