Mistress ...

To convey "the spirit of the Rolls-Royce, namely, speed with silence, absence of vibration, the mysterious harnessing of great energy and a beautiful living organism of superb grace..."


Apparently this was the brief given to an artist when he was commissioned to design a hood ornament for the company. The artist had earlier created a personal hood ornament for a gentleman's Rolls Royce, modelled on his mistress. I wonder if she would have been delighted or offended that she met such a brief.