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Radiator Emblems or Hood Ornaments that catch your eye


Mark Gregory

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As for hood ornaments, this is one that I always appreciated, like a fine piece of art... Of course, I think Trimacar puts it into perspective with a statement that went something to the effect of: “some guy went out and paid all that money for a car, and then had to look at a nude guys butt when he drove”

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Edited by Mark Wetherbee (see edit history)
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Years ago I sold most of my collection of hood ornaments, but kept my radiator badges. One hood ornament that I really regret selling was a beautiful Hudson Griffin, in excellent shape. I don't have a photo of it. 

 

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There is a much better reproduction out there to be aware of, it’s the style with an outer boarder. The giveaway is that it has a post with a small female thread on the backside. The one original emblem I know of with a female thread are the earlier Franklin cars before they went to the fake radiator grill, but those are also well marked. No matter how good any emblem looks, 95% are marked by the maker and any that are not should be approached with caution!

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Now I am a Cole fan, so here are a couple of great designs.  

 

The first is the 1913 Radiator badge.  It is an excellent badge with the eagle and the logo.  One of the best early badge designs in my opinion.  Looks great against the German Silver Mayo radiator when all polished.

657633077_1913badge.thumb.JPG.8e8f9e1bd7d497d565898b70edef7f35.JPG

 

The second is the nickel airplane propeller props that Cole introduced in late 1917 with the launch of the Cole Aero 8 and they used them through 1922.  JJ Cole was very big into early flight and used many cross over elements in the design of the Cole Aero 8.  

 

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This has been posted before, but for people who have an interest, Mike and Murray Shears have started a great website, this link gets you to a section that discusses the reproduction items:

 

http://www.americanautoemblems.com/p/emblem-collecting.html

 

A warning, I’ve lost several hours reading and dreaming on his site...

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7 hours ago, lump said:

Years ago I sold most of my collection of hood ornaments, but kept my radiator badges. One hood ornament that I really regret selling was a beautiful Hudson Griffin, in excellent shape. I don't have a photo of it. 

 

I don't know if this is a griffin but it is 31 Hudson 8.

hud1965a1.jpg

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1 hour ago, TexRiv_63 said:

I don't know if this is a griffin but it is 31 Hudson 8.

hud1965a1.jpg

VERY nice, Tex. But the Griffin is the mythical beast which is half eagle, and half lion. Has the eagle head and wings, plus body, legs, and claws of the lion. I kick myself about once a week for having let that one get away, so long ago. 

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10 hours ago, kfle said:

Now I am a Cole fan, so here are a couple of great designs.  

 

The first is the 1913 Radiator badge.  It is an excellent badge with the eagle and the logo.  One of the best early badge designs in my opinion.  Looks great against the German Silver Mayo radiator when all polished.

657633077_1913badge.thumb.JPG.8e8f9e1bd7d497d565898b70edef7f35.JPG

 

The second is the nickel airplane propeller props that Cole introduced in late 1917 with the launch of the Cole Aero 8 and they used them through 1922.  JJ Cole was very big into early flight and used many cross over elements in the design of the Cole Aero 8.  

 

032_32.thumb.JPG.f0bfd30d688483eecdccb401f3318def.JPG

 

Are you going to be at the Old Car Festival at Greenfield Village next week?

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13 minutes ago, Larry Schramm said:

 

Are you going to be at the Old Car Festival at Greenfield Village next week?

Yes we sure will.  This year we are bringing my son’s 23 Cole two person Coupe.  How about you?

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19 minutes ago, kfle said:

Yes we sure will.  This year we are bringing my son’s 23 Cole two person Coupe.  How about you?

 

We plan on being there with the '13 Buick Model 31 & the '15 Buick truck if everything goes to plan. Look us up.

 

For those of you that have not been to the Old Car Festival,  it should be on you bucket list!  Myself and many other consider it the best old car event in the county.  It is open to vehicles 1932 and older only.  There are usually over 700 vehicles of all kinds and condition.  For this event vehicle owners are allowed to drive their cars in the village and give rides to family & friends.  Ask anyone that has attended this event and I am sure they will be of the same opinion.  Look us up.

Edited by Larry Schramm (see edit history)
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This is the Pierce mascot I prefer because he's leaning forward into the wind.

 

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And another favorite of mine, even though my Rickenbacker does not have this one.

 

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Edited by zepher (see edit history)
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12 minutes ago, 1937hd45 said:

Has anyone meet an early badge collector that roamed junk yards collecting them? Bob 

Yes - the late Lee Roy Hartung started his collection that way. I also knew a guy in PA whose family owned a junk yard.  That's where he began collecting emblems and spark plugs. 

 

Here's my favorite - got it off the hood of an old tractor in Scotland.

Terry

Hispany Suiza resized.jpg

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14 hours ago, Mark Wetherbee said:

I think this is the one Lump is talking about, he’s guarded my bench for a while now but is in such bad shape that you cannot tell if it were for the Hudson or the Essex Terraplane...

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YES, Mark! That's the one. I sure wish I had never let mine go. It was in great shape. 

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13 hours ago, 1937hd45 said:

Has anyone meet an early badge collector that roamed junk yards collecting them? Bob 

Never met personally but that pile in my picture came in an old box with this note penciled on it - bought 36 emblems in 1943 for $4.00 or 11 cents each!

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Is there a difference between a hood ornament and a hood mascot?  I think it is that a mascot has to be an animal or person like the lady mascots shown above and an ornament would be more abstract like the Chrysler wings or the Plymouth sails?  Or maybe there is no difference.  

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15 hours ago, marcapra said:

Is there a difference between a hood ornament and a hood mascot?  I think it is that a mascot has to be an animal or person like the lady mascots shown above and an ornament would be more abstract like the Chrysler wings or the Plymouth sails?  Or maybe there is no difference.  

To me a mascot is fitted to an exposed radiator car. A hood ornament attaches to a hood on a later 1930's to current automobile. Bob 

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Bob your comment was exactly what I was going to state as well and according to my friend the late Bill Williams of NH who wrote the mascot book ,I recall a conversation at his flea market space  in Hershey one year he felt the same.  Mascots sat/were mounted  on the radiator cap, and hood ornaments were mounted to the hood ( with the radiator cap under the hood) . Walt

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I am very surprised to see so many collections that have the Hat-in-the-Ring Rickenbacker radiator emblem.

It's not exactly a very well known car and fewer than 40 are known to exist.

 

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