Automotive Type, Part Seventeen

For the second blog post in a row, I'm lying. I'm not including type this week. I'm continuing with the theme of iconography, but this time I'm featuring far more sculptural examples. That's because these examples are freestanding hood ornaments.

Hood ornaments started out as decorative radiator cap toppers, such as Ford model A eagle below. Mostly, they appeared on luxury marques, but they were also popular as aftermarket add ons. As automotive styling became more streamline, the ornaments became more abstract, and by the end of the 1950s nearly all iconography had given way to freestanding logo ornaments. I'll feature more of those examples in a future post.

 All of the examples featured below are from the pre-war era and represent either human or animal figures. As you can see, most of the human figures are female, with the exception of the Hermes atop the marquette radiator. Most of the animal figures are birds. The exceptions being the gazelle atop the Chrysler, and the Greyhound atop the Lincoln.

If you’re interested in digging deeper into badge type design, check out writer and type expert Steven Coles’ excellent Tumblr page, Chromeography.

Interested in a print of one of my badge photos? Visit my store and place an order.

Top row, left to right: 1931 Chrysler, 1930 Marquette. Second row, left to right: 1937 Cadillac, 1935 Buick, 1930 Cadillac. Third Row, left to right: 1934 Packard, Ford Model A truck. Bottom Row, left to right: 1933 Buick, 1934 Packard, 1927 Lincoln.

Automotive Type, Part Sixteen

Ok, so I lied in my title. This week’s post isn’t about type at all. It’s about icons. Specifically, it’s about animal icons. Some are iconic (sorry) like the Mustang’s galloping horse, while some are a bit obscure like the Buick Wildcat. 

A couple of my favorites are the Impala, with its brilliant abstracted line work and suggestion of speed, and the Barracuda. Yes, I’m a bit biased, but I’ve always liked the icon’s simple, sleek, sinister look with a tail that somehow feels a bit devilish to me. I also like the implied movement that suggests that it’s circling its prey.

An interesting comparison is between the Thunderbird and Firebird icons. Both represent the same bird, the phoenix, and both take styling cues from native american icons, but they have completely different looks from one another.

If you’re interested in digging deeper into badge type design, check out writer and type expert Steven Coles’ excellent Tumblr page, Chromeography.

Interested in a print of one of my badge photos? Visit my store and place an order.

Top row, left to right: 1961 Ford Thunderbird, 1966 Ford Mustang. Second row, left to right: 1963 Buick Wildcat, 1969 Pontiac Firebird, 1965 Chevrolet Impala. Third row, left to right: 1967 Plymouth Barracuda, 1967 Mercury Cougar, circa early 1970s AMC Hornet. Bottom row, left to right: 1965 AMC Marlin, 1967 Ford Country Squire, 1963 Ford Ranchero.

Automotive Type, Part Fifteen

For this week’s post, I’m looking at the “other” automotive badges. These are the ones that didn’t come from the factory and are sometimes considered invasive. I’m talking about dealer badges.

They usually have no cohesiveness with the rest of the car, and can appear in awkward places on automotive rear decks. Many of them do have their own typographic charms, like the eleven examples below. I’m not noting the model or year, because these aren’t about that. They’re more about the history of the individual car and its original owner. With age, they become cool in their own right.

If you’re interested in digging deeper into badge type design, check out writer and type expert Steven Coles’ excellent Tumblr page, Chromeography.

Interested in a print of one of my badge photos? Visit my store and place an order.