I have a bone to choose with car manufacturers. Today, there are simply not enough hood ornaments, and companies known for their striking decoration simply abandon everything, with no special interest in such symbols. And why not?
Mercedes has once again stripped a Benz – this time the E-Class hood ornament. This, my friends, is a sad day.
Now, generally, I am here to improve the design and technology of cars. I’m not the type of person who longs for good days (although I can appreciate those days for what they were; there’s a difference). Usually, when an old-fashioned item disappears from a car, I say “good delivery.” But the hood ornaments are where I will draw a line.
Hood ornaments are like the mascot of your car. They do not serve any modern purpose other than to enhance the image, but adornment has always been important to humans. The Egyptians and Romans used to adorn their chariots with ornaments and talismans, which generally had a mystical and aesthetic purpose. Icons of gods or animal symbols that conveyed strength and good luck were stuck somewhere on these wheeled vehicles, partly to provoke anything the icon represented, but also to remind their rider to embody that representation.
It made sense, then, to add similar icons to the hood or cap of the car radiator when the combustion engines go out into the street. The exposed radiator caps were visible on the hood of these initial cars and were a way to check the water vapor temperature. But when almost anyone could start an automotive business and there were a lot of different names, the hood ornament was a simple and easy way to identify the car brand.
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They eventually became a symbol of luxury, mostly due to the iconic Mercedes-Benz hood ornaments.
They began to be phased out because they are a pedestrian hazard. I was hit by a car and I have to say it was painful enough without being impaled by something giant pointed at the hood.
But they were a nice touch. They were that little extra doodad to be proud of, and we could all use that little extra personalization in our lives right now.