Emblem and Identity

 "Is that an Italian sports car?"  No, Ma'am,  it's a Ford Thunderbird.  

I was initially shocked that the woman in the church parking lot didn't immediately recognize this '50's American icon!  After some reflection, I realized that she had a good point.  Her comment now has me looking at "Nell" in a different way.

Many of the original Thunderbird's stylistic accents were inspired by the great sports cars of the day... Jaguar, Ferrari, Mercedes.   The wheelbase of the t-bird was taken from the Jaguar XK-120 (incidentally the same as the Corvette).  The proportions, with the wind screen positioned equally between front and rear axles, typify these great sports cars.  The t-bird is low, even by today's standards.  It is sleek, the grille is wide, and the bumpers are low.  Very sporty.

Most Ferraris had hood scoops, egg-crate grilles and fender vents,

1952 Ferrari 212

...so the t-bird was designed with a hood scoop, egg crate grille, and fake fender vents. 

Some of this worked, and some of it didn't.  The scoop was actually necessary to make room for the carburetor while maintaining a low hood line.  One of the designers even wanted a "shaker hood" with the air cleaner protruding through the hood (ala the 1969 Mustang Cobra Jet), but marketing understandably nixed the idea.  Stylistically, I think that the fake fender vents (a.k.a. "hash marks") were a patently bad idea, along with the crossed-flag and "Ford crest" clutter on the nose and trunk lid.  

You don't see crossed flag emblems on Ferraris, now do you?  Just on Corvettes!  And the "Ford crest" was a total fabrication, feigning ties to European nobility... which undoubtedly had the friend-of-the-working-man Henry Ford rolling over in his grave!  Even though the red-white-and-blue triparte field with three lions appeared on Fords for over a decade, it never caught on like the Chevy bow-tie, the Chrysler star, or the Ferrari prancing pony.  Personally, I don't see what was wrong with the Ford oval logo, which had identified the brand since 1912... but I'm probably not thinking "upscale" enough.

I like my cars clean and simple.  Any emblem or badge on the car should mean something, covey some purpose or emotion.  The statement that they make shouldn't be cluttered and confused by unnecessary or meaningless ornament.  I had no problem taking the hash marks, flags, and ersatz Ford crests off the car and filling the holes.

On the other hand, I like the V8 emblem.  Apparently, Zagato liked it too.

1953 Fiat 8V Zagato.  Gorgeous and fast!

 The V8 icon says something.  Something like power and sophistication without pretense, and an allusion to inner strength.  The counterweighted crossplane American V8 incorporates perfect primary and secondary balance, yielding an engine that is remarkably smooth, yet is still relatively compact and powerful.  Few engines perform better.  Rolls Royce used crossplane V8 engines exclusively for four decades, never finding a need for more cylinders until the company was purchased by BMW, and forced to use their "top of the line" BMW V12.  Even today, V8 emblems are proudly displayed on various truck and car fenders.  The V8 emblem seems to state "I am capable.  I am reliable.  I have nothing to prove."   Environmentalists may scoff, but most folks admire the V8.  Especially on the freeway on-ramp or passing lane!  

The V8 emblem is the principal badge I have chosen for my Thunderbird, because it conveys my sense of identity for the car... balanced, confident, smooth, and powerful.   I've posted elsewhere about re-positioning the y-block V8 emblems on the fenders. When I installed the grille, I used a spare fender emblem on the grille to divert the eye from areas where the chrome is kind of funky.  This emblem is really too small, and looks wimpy compared to the Fiat 8V pic above.  Still, it makes the car look unique.

 At a cruise night last summer, I saw a stock '55 F100 pickup that had a much larger V8 emblem on the grille.  For $20 on eBay, I picked one up, and then test-fitted it to the grille with a piece of wire.

I have mixed feelings about this.  At first, it seemed like too much, and it goes against my goal of simplifying and streamlining.  But as I look at this picture again, it's growing on me.  It's all Ford, and it makes a consistent statement.  Actually mounting this emblem on the grille will require some minor metal fabrication, because the studs on the back don't line up with the holes in the grille.  I think I will try this.  I can always undo it later.

UPDATE: here's  a shot of the F100 installed, with a backing plate painted Ford Thunderbird Red (the same color as the engine).  I really like this!

What is identity, anyway?  How do we go about defining who we are?

Emblems and icons are shorthand ways of remembering who we are, or who we want to be.  Choosing an emblem is a way of setting priorities, and clarifying purpose.

What sort of emblem do I envision for myself?  Right now, my fenders are cluttered with too many emblems.  I feel like I need to scrape them off, let go of them, and choose one that best suits me.  This is not flippant or insignificant... it is the essence of self-purpose and intentionality.  I can, and must, choose for myself.  But, I don't have do be alone in my decision.   

The process of choosing the V8 emblem for Nell was a fun journey.  I expect the process of choosing an emblem for myself to be even more exciting!