Rolls-Royce made a light-up Spirit of Ecstasy, but it was banned in Europe for a strange reason

Rolls-Royce once made a light-up Spirit of Ecstasy, but was then banned across Europe for a strange reason.

Anyone familiar with the iconic British brand will know that it has a bonnet mascot on the front of the car.

The woman leaning forward, with billowing clothes flowing behind, is the manufacturer’s finishing touch.

But a light-up Spirit of Ecstasy isn’t allowed across in the European Union for a peculiar reason.

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Rolls-Royce made a light-up Spirit of Ecstasy but it’s banned in Europe

When the Rolls-Royce Ghost was revealed, an illuminated Spirit of Ecstasy came along with it.

Quite fitting, right?

Nothing like a ghostly white figure glowing in the dark to live up to its namesake.

However, this feature is not available in the European Union.

And that’s on any of their cars – be it the Phantom or the Ghost or the Wraith.

Come to think of it, a lot of Rolls-Royce cars share their names with spooky creatures…

Why is the light-up Spirit (Again with the ghost names!) banned?

It’s because of Regulation 48, which handles Type Approval for lighting and signalling.

And the illuminated bonnet ornaments aren’t permissible.

It’s believed to be part of a wider push against light pollution.

Some drivers weren’t too happy about this however, having spent over $4,000 on the option – which they were now no longer able to enjoy.

The option was taken down from the Rolls-Royce website, and the manufacturer reached out to customers to advise them on what actions to take next.

When contacted for comment by The Daily Mail, a spokesperson for Rolls-Royce said the company was a ‘little saddened’ to have to roll back on the ffeature.

“In February 2019 we sent our dealers a bulletin saying we were removing the option of an unlit Spirit of Ecstasy. It was no longer to be sold to customers. It came off the options list,” the spokesperson said.

The offers for compensation were a full refund, a replacement silver plated Spirit, or a third option.

“We felt it our moral obligation. We sold this option in very good faith. We are forced to retract it now through no fault of our own,” the spokesperson added.

Regulations can often complicate the car-buying process

This isn’t the first time that government regulations have complicated a car being sold.

There’s a possibility that carbon fiber could be banned in cars as early as 2029 through the EU.

But it’s not just on that side of the Atlantic that regulations have made their mark.

In fact, there are several cars that are banned outright through the States.

Such banned cars include the 1992 Dodge Dayton IROC R/T, the 2010 Lamborghini Murciélago LP670-4 SV, and the Nissan Skyline GT-R R34.

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