The Spirit of Ecstasy ( "Emily", "Silver Lady" or "Flying Lady") carries with it a story about a secret passion between John Walter Edward Douglas-Scott-Montagu and the model for the emblem, Eleanor Velasco Thornton. Eleanor was the secretary of John Walter. Their secret love was to remain hidden, due to Eleanor's impoverished social and economic status, which was an obstacle to their love.
The sculptor Charles Sykes, who was first discovered by Lord Montagu, was responsible for designing the Spirit of Ecstasy. What’s most interesting about the Sykes’s creations were their inspiration from the personal life of Lord Montagu and his relationship to his personal assistant Eleanor Thornton.
The tragic fate of Ms. Thornton adds to mystique. In 1915 she accompanied Lord Montagu to India to organize car transports for the British army. A German U-boat, the HMS Persia, struck the boat, and split it in half. Montagu managed to survive on a lifeboat. Thornton disappeared.
History: http://goo.gl/VFm79N
credits - http://bigbrandboys.com/gear/rolls-royce-spirit-ecstasy-stolen/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/tamarawarren/2011/02/13/the-rolls-royce-spirit-of-ecstasy/#4e8219b43d9d