Article by jekky
HistoryIn the early years automobiles had their radiator caps outside of the hood and on top of the grille. In the early days, the radiator cap served as an indicator of the temperature of the engine's coolant fluid. The Boyce Motormeter Company was issued a patent in 1912 for radiator cap that incorporated thermometer that was visible to the driver with a sensor that measured the heat of the water vapor, rather than the water itself. This became useful gauge for the driver because many early engines did not have water pumps, but a circulation system based on the "thermo-syphon" principle as in the Ford Model T. Many automakers wanted their own emblems displayed on their vehicles' hoods and Boyce Motormeter accommodated them with corporate logos or mascots, as well as numerous organizations that wanted custom cap emblems to identify their members. The company had over 300 such customers at one time during the mid-1920s, for car, truck, tractor, boat, airplane and motorcycle manufacturers, and in 1927, had 1,800 employees in six countries: U.S., England, Canada, Australia, France, and Germany. The hundreds of motor vehicle manufacturers before 1929 meant many customers for their customized emblems.The radiator cap was transformed into an art form and became a way of individualizing the car, "representing a company's vision of the automobile", or "speaking volumes about the owner" of the vehicle.Hood ornaments (or car mascots as they are known in the UK) were popular in the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s with many automakers fitting them to their vehicles. Moreover, a healthy business was created in the supply of accessory mascots available to anyone who wanted to add a hood ornament or car mascot to their automobile. Most companies like Desmo and Smiths are now out of business with only Louis Lejeune in England surviving.Hood ornaments are usually cast in brass, zinc, or bronze and finished in a chrome plated finish. In the years when chrome plate was unavailable, they were plated in either silver or nickel. Some also incorporated other materials, such as plastic, while others incorporated a light bulb for illumination at night.There is now a strong collectors market for hood ornaments and car mascots. Sculptors such as Bazin, Paillet, Sykes, Renevey, and Lejeune all created finely detailed sculptures in miniature.The best-known glass mascots were made by Ren Lalique in France, but other sellers or producers of glass mascots include Sabino in France, Red Ashay in England, and Persons Majestic in the U.S. The latter two had their products made in Czechoslovakia. The Lalique company, like Louis Lejeune, is one of the few survivors from this era of motoring. ExamplesAlong with the grille, the hood ornament is often a distinctive styling element and many marques use it as their primary brand identifier.Examples of hood ornaments include:Archer on Pierce-Arrow carsCrest and Wreath on Cadillac carsLeaping jaguar on Jaguar carsLion rampant on Peugeot carsRam's head on Dodge cars and trucksRocket on Oldsmobile carsSpirit of Ecstasy on Rolls-Royce Motors carsTrishields on Buick carsThree-pointed star surrounded by a circle on most Mercedes-Benz sedans and wagons, (not on sport coupe models, which instead tend have a grille with horizontal bars and a large centre-mounted star)Three diamonds on cars by Mitsubishi (a Japanese word meaning, appropriately, "three diamonds")Additionally, many vehicle models such as Buick's Regal, the Chevrolet Impala, or Chrysler's Cordoba had their own unique emblem and accompanying hood ornament.Few current vehicles have hood ornaments because such ornament have fallen out of style. Some designs may pose a risk for injuries in collisions with pedestrians (although this hazard has been largely mitigated by mounting modern hood ornaments to springs so that they will fold down if struck by a pedestrian). Ornaments are also a target for vandals and thieves, with the Mercedes-Benz three-point star gaining some notoriety because it could be used as a weapon, Rolls-Royce has counteracted this with ornaments that can retract into the grill. ReferencesInline^ a b c d e Hinckley, James; Robinson, Jon G. (2005). The Big Book of Car Culture: The Armchair Guide to Automotive Americana. MotorBooks/MBI Publishing Company. p. 9. ISBN 978-0760319659. http://books.google.com/books?id=fJ_qWhCZm04C&pg=PA76&dq=hood+ornaments&ei=woNDS9vrHoiGyQTvm9TSBw&client=safari&cd=2#v=onepage&q=hood%20ornaments&f=false. Retrieved 2009-01-05. ^ Koma, Victor, Reaching the Boiling Point: A History of Boyce Moto Meters, PreWarBuick.com, http://www.prewarbuick.com/features/reaching_the_boiling_point, retrieved 2009-01-05 ^ Wraight, Tony. "Ren Lalique pre-war Car Mascots article" undated article, retrieved on 2009-01-04.GeneralColwill, James R. (2004). The Automotive Mascot A Design in Motion Volume I The Early Years. Artanana Publishing. ISBN 978-0973886603. Wagner, Rob Leicester (2001). Hood Ornaments. Metro Books. ISBN 978-1586630904. Blake, Robert, Hood Ornaments AACA "The Rummage Box", http://www.stant.com/brochure.cfm?brochure=3045&location_id=119, retrieved 2008-04-18 Cooper, Dan (2004), [http:// http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/vintage_classic_cars/106457 Hood ornaments and automotive mascots: An introduction], http:// http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/vintage_classic_cars/106457, retrieved 2008-04-18 Rothenberg, Al (2001-06-28), Classics: Man and Mascots, http://www.thecarconnection.com/Enthusiasts/Classics_Corner/Classics_Man_and_Mascots.S215.A3778.html, retrieved 2008-04-18 Burgess-Wise, David; Automobile Quarterly Magazine (2003). Lejeune - Mascots in the Making. Automobile Heritage Publishing & Communications, LLC. p. 10. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=liUhz-3f7PYC&pg=PA32. External linksWikimedia Commons has media related to: Hood ornament"Mascot Mania" Comprehensive online resource for car mascot enthusiasts."Flying Ladies" The Art of the Automobile Hood Ornaments and Car Mascots. Retrieved on April 18, 2008."ArtOnWheels" Collectors source for Car Mascots, Dashboard Badges & Fine Automobilia Collectibles. 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