(Practical, not really. Art, yes.)

I absolutely love hood ornaments! Not sure when it became an obsession for me, but at car shows, especially of certain eras, I am a kid in a candy store. My photo album is full of photos of hood ornaments or bonnet mascots, as they are referred to across the pond. In the early 20^th century, the hood ornament stood out from the car, literally and often served as visible reference not only of the vehicle’s personality but that of the driver.

It is rumored that the first “hood ornament” was a sun-crested falcon Tutankhamun (Egyptian Pharaoh) attached to his chariot for good luck but in truth, the hood ornament had humble beginnings. Early automobiles were designed with their radiator caps outside the hood on top of the grill. It served as an indicator of the temperature of the engine’s coolant fluid. In 1912, a patent was issued to the Boyce MotoMeter Company for a radiator cap with the thermometer visible to the driver. Because early engines did not yet have water pumps, this became a very useful tool for the driver.

It did not take long for manufacturers to add some flare to that radiator cap. Perhaps the most famous bonnet mascot is the Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy. John Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 2nd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu wanted to personalize his vehicle, a 1909 Silver Ghost. He commissioned Charles Robinson Sykes to design a small statue. Sykes chose Eleanor Velasco Thornton, Lord Montagu’s mistress as his model. The figurine was originally dubbed The Whisper and featured Thornton in flowing robes with her finger to her lips. Of the 3-4 castings made, only two survived and one is on display at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, Hampshire, England.

Rolls-Royce decided to rather than allowing their customers to affix just anything to their radiator caps, perhaps creating a corporate symbol was in better taste. Claude Johnson, managing director, commissioned Sykes on behalf of Rolls-Royce to design a standard marque that conveyed the spirit of the Rolls-Royce brand. Sykes named the first model: the Spirit of Speed, a graceful goddess, the spirit of ecstasy, who selected road travel as her supreme delight and slighted on the prow of the Rolls-Royce motor car to revel in the freshness of the air and the musical sound of her fluttering draperies” (Claude Johnson). February 1911, the now Spirit of Ecstasy began to officially adorn the bonnet of each newly manufactured Rolls-Royce, each handmade and signed by Sykes. It was “optional” but present and standard by 1920. Sykes was again commissioned in the mid 1930’s to create a kneeling version, providing a clearer view of the road. It used from 1934-1939 and again from 1946-1956 until finally a more petite version of the standing spirit was created for the Phantom IV which continues to this day.

The Golden Age of Motoring (1920-1930) brought a flurry of designs. Personal mascots became the fashion of the day! Most popular were goddesses, birds, and animals. Bugatti sported an elephant. The Cadillac LaSalle had a swan. Many American manufacturers had multiple ornaments; everything from trains and planes to sailboats and gunsights. Lalique (glass art) offered as many 46 designs in their annual catalog. Automobile owners were fastening art and talisman of all shapes and sizes to hoods of their vehicles. Sculptors and car mascot manufacturers produced aftermarket statuettes including Mickey Mouse and Charlie Chaplin.

Eventually futuristic designs, worries about the effects on fuel economy, safety concerns, legislation and regulation worked together to put an end to the beloved hood ornament. And while there was a slight resurgence in the early 1970’s (I found a New York Times article from December 1972 that stated, “thousands of car owners are buying ornaments to bolt onto their hoods”) alas, short lived was this trend. Not all mascots designs were able to make the leap to sleek but some like the Mercedes-Benz or Lincoln stars and the Cadillac or Buick crests have survived, making their way down to the grille. Long gone are the days of the hood ornament…so flashy, such a symbol of status that the 1980’s rapper proudly wore one around his neck. Now, if you want to see a magnificent work of art screaming at you from atop the hood of a motor car, you, like me must head out to a car show, where by the way, you won’t just happen upon the mascots of old but also some newer homegrown varieties.

What are some of your favorite hood ornaments? Email us a photo to blog@cordandkruse.com and will add them to our photography page and feature them along with your name on our social media.