Page 21 - Apr2022

E arly on, manufactures' badges were put in place on cars
Mascots continued from page 19
An example of a colorful, enamel on
metal, manufacturer' s badge
This Caloriemeter was a functional
piece of equipment, while mascots
offered either identity or clues to an
owner's hobbies or personalities or
sense of style.
to identify the type of automobile (left, a well-designed example of
a Morris manufacturer's badge) and from these utilitarian,
although handsome beginnings, with badges made from
enameled metal, the bonnet mascot evolved. It became a stand-
alone sculpture that often combined both the identity of the
manufacturer with the personality of an individual car owner.
In 1912, the Boyce MotoMeter Company produced an innovation
in radiator caps when it built in a thermometer to measure the
heat of water vapor. The exposed radiator cap became a feature of
"modern" automobiles of the early '20s because it was easier for
the operator to access the engine to add coolant.
Three dimensional ornaments, that originally began as a way to
read radiator internal temperatures, like the 1920s Calorimeter ( at
left) with its visible thermostat mounted between two wings,
were functional emblems. They gave way to aesthetic ornaments
that remained in place for much of the 20th century, becoming
standard and popular decorations on cars from the 1920s through
the 1950s. Today, a few luxury models still maintain the
trademark symbols made popular in their early days of motoring.
Automobile enthusiasts valued mascots for prestige of
manufacture, as symbols of speed and power, and also as good
luck charms. There were as many options as there were tastes and
senses of humor. A taste for high-end mascots developed, with
Lalique, a French company, the unquestioned leader in style.
With its breathtaking glass creations, some capable of illumination,
Laliques were sold in limited editions as accessory mascots. Some
also began as sculptures that were later converted to bonnet
mascots.
Rene' Claude Lalique (1860-1945) produced 30 different pressed
glass mascots in his factory in Alsace. His artistry included birds,
saints, frogs, and the occasional nude lady. The first three Lalique
mascots appeared in 1925, the same year as the Paris
International Exposition of Decorative Arts, from whence the term
Art Deco was derived.
One of the first three mascots was called Cinq Chevaux or the
Five Horses, a special order for Andre Citröen, whose new 5
horsepower 5CV was newly introduced in 1925. This was the only
car specific mascot ever made by Lalique.
G.G. Weiner's book, Unique Lalique Mascot s, is considered to be
the most complete source of information on the Lalique
contribution to the car mascot. The mascots were signed "R.
Lalique France" between the world wars, with post war examples
signed "Lalique France" , with a small 'r' in a circle between the two
words, in the most recent examples.
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