NOT THE MOST ELABORATE BADGE, BUT THE CAR WAS EXTREMELY SPECIAL
American automobile manufacturers knew from the beginning how important it was to build brand loyalty. They wanted their buyers to come back again and again, and convince their friends to buy a car of the same brand. The cars had to be reliable, handsome, and special in any number of ways. They also had to have an impressive badge. Something that would make the owner proud, and would make others think the car had class and style. Some obviously worked better than others. The ones that worked well are still revered today, many decades later. I am going show you some of my favorites. Some of the most impressive are no longer around, even though the cars that wore these badges were very special indeed.
LATE FORTIES AND ONE OF MY PERSONAL FAVORITES
YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN A CAR LIKE THE FAMOUS ” SHARK NOSE” GRAHAM
PIERCE ARROWS WERE BETTER KNOWN FOR THEIR RADIATOR ORNAMENTS
A fine automobile is determined by exquisite styling and performance. In essence the perfect blend of art and engineering. I will cite an example of what I am talking about. I was driving north on I-5 on a beautiful Pacific Northwest summer day, hundreds of cars on the freeway ahead of me, they may as well have been blobs of unknown origin, then suddenly out of all of those nameless cars one stood out from all of the rest. I was too far away to identify it, but it was clearly different than anything else on the freeway. Being me, I had to get closer to see what it was. As I approached the car, it was gorgeous, it was a brand new Bentley sedan silver in color. It looked marvelous and expensive. When your creation is able to stand out among hundreds of other automobiles from a half mile away, you have obviously hit the mark. The point I am making here is that as I got closer to the Bentley, I identified it by the beautiful winged badge with the B in the center.
IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CARS YOU RECOGNIZE THIS BADGE IMMEDIATELY
I had to take a break from politics for awhile to allow my brain to recuperate. It gives me a chance to write about my life long love of automobiles. I remember my first encounter with a Packard when I was about six or seven years old. My Dad’s friend dropped by our house one afternoon with his newly acquired 1930’s Packard sedan, and took us for a spin. I was in the back seat of this huge car and I could literally walk around between the front and rear seats. It was a lot different than my Dad’s 1939 Plymouth. When we returned home, the men went in the house and I remained outside walking around this car, mesmerized by the sheer size of it. But the one thing that fascinated me most was the big chrome hub cap at the center of the gigantic wheels, with a bright red hexagon in the center. I remember that like it was yesterday. I was simply born this way, I have no other excuses to offer. I said this before, but take the time to visit an automotive museum or car show and enjoy these wonderful creations.
VERITAS VINCIT ~ LIVE FREE OR DIE
CADILLAC V16 ROADSTER
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