What ever happened to pimping out your lid with a hood ornament? Some might say it was the safety regulations in Europe that started the downfall. Nobody wanted to be the next one-in-a-million-shot-doc when fussily Jerry comes after you in a crosswalk. Others might point to a lack of enthusiasm from muscle car fans who were streamlining the look of their hot rods. Ironically today, hood ornaments are very collectible by those who run in hot rod circles.
Me? I point to a different conundrum. Design. How do you design an ornament to represent your marque across multiple different vehicles like logos of today? Or how do you design a trophy to live on top of another work of art? Today’s flush emblems perform like the cherry on top of a sundae. They don’t detract, they finish. With so many other design cues to flush out in a masterfully crafted automobile, is it really probable to craft another to plop on top? I don’t think so… save for the Spirit of Ecstasy.
That being said, I’d love to see a 3D version of the Cadillac emblem. I can envision it rising off the hood, flowing back with those blocks of color arranged architecturally like a striking modern museum.
