New trademark filings suggest ghostly names will adorn future models.
Rolls-Royce vehicles operate near-silently, never disturbing the occupants with uncouth vibrations or engine noise. That is why names like Ghost and Phantom work so perfectly; apparitions are supposed to float around without disturbing the physical world. As Rolls-Royce embraces a new electrified future with all-electric models, the company will likely lean into its spectral naming scheme. We've already seen the UK automaker trademark Silent Shadow for a possible EV, and now we've spotted a few more applications.
On July 5, 2021, Rolls-Royce filed to protect the name "Spectre" with the UKIPO. It then filed the same application with the EUIPO on July 14, 2021. This could be a follow-up for Rolls-Royce's trademark "Silver Spectre" from back in 2019.
It's unclear if Rolls-Royce will bring back models with "silver" in their names, but the term has deep historical context. The brand previously sold models such as the Silver Cloud, Silver Dawn, Silver Ghost, Silver Seraph, Silver Shadow, Silver Spirit, Silver Spur, and Silver Wraith. If the silver names do return, they may indicate more powerful models, like the existing Black Badge.
As for the Spectre name, we believe it could apply to a future Rolls-Royce Dawn or Wraith replacement since those models will soon be discontinued. These future models could drop the twin-turbo V12 in favor of an all-electric setup. Oddly, this would not be the first Rolls-Royce to wear the Spectre moniker, as a private coachbuilder previously used this name on a Wraith-based shooting brake.
In addition to the Spectre trademark, we also spotted Rolls-Royce file to protect "Silver Spirit" with Chile's INAPI on July 21, 2021. While this name has historical context for the brand, seeing the trademark filed in Chile leads us to believe this is a protective move rather than an active one. Automakers often file to protect old names from their back catalog to make sure other companies can't snatch them away.
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