ROLLS-ROYCE MARKS TRIPLE ANNIVERSARY OF GOODWOOD-ERA EXPERIMENTAL MOTOR CARS – AutoMart Canada

• Rolls-Royce celebrates triple anniversary of three Goodwood-era
  Experimental motor cars
• 101EX, 102EX and 103EX record 20, 15 and 10 years respectively in 2026
• Essential proving grounds for battery electric technology and
  Bespoke individualisation
• Part of a through-line of EX motor cars extending back to 1EX in 1919

“Throughout its history, Rolls-Royce has created Experimental,
or EX, motor cars, as part of its product development process. But
an EX motor car is not a concept created to ‘test the waters’: it is
fully realised, drivable, and informed by our deep understanding of
our clients’ needs and desires. Each of the three EX cars marking
their anniversary this year has made an immense contribution to the
development of Goodwood-era models such as the legendary Phantom
Coupé, Spectre and the coachbuilt Sweptail, as well as introducing
the world to Bespoke through expressions like our signature
Starlight Headliner. In their innovation, creativity, dynamism and
engineering accomplishment, they perfectly translate the technical
brilliance of Sir Henry Royce and the pioneering vision of Charles
Rolls into the modern age.”
Bernhard Dressler, Director of
Engineering, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

In 2026, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars marks a special triple
anniversary; three groundbreaking Experimental, or EX, motor cars
built during the Goodwood-era, are recording 20, 15 and 10 years since
their respective unveilings.

Each of these motor cars played a foundational role in
establishing Rolls-Royce’s contemporary design language, technology,
engineering hallmarks and commitment to Bespoke individualisation.
Unlike conventional concept cars, which are used to ask the market
what it wants, EX motor cars are developed to answer specific needs
and desires, identified through Rolls-Royce’s deep understanding of
its clients and a clear view of what comes next. They allow
Rolls-Royce’s engineers to evaluate innovative technologies, advanced
production methods, and bold new material palettes.

The three Goodwood-era EX cars are part of a through-line going
back to 1EX, which Henry Royce built in 1919. When Royce found his new
Phantom II, launched in 1929, too large and heavy for his own use, his
designers produced a lightweight Experimental version, 26EX, on an
adapted short chassis. It proved ideal for high-speed, long-distance
touring on Europe’s smooth, straight roads, and entered production as
the now rare and highly prized Phantom II Continental. During the
early-to-mid 1930s, Rolls-Royce built 30EX and nine further
experimental cars under the codename Spectre as part of the
V12 engine development programme that would enter production in 1936
as Phantom III. Drawing inspiration from those experimental Phantom
III motor cars, the name Spectre was later revived for the marque’s
first battery electric motor car, unveiled in 2022. The last of the
pre-Goodwood EX motor cars, 45EX, was built in 1957.

101EX, UNVEILED IN 2006 – 20 YEARS AGO

101EX made its debut at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show. A full
four-seat coupé with twin coach doors, it was built on the same
aluminium spaceframe as Phantom VII, but is 240 mm shorter. Combined
with bodywork constructed from carbon fibre composite, and power from
a 6.75-litre V12 engine, it was designed to have a more performance-
and driver-focused character than its larger sibling. It also has a
lower roofline and shallower glass area; the Pantheon grille is
discreetly reclined and extended back across a brushed aluminium
bonnet and windscreen surround.

The interior features the first-ever Starlight Headliner.
Comprising hundreds of fibre-optic ‘stars’, it proved an instant
sensation and is now a fundamental element of almost every Rolls-Royce
motor car, with its own almost unlimited potential for Bespoke
individualisation. Like its predecessor – 100EX, unveiled in 2004 –
101EX would find lasting fame as a series production car; the
legendary Phantom Coupé, launched in 2008.

Phantom Coupé, together with the closely related Phantom
Drophead Coupé, was foundational to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’
development as a modern House of Luxury. They introduced the world to
the full possibilities of Bespoke, informed by the company’s growing
understanding of the wider luxury market, and the idea of a
Rolls-Royce as a canvas for deep, Bespoke individualisation. 101EX
also gave designers and engineers vital insights into materials and
construction techniques that would inform the development of the first
Coachbuild project of the modern era: Sweptail, presented in 2017.

102EX, UNVEILED IN 2011 – 15 YEARS AGO

102EX has a unique place in history as the first battery
electric vehicle (BEV) ever built by Rolls-Royce. Also known as the
Phantom Experimental Electric (EE), it was created as a one-off,
working test bed for alternative drive-train technologies, and thus
represented the first tangible step on the road that would lead to the
advent of Spectre, more than a decade later.

One of the most significant engineering challenges was
converting everything that runs directly off the engine in a standard
motor car, from power steering and ABS to heating and audio, to
battery power. 102EX had what was then the largest capacity battery
fitted to a motor car anywhere in the world: its wireless induction
charging system was also a world first.

Following its Geneva debut, 102EX embarked on a year-long ‘world
tour’ of client, media and public events, culminating in a landmark
appearance at the prestigious Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
This gave owners, VIPs, media and enthusiasts the opportunity to
discover Rolls-Royce’s emerging drivetrain technology and share their
experiences and impressions; this information proved crucial to
engineers’ understanding of the potential and practicalities of BEVs.
102EX’s international odyssey would later be eclipsed by the 2.5
million kilometres Spectre accumulated in some of the world’s most
hostile climates and challenging terrain for its own pre-launch testing.

103EX, UNVEILED IN 2016 – 10 YEARS AGO

In 2016, the marque commissioned a special ‘Vision’ motor car
named 103EX, which would define the future of luxury. Hand-built using
the most advanced materials, and powered by a zero emissions
powertrain, it revealed a future in which Rolls-Royce offered clients
a completely personal, effortless and autonomous experience.

The passenger cabin, known as ‘The Grand Sanctuary’, surrounds
occupants with precious and contemporary materials carefully chosen to
create a feeling of lightness, simplicity and effortless elegance. The
seats are replaced with an opulent sofa, which, thanks to artful
lighting, appears to ‘float’ within the cocoon of the cabin.

At 5.9 metres long and 1.6 metres high – the same dimensions as
Phantom Extended – 103EX guarantees a Grand Arrival for its owner. For
the first time, the Spirit of Ecstasy was made in glass and
illuminated from below.

As well as an all-electric powertrain, 103EX includes a digital
assistant called ‘Eleanor’. The choice of name was inspired by Eleanor
Thornton, who was believed to have been sculptor Charles
Sykes’ muse for the original Spirit of Ecstasy mascot. Within the
Vision motor car, Eleanor was conceived to enable fully autonomous
driving while also facilitating a seamless digital interface between
motor car and owner. This forward-looking concept anticipated aspects
of today’s Whispers app, which provides clients with a curated digital
connection to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

UNITED BY HERITAGE

Although these three motor cars are very different in conception
and execution, they share a single, highly exclusive, distinguishing feature.

The use of the Rolls-Royce Badge of Honour, with its overlaid
double ‘R’ for the founders’ second initials, can be traced back to
the earliest days of the brand, with the first examples appearing on
Rolls-Royce 10 H.P. motor cars in 1905. The first badges featured the
‘RR’ symbol in red on a silver background, but in 1931, the process
began to change the lettering to black – a style that has remained
ever since.

However, the original-style red badge has periodically
resurfaced over the decades – albeit rarely and on a highly restricted
basis. In 1979, to mark the company’s 75th anniversary, Rolls-Royce
fitted red badges to all 212 examples of the Silver Shadow II
Anniversary model, together with a single Camargue and the sole Silver
Wraith II. Red badges were also specified for the final series of 25
Corniches, the turbocharged Corniche S.

This practice continues today, with red badges occasionally
assigned to carefully selected motor cars. Most notably, they have
also been fitted to all the Goodwood-era EX models – including the
three celebrating their anniversaries this year. This shared feature
underlines their historic importance to Rolls-Royce, preserving a
through-line of innovation, experimentation and challenging of
convention that can be traced back to the marque’s foundation.