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Cadillac and La Salle Insignia

Hood mascots and stand-up crests


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(le résumé en français se trouve en bas de page)

 

Before the hood ornament came the motometer, an ornate thermometer affair that screwed into the radiator cap; it was intended to keep the driver informed of the engine coolant temperature. 

With improved, thermostatic cooling, the motometer went out the window in the late twenties, to be replaced by sometimes very elegant hood mascots.  These were offered initially by accessory houses then, in 1930, by Cadillac itself.   The first automotive motometer was introduced by a Mr. Boyce in 1912. The fashion soon caught on. Cadillac added its famous script and coat of arms to it. When the temperature gauge was moved to the instrument panel, an empty space was left atop the radiator; the hood ornament filled it adequately.

Cadillac and La Salle models used various types of hood ornamentation since the mid-twenties; these are described and illustrated below.

 

1. The standard motometer type, serving as both ornament and thermometer, was used from circa 1912-1928.

 

2. The deluxe motometer, circa 1926-27

 

3. A cast figurine called the Cadillac Herald or Trumpet Tooter, a Canadian accessory house item popular in the late twenties.  This was the first hood ornament to be approved by the Cadillac company.  He heralded the arrival of a great new car: the 1929 Cadillac models.  This little guy wears a herald's tunic with the Cadillac coat of arms in front. There is a reproduction Tooter on the market that was made in the mid to late seventies; it is done well enough to confuse even an astute buyer; the Cadillac crest on the tunic and the ornate dome on which the tooter stands are different from the authentic piece [differences illustrated below]. The most obvious difference is the shape and color of the tunic crest; the base of the shield (crest) on the repro item is curved; it does not come to a "V" point, as on the authentic piece; in addition, the seven-pointed crown on the authentic Tooter   fans out more to left and right. The repro item is chrome-plated with a shiny, brass-like crest; the authentic Tooter is made of polished nickel and the crest is more a dull bronze.

 

4. The Cadillac heron hood ornament of 1930-1932. The heron was too reminiscent of the Packard pelican and the Guynemer stork on the Hispano Suiza, so it was withdrawn in 1933 and replaced by a more Art Deco heron [photo to come]. A new Goddess (next item) also made its appearance in 1933, for the V8 and V12 models.  Both new types - as well as a new La Salle Torpedo ornament - were announced in the Nov.-Dec.1932 issue of Accessory Facts, a Cadillac Motor Car Company publication in the interest of accessory sales.

 

5.  More popular than the heron was the streamlined, mermaid-like Goddess with her hair flowing behind her in the breeze. She was mounted on an Art-Deco base shaped rather like a large sea shell. The Cadillac Goddess was introduced in 1930 and remained available, albeit in various modified forms, from 1933 through 1956 [collectors:  beware of reproduction copies of this mascot].  Originals are marked Design patent 81303 patented on June 3, 1930.  These chrome-plated diecast zinc mascots were made by the Ternstedt Manufacturing Company. The "shell" base of some reproduction items are stamped "7842"; these were made, inter alia, by the Stant Manufacturing Co. of Connersville, IN. An excellent reproduction item was tooled and made by Wilbur Sanders of Dearborn, MI, in 1965.

Late Extra [5/2002]: I was quite surprised, April 9, 2002, when Gita called me down from the GCCP [the Grand Cadillac Command Post!] to watch Martha Stewart's daily show on TV [personally, the woman's boring monotone monologue "irritates" me!]. Among her guests, that day, were an "antique" specialist (a woman) and a guy with a 1930-32 Cadillac Goddess that he wanted to have identified; he said he had paid $4 for it. Immediately, I thought it was a repro but when he turned it over, it did have the Design Patent and the number 81303 etched in the base so it appeared genuine. The "expert" seemed to know her stuff; she ID'd the piece correctly, mentioning the inscriptions on the base; however, she did add that there was a "recent" reproduction on the market, selling for around $400, that had caused a drop in the value of the genuine article.  

I know about the 1965 repro item (that cost around $10 through the seventies although now it might fetch $50-60).  But I never heard of a "current" repro costing around $400! Does such a thing really exist? Is it "perfect" to the point of having the base inscriptions? Does anybody out there have some corroborating facts?

 

 

Both the Heron and Goddess ornaments, above, were born of the imagination of Cadillac stylists; they represent nothing else but beauty and grace, the principal attributes of Cadillac cars in the thirties and later!

6.  In 1933 the Cadillac Goddess was re-styled for the V16 models; "she" had short hair, full breasts and outspread "wings" formed by the flowing material of her "gown".  With her stylized wings she was very similar to the Rolls Royce Spirit of Ecstasy.   She was available through the 1937 model year in silver plate (part #894784 - $45) or gold-plate (part #883731 - $50).

The in-house bulletin, Accessory Facts for November-December 1932 describes the company's new ornament policy for 1933. Illustrated are the new Cadillac V-16 "Goddess" (below),  the redesigned Cadillac V-8 and V-12 "Heron" and the all-new La Salle "Torpedo".  The accompanying text reads:

With the showing of the new Cadillacs and La Salles for 1933 three new and distinctive radiator ornaments will be announced. They are the new Goddess, a refined Heron, and a new Torpedo ornament - distinctively styled in pace with the distinguished beauty of the new cars.

The new Goddess is one of the most, if nottzhe most,  beautiful ornaments ever created for a motor car - and as expected - is created for the exclusive adornment of the new Custom Cadillac V-Sixteen. Its rare beauty and heavy gold plate [the Goddess was available also in chrome] will identify the new V-Sixteen to the most casual observer.

The revised Heron ornament is executed  in the modernistic trend of styling. Its smooth, gently curved surfaces  finished in bright chromium make it symbolic of all that Cadillac stands for. It was developed especially for the new Cadillac V-Eight and V-Twelve.

The new Torpedo, an addition to the line - is quite frankly modernistic. When seen in motion on the car its rugged, powerful form seems to sharply cleave the air. As the new La Salle is styled to appeal to the younger smart set - so is this ornament designed to accentaute that appeal. It was conceived to match those characteristics of this outstanding new La Salle.

It is the belief of the management that creating an ornament specifically for a particular model and confining installation of that ornament to those particluar cars, will serve the dual purpose of furthering the distinctiveness of each line and more easily identify them in the minds of the observer. Fo that reason the Cadillac Goddess is exclusively for the new V-Sixteen - the new Cadillac Heron for the Cadillac V-Twelve and V-Eight - and the new Torpedo for the new La Salle. It is strongly recommended that no variation be made from this policy except where absolutely necessary. It is not anticipated that more than a very few of such cases may occur.

The new heron and torpedo ornaments will be priced at $20.00, the same as before.

 

7.  The regular 1934 Cadillac Goddess was slimmed down [V-8 part #1405985 before engine #3105001 and V-12 before engine #4100701; after these engine numbers, the part lists as #1412026]

 

8.  The Goddess used on the V-Sixteen models was streamlined even more in 1938 and used on the Sixteens of 1938-1940 (part #1426520). Gone are the lovely curls and the more generous body curves of the 1933 Goddess!

 

9.  The 1936-1937 Cadillac mascots returned to a slimmer, more elongated shape. I believed, in error, that the Goddess had been given a glass wing, in 1936, in lieu of the robes or hair that used to flow in the breeze. I was put right by CLC member, Terry Wenger, who wrote (in July, 2008): You show a '36 V-8 and V-12 Goddess with a glass vane. I have never seen a '36 with a glass vane, they all look like the other ones you have pictured. In the parts book, the '37, '38 ,'39 and '40 Goddesses are listed as having a glass vane, but the '36 does not. In the parts book the glass vane is listed as a separate part with different part numbers for '37, '38 & '39-'40. There is none listed for '36.  The parts book lists the number as 141 6230, costing $13.75. 

 

10.  By 1937 the Goddess hair had grown longer and she had acquired a glass vane with three engraved horizontal lines to depict a bird's feathers (?). The part number shows up in the MPL as 142 0642, costing $15.   Today, you might expect to pay more than ten times that price for a nice original. By 1940 she would become very long and low, as would her glass "wing".

 

11.  The mascot for 1938 was lower and sleeker;  the "hair" was about the same length as the previous year.   The glass wing remained but the engraved "feathers" were gone.   The part number is listed as 142 6147, costing $15.

 

12.  Regular Cadillacs of the 1939 and 1940 model year followed with the tradition of the glass-winged Goddess.  Lines became smoother, with no markings or engravings for the hair or wing.  The part number is listed as 142 9756, costing $13.75.

 

13.  The mascot used on Cadillac cars of 1941 and 42 was, in fact, the handle for the latch mechanism to lock and release the motor hood.   Probably the most ornate of all the mascots was the 1941 model.  Like the one for 1942 it was cast in one piece, integral with the hood latch mechanism, which makes it difficult to exhibit simply as an art object, unless you build a large, box-like base to conceal the bulky mechanism². The part number is listed as 144 2135, costing $13.75. In the 1950 MPL it lists as #363 0029, for $18.25.

²  In the seventies, the 1941 mascot became a popular accessory with many customizers.  A light-weight replica was made; it sold by the hundreds.  The replica is usually easy to recognize because the interior of the wings are smooth, although I have seen one with inner "feathers", suggesting there may have been two versions; the repro mascot is hollow (light-weight) and smaller (shorter) than the original.  In addition, there is no base (i.e. no integral hood latch mechanism)

 

14.  The 1942 Goddess grew wider and lower. She was also less ornate, with straight hair and long airplane-type wings. The part numbers listed are #1444407 (chrome finish) and #144 7385 (gold-bronze finish);  both listed for $13.75.

[ Click here to view the La Salle
hood mascots: 1927-1940 ]

 

15.  From 1946 through 1956 the Cadillac Goddess grew even wider, longer and much sleeker.  The hair turned into broad wings and she also took on lovely, smooth facial features, not to mention a bosom that might have put to shame Ms. Ruth Egnor, better known as TV's Dagmar   who's particular body endowments resembled closely the protruding, bullet-shaped bumper guards of the 1954-1956 Cadillacs (in fact, these are commonly referred to as Dagmars).  Just looking at the '55 Cadillac bumper extensions is enough to convince one that the designer of that front clip was obsessed - as I am too - by those delightful attributes of the female form!

 

16.  Standard Cadillac models lost the Goddess hood ornament in 1957, when she was replaced by a simple pair of upright wings. However, on the bespoke Eldorado Brougham models [only 99 built], a long, narrow, very sleek Goddess was mounted. Although highly streamlined, nonetheless, it was reminiscent of the Goddess styles used on the Cadillacs of the late forties through the mid-fifties.

 

17.  With the exception of the 1959 Eldorado Brougham, the Cadillac Eldorado models did away with the Goddess for good, in 1956. She was replaced  by two, small upright wings.