Did you know that once upon a time, hood ornaments were actually integral to a car’s radiator cap? Since early radiators were frequently mounted outside of the engine compartment, manufacturers and owners often took the opportunity to personalize their vehicles with an ornamental radiator cap, or mascot as they were sometimes called. Some of the most complex radiator cap ornaments even had a built-in thermometer to measure coolant temperature, which could be viewed from the driver’s seat.
In time, styling favored radiators that were fully concealed, but the ornaments remained, now affixed directly to the leading edge of the hood. Some of the more well-known hood ornaments include Jaguar’s leaping cat, Mercedes-Benz’s three-pointed star, and Rolls-Royce’s winged woman, the Spirit of Ecstasy. However, even more reasonably priced brands received a little flair courtesy of their hood ornaments, including Plymouth, Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Buick.
In the late 1980s, wearing hood ornaments as jewelry became a popular fashion statement to the point where some dishonest folks were stealing them from cars, resulting in the development of retractable hood ornaments that disappeared when the vehicle was unattended. A certain few cars still wear hood ornaments today, but they’ve largely disappeared. Reasons include the trend away from ornate chrome trim, safety concerns in a collision, and even aerodynamic drag and its effect on fuel economy.
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