之前在國際拍賣網站看到了這個漂亮的國產女皇車，但是就是死活也不肯賣給中國顧客(包括香港)，好像生怕我抄他的模具似的，真搞不明白! 沒辦法，鬼叫自己特別喜歡那個St George屠龍的頭標，最後逼我從日本那邊入手，真麻煩!

另外這個等了都2年多了，等得脖子都長了，TSM終于推出了這個棗紅色的英女皇座駕，遲點儿等有机會一定要拍個以英國皇室車輛為主題的攝影專輯。

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British Cars: The “Spirit of Ecstasy” – Rolls Royce

The familiar symbol on the front of every Rolls-Royce built since 1911 — a female figure leaning forward with robes billowing out behind her — is officially known as the “Spirit of Ecstasy.” The model for this figure was a lady called Eleanor Velasco Thornton. The Rolls-Royce factory workers used to refer to the figure not as the Spirit of Ecstasy, but less poetically as “Nellie in her Nightie.”

Eleanor’s connection with Rolls-Royce led to a tragic love story. Through her work as a secretary for the Automobile Club (now the RAC), she met many motor car enthusiasts, including John Scott Montagu, second Lord Montagu of Beaulieu. Eleanor and Montagu embarked on a love affair which, surprisingly, was tolerated by Montagu’s wife. She felt that had he not met Eleanor, he might have become involved with a less discreet woman, and this would inevitably have led to scandal.

When Montagu was asked to take up an administrative post in India at the start of World War I, Lady Montagu was happy for Eleanor to accompany him, nominally acting as his secretary. Their ship, the SS Persia, was torpedoed by a U-boat in the Mediterranean. In the chaos on board as the vessel sank, the lovers were separated. Montagu was eventually rescued after spending days on a life raft; Eleanor was lost. Montagu never forgave himself, saying afterward, “I should have got a stronger grip on her.” He spent many weeks traveling around ports where survivors had been taken, hoping to hear news of her, without success.

The one car which has a different mascot than the one modeled by Eleanor belongs to the Queen. She has a mascot made of solid silver, with a representation of St. George on a horse poised victoriously over a slain dragon.