DRIVER'S SIDE DIATRIBE
By Al Vinikour      al@motorwayamerica.com

I’ve written several columns recently about some of the “good old days” in automotive history. I was waiting at a stoplight the other day and looked over at the 1956 Pontiac sitting next to me and the first two things I noticed was it had a hood long enough to launch B-52s; and a hood ornament of Chief Pontiac fashioned of chrome with a lighted plastic insert of the Chief.

This got me to thinking that hood ornaments went the way of vent windows, carburetors and real chrome. As I recall, hood ornaments were put on the “Do Not Resuscitate” list because of the danger of the possibility some of them could impale unsuspecting pedestrians. (Hey…what about the ruby-throated wood-pecking nut hatch…don’t they receive any consideration? It’s all about humans, isn’t it?)

The list of hood ornaments could fill a book and I’m sure somewhere there already is a coffee table book dealing with that subject. Some of them sat on top of the hood. Some were imbedded into the hood itself and often were used as a pry-bar to grip when opening the hood. Still others took up residence on the tops of the front fenders…but were still referred to at most taverns as “hood ornaments.”

Some of them were pretty cool, like those on the 1958 Ford Fairlane. Those resembled sharpshooter scopes that lit up when the targets were centered. Heck, some of the early cars actually had temperature valves coming up from the radiator that doubled as an ornament.

A few of the more memorable and well-known ones are:


1983 Imperial hood ornament, left, doesn't seem to measure up to the 1933 version

CHRYSLER IMPERIAL — In the early 1980s, Chrysler (once again) brought out an Imperial model. This one was a coupe and Lee Iacocca, then CEO at Chrysler, even got Frank Sinatra to do commercials for it. (At the same time they offered a Frank Sinatra Signature Imperial Convertible, an after-market model modified by a third party.)

Besides some “gee whiz” digital instrumentation the vehicle had a hood ornament in the shape of the Chrysler Pentastar logo…and it was a chrome-cased cut Cartier crystal. At the time it was one of the most stolen hood ornaments in the world. Chrysler even commissioned tie tacks and cuff links made of crystal in the shape of the Pentastar. 

Many years before, Imperial had some outstanding examples (see above) including those found on cars of the early '30s.

Perhaps the most famous hood ornament
in the world, the "Spirit of Ecstasy"

ROLLS-ROYCE — One of the most famed hood ornaments is Rolls-Royce’s “Spirit of Ecstasy.” This beauty has been gracing grille shells (close enough to the hood) for decades. The newer Rolls Royce models have the hood ornament disappear beneath a chrome cover when the vehicle’s engine is turned off. Pretty much stopped the “hoodie” thieves.

MERCEDES-BENZ — One of the most recognized symbols in the world, the Mercedes-Benz three-pronged circled hood ornament, another snatch-able hood ornament loved by thieves. They sell tons of jewelry and other bling with the Mercedes-Benz logo so it’s only natural for its own vehicles to be so adorned.

There still is a shortage of hood ornaments in the auto industry — primarily because of the reason given earlier. Some manufacturers have tried to skirt around it by having a flat ornament at the base of the hood. One that is even kind to mosquitos. It literally couldn’t hurt a fly. However, think of the brute image a BMW portrays. They have one of the best-looking logos in the industry…but it lies flat on the hood.

Hopefully I entertain you folks each week. I know there are hundreds of you who say to themselves, “How can we help Al out? He’s so important in my life.” Well the answer is found in “class participation.”

E-mail me detailing your favorite hood ornament(s) or even mention some of the more unique ones you may have seen. I once saw a Cadillac Eldorado convertible with a pair of horns from a Texas steer. (Maybe it was Big Enos or Little Enis from the Smoky and the Bandit movies.)

Hope to hear from you many of you. If I don’t I’ll just assume the dog ate your e-mails.