What is a Hood Ornament? A hood ornament, bonnet ornament, radiator cap, motor mascot or car mascot is a specially crafted sculpture that is a symbol of a car company like a badge, located on the front center portion of the hood. It has been used as an adornment nearly since the inception of automobiles.
During the start of automobiles, hood ornaments were the in-thing, and were mostly used to cover up the hideous look of a radiator cap. However, with time and as day’s progress, car ornaments have become the trend and are chiefly treasured worldwide. You can imagine the feeling of owning a car with an angel car emblem. It’s graceful and guarantees a sense of freedom.
There many iconic hood ornaments that have adorned the automotive industry, and they are a common trend these days. Before you can go on and look at the extensive car hood ornaments list, there are a number of reasons why getting a hood ornament is a great idea.
Enhances Vehicle AppearanceThe appearance of your treasured car speaks volumes about you and your taste. When you get the right hood ornament for your vehicle, it helps to create a very eye-catching look that you will without a doubt fall in love with.
Most of the hood ornaments are installed above the grille, and will sit on the top of the car hood and protrude from it depending on how they are designed. You can opt for an angel hood ornament to improve the look of your vehicle, but there are also many other hood ornament designs that you can try out.
Back in the day, as recent as the early 1990s, car manufacturers loved the immediate branding that came with an easily identifiable logo or mascot standing out from the rest of the car in the form of a hood ornament.Since then, more and more automobile makers have been shifting away from the three-dimensional hood ornaments and opting for the two-dimensional badges. One of the reasons for this was to prevent teenagers and others from breaking ornaments off cars to wear around their neck.
Remember the late-1980s/early-1990s fad started by rappers, such as the Beastie Boys, wearing Volkswagen and Mercedes hood ornaments?
The origin of hood ornaments dates back to a time long before even the first automobile was introduced in the 1800s.
Despite their ornamental origins, the first automotive mascots had far more practical means. The first hood ornaments on cars were used to gauge the temperature of the engine coolant since they often rested atop radiator caps.
Today, there is a strong market for rare hood ornaments that make them extremely collectible.