Antiques: Badges aren't just for sheriffs
Palm Springs is a car town, and the Coachella Valley is full of car people. Just look at all the car auctions, dealerships, shows and even race tracks we have here. Old cars are big, too, along with all the accessories they come with. The muscle cars from the 1950s and '60s have long since pushed aside the pre-war classics in terms of popularity but it isn't unusual to see a handful of both motoring along Highway 111 on any given day.
Not surprisingly, we in the antique business sell all the vintage car stuff we can get and are always looking for more. Among the most popular artifacts are car badges. Let's take a short drive down history lane.
In fact, the name "car badges" is a bit vague. Hood ornaments sometimes fall into this category, as do make and model plaques that often adorn a car's rear end. Back when radiator caps were located outside the engine compartment, makers recognized that atop such caps would be a great place to promote their brands. Some became famous like the Bentley "Flying B" while others like Jaguar eventually decided that their pouncing cat was an unwelcome speed bump to their sleek designs and did away with them.
The growing popularity of such ornaments also spurred an increase in thefts, prompting many makers to incorporate their logos elsewhere.
Even more interesting is the origin of many car logos. Alfa Romeo's logo includes a number of historic Italian elements, while Audi's four interlocking rings represent the 1932 merger of four of Germany's major car makers. BMW's logo is derived from the Bavarian flag, and Cadillac's began as a take-off from the Cadillac family's coat of arms. The Ferrari prancing horse was inspired by an Italian fighter pilot who flew with a similar crest on his plane and felt it gave him good luck. While the origin of many other logos are a bit muddier, you can find all you want to know about your own car's logo with a brief online search.
As for other car badges, there is a whole range out there that have nothing to do with auto makers. Many were originally designed to be affixed to a car's radiator grill and give name to car clubs, rallies, military service and places of interest. Quite a few were beautifully made in high detail with colored enamel, and it wasn't uncommon for a well-traveled vehicle to have a whole grill-full of badges. Just as hikers and climbers would often attach badges to their walking sticks displaying regions visited and mountains conquered, so too did auto enthusiasts who took their cars on tour. For those who stayed closer to home, their auto grills might feature American Legion, Masonic or VFW badges, all colorful and nicely done.
If you're a classic car person but perhaps without the room or wallet for a car, researching and collecting car badges is a fun way to go; eBay is full of them, and they're often featured at car shows and in auto museums.
Following World War II, numbered license plate toppers were also popular for a while, mostly in England where they promoted auto associations and clubs. Prices range from just a few dollars to several hundred, but it doesn't take a fortune to assemble a credible collection. And what the heck; maybe your own car could use a little bling, too.
Mike Rivkin and his wife, Linda, are longtime residents of Rancho Mirage. For many years, he was an award-winning catalogue publisher and has authored seven books, along with countless articles. Now, he's the owner of Antique Galleries of Palm Springs. His antiques column appears Sundays in The Desert Sun. Want to send Mike a question about antiques? Drop him a line at info@silverfishpress.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Antiques: Badges aren't just for sheriffs
