Why Don’t Cars Have Hood Ornaments Anymore? (mentalfloss.com)

To some, hood ornaments held an incredible amount of subtext. “’[It’s] certainly some kind of sex symbol, a symbol of virility,” sculptor Elizabeth Hansell told The New York Times in 1972. She also likened it to a kind of portable artistic expression. “Art objects should be out among the public, not just on museum walls,” she said.

But practicality was conspiring against the ornaments. As cars evolved and highways spread throughout the country, aerodynamics became an ongoing concern: a sleek hood might reduce drag. There were also consumer safety issues at play. If a car struck a pedestrian, that person might incur more injury as a result of a foreign object set to impale them. (No doubt more than a few luxury car owners also fretted about what a pedestrian would do to their ornament.)

A shame, really. Personally, I love the idea of hood ornaments. They are a status symbol. In fact, if you asked me 20 years ago, I would have told you the idea of “making it” was having a car with a hood ornament.

Guess I’ll have to figure out what “making it” means now. When I find that out, I’ll let you know. (Pro tip: don’t hold your breath!)