When mascots ruled car bonnets

Museum collection sheds light on a forgotten art

In the early years of motoring, your horseless carriage was nothing without a mascot.

Whether pinned to a radiator cap, sat on the dashboard or secured to a bonnet (or hood, for our American readers), a mascot was an essential luck-bringer in an era of distinctly unreliable mechanicals, while also adding a welcome dose of personalisation.

They were made in their thousands in the first few decades of the 20th century, and came in all shapes and sizes. Some were custom-designed by craftsmen and women in workshops, while others were mass produced by major manufacturers; Rolls-Royce's Spirit of Ecstasy and Jaguar's Leaper are famous examples of the latter kind.

They're fascinating things, then – and right now you can view an outstanding collection of them at a museum in Florida.

Mighty museum

The Revs Institute in Naples bills itself as ‘The Premier Destination for Automotive Research’, and also hosts the finest Porsche gallery outside of the marque’s museum in Stuttgart.

What began as Mr Miles Collier’s private collection has become an institution to collect, document and preserve automotive history, lovingly maintained by a team of highly educated caretakers.

The museum itself is a work of art, with each car displayed alongside modern touchscreens and canvas-framed photographs that help bring their stories to life.

There’s also an archive of automotive literature, manuals, ads, posters, badges, trophies and magazines, plus a massive historic automotive photography collection containing more than 500,000 images.

These have all been digitised and are available for sale to anyone within a day, with 6000 more being added monthly.

It's a fitting venue, then, for a display of rare and iconic mascots. Rolling Sculpture Automotive Mascots is a temporary installation running from now until 29 December – and we spent a few very enjoyable hours looking round it. Here are some of the highlights.

Telling stories

The exhibit features eight distinct displays, with each one containing an array of similarly themed or styled mascots.

The first – called Stories and More – is dedicated to mascots with particularly interesting backstories.

Native American head

Though Guy Motors was a British company, based in Wolverhampton, its mascot brought to mind a different continent.

Oddly enough, it had its origins in an advertisement the firm placed in 1924. This boasted of how many repeat customers they had and showed a picture of feathers – as if from a Native American headdress – fanning out from a radiator. Above that was the slogan ‘Feathers In Our Cap’.

Legend has it that the tradition was even continued in the firm's dealerships, with salespeople physically sticking a feather in a cap whenever they received a repeat order.

Either way, the slogan stuck, and can be seen here on the headband of the mascot.

Amilcar Pegasus II

Amilcar’s Pegasus II mascot was created by French sculptor Pierre Darel in the 1920s. The period from 1915 to 1930 represented the height of the mascot era, with more than 7000 designs made at that time.

There were even mascot contests featuring entrants from over 500 companies, including many famous artists and sculptors of the time. 

Lifeboatman

Called Lifeboatman, this was a fundraiser for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, circa 1930s.

It was used to help educate the public on the dangers of British coastal waters and to help finance what was – and still is – a worthy cause.

The Flying Mascot

The Flying Mascot was modelled after the Gnome 7 Omega aircraft engine – a seven-cylinder, air-cooled engine that powered many early aircraft.

Not only did it look great, but both the propeller and engine rotated in the wind generated by one’s foot upon the gas pedal.

Mr Toad

Mr Toad will be familiar to anyone who’s ever read The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame’s classic children’s book first published in 1908. Here, he’s defending his castle from the attack of the weasels – while also helping to make a motor car look prettier.

Elegant art

The exhibit’s second display consists of so-called Mascotte d’Elegance: those which were made as works of art to be displayed on parade, rather than for daily duties on the front of a car.

St George and the dragon

This intricate sculpture of St George and his pet dragon (if we’re recalling the story correctly) was crafted by the Austrian artist Carl Kauba, working under the pseudonym C Thenn, in the 1920s. A similar one was believed to be on Queen Elizabeth II’s royal Bentley.

Wise Owl

German sculptor Gustav Grohe rather hammered home the ‘wisdom’ motif in his Wise Owl mascot: not only does it perch on a book, but it also clutches a telescope firmly in one talon.

One of the older mascots in the collection, it dates to the first decade of the 20th century.

Rolling out the classics

The third display is entitled Rolling Classics and showcases iconic mascots for notable marques – several of which have a touch of mystery surrounding their origins.

Flying B Single Rear Wing

Why this rare version of the famous Bentley Flying B mascot has only one wing is a mystery. What we do know is that it was designed, like the standard version, by Charles Sykes in 1933.

Bentley may have loved mascots, but Henry Royce, founder of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, hated them, declaring they obstructed his view and he wanted nothing to do with the infernal things. Wonder if anyone pointed out to him that Rolls had a mascot, too?

Kneeling Lady II

Speaking of which… Kneeling Lady II is a more modern variety of the original Spirit of Ecstasy mascot, also designed by Charles Sykes, circa 1946-1955. The wonderfully arched wings mirror the original design, but are a little smaller.

Next to it you'll see the Spirit of Ecstasy Short Wing mascot: a very rare design for Rolls-Royce in the 1920s.

Even though this one has been re-chromed, it is still quite valuable due to its rarity. Again, it’s not clear why the different design was made. Perhaps Mr Royce clipped her wings to improve his view?

La Renommée

Otherwise known as Fame, La Renommée could be found on the bonnet of cars from the French marque Ballot.

Animals, animals, animals

Ah, now we're into the really good bit: our four-legged/furred/feathered friends. Animals were very popular inspirations for custom mascots, with many made in honour of a favourite pet.

Alsatian dog with chain

This design was inspired by rescue dogs, circa 1920s.

Stork

There’s a staggering level of detail in this stork’s wings. Although not officially attributed to any specific marque, this mascot, which dates to circa 1920-’30s, is quite possibly modelled after the Hispano-Suiza stork emblem. Either that, or the owner had a pet stork…

Salmon

Again, this mascot is unlikely to depict a treasured pet. Instead, we’re guessing it pays tribute to the owner’s hobby.

Whimsical wonders

This may go without saying, given that we’ve just discussed a hood ornament based on a salmon, but not all mascots were designed to be serious. Let the wackiness commence…

Rooster

Is this a novelty? We’re not really sure, but this 1930s mascot featuring a cockerel crowing over a broken pot is undoubtedly mysterious.

Mr Therm

The long-standing logo for the British gas industry, Mr Therm was designed by Eric Fraser in 1931. He starred in campaigns for the Gas, Light & Coke Company, then the Gas Council. 

Quite why he was turned into a car mascot isn’t clear – was it to be found on a gas engineer’s vehicle, perhaps? – but, either way, he looks a bit like he might have been blasted with some gas himself.

Grenouille Tirant une Coquille

That’s ‘frog pulling a shell’, to you. But then you probably guessed that from the photograph.

The work of French artist Paul Francis Louchet, it was completed in 1923. And we rather like it.

Grenouille Tirant une Coquille (cont.)

Look closely and you’ll also see a bug of some kind – we think it’s a beetle – on the shell. But presumably ‘Frog pulling a shell with a bug (possibly a beetle) on it’ would have been too long a title.

Leading ladies

An entire case in the sixth display was dedicated to Leading Ladies. Both beauty and style meet the road.

Need for Speed

The last display we visited was entitled Need for Speed. The mascots in this display were designed to monitor engine temperatures, or to support local racing events.

Boyce MotoMeter

Dodge Brothers Boyce MotoMeter, engine temperature gauge, circa 1920s. Functional and beautiful!

The Royal Automobile Club

The most famous of all motoring organisations, the RAC had two mascots. This one, which dates from the 1910s-1920s, was reserved for full members – as denoted by the crown on the top.

No crown? Then you were just an associate member. How embarrassing.

If you were fortunate enough to be a full member back in the early 1900s, not only did you receive all the privileges membership entitled you to, but volunteers used to stand along the roadways to salute you. 

And, if they neglected to salute you, it was best to ease off the gas; this meant there was a speed trap ahead.

Seagull

This avian mascot was designed by French artist Jean Auscher for the Banville Garage Hillclimb in the 1920s.

Essentially a marketing ploy to publicise a luxury parking garage in Paris, this was no ordinary hillclimb: instead, the entrants had to pilot their vehicles up the ramps inside the six-storey building.

Seagull (cont.)

Look closely at the seagull’s ankle (do seagulls have ankles?) and you’ll see the word ‘Banville’ etched into the metal.

Mr Speed Head

Another mascot crafted by Jean Auscher for the Banville garage in Paris, this one dates back to the 1930s.

For more information about The Revs Institute, visit its website.