I have a bone to choose from with automakers. There are simply not enough hood ornaments today, and companies known for their flashy decor are simply giving up on everything, not particularly interested in this type of symbol. And why not?
Mercedes once again stripped a Benz – this time, the E-Class – from its Hood ornament. This, my friends, is a sad day.
Now, I’m usually here for car design and technology improvements. I am not the type of person who yearns for the good old days (although I can appreciate those days for what they were; there is a difference). Usually, when an old-fashioned element disappears from a car, I say “good trip”. But the trim on the hood is where I’ll draw a line.
The hood adornments are like your car’s mascot. They serve no modern purpose other than improving the look, but adornment has always been important to us humans. Egyptians and Romans used to decorate their cars with ornaments and talismans, which generally served a mystical and also aesthetic purpose. Icons of gods or symbols of animals conveying strength and good luck were stuck somewhere in these wheeled vehicles, partly to bring whatever the icon represented, but also to remind your driver to embody that representation.
It made sense, then, to add similar icons to the hood or radiator cap of cars when combustion engines hit the streets. The exposed radiator caps were visible on the hood of the first cars and it was a way to check the temperature of the water vapor. But at the time when almost anyone could open an automotive company and there were tons of different names out there, the hood ornament was an easy and pleasant way to identify the car brand.
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They eventually became a symbol of luxury, especially because of the iconic trim on the Mercedes-Benz hood.
They started to be eliminated because they are a danger to pedestrians. I was hit by a car, and I must say, it was painful enough without being impaled by something giant and pointed on the hood too.
But they were a nice touch. They were that little extra accessory to be proud of, and we could all use a little more customization in our lives today.