ART OF THE WHEEL
Art and the Automobile exhibits hood ornaments worthy of an art gallery
Exhibition at the AutoShow explores history of artistry and automobile mascots,
When the Canadian International AutoShow, in conjunction with the Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance, introduced its Art and the Automobile exhibit in an art gallery-like setting in 2015, it noted that the two disciplines were intertwined from the earliest days of the automobile.
Not only were cars common subjects for artists of all genres, but many automobiles are themselves legitimate works of art — a point amply illustrated by the spectacular cars displayed in this exhibit every year since.
For 2018, Art and the Automobile not only continues to celebrate that juxtaposition, it takes it to another level. The display focuses not just on the cars but also on the fine art of the automotive mascot and its role in the history of many famous marques.
Indeed, many of those mascots were created by famous sculptors of their day and are now highly valued collectibles in their own right, independent of the vehicles they represent. And they all have stories of their own.
A prime example and one of the best-known is the elegant RollsRoyce Flying Lady hood ornament, officially called the Spirit of Ecstasy, which has symbolized the brand since 1911.
While such brand mascots were uncommon at the time, some wealthy car owners personalized their custom-bodied vehicles with distinctive mascots of their own.
To that end, the second Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, a prominent RollsRoyce customer and editor of The Car Illustrated magazine, commissioned well-known British sculptor, Charles Robinson Sykes, to create such an ornament for his 1909 Rolls’ radiator.
Not coincidentally, his model for the sculpture was Eleanor Thornton, the Lord’s secretary and (not-so) se- cret lover. Sykes depicted her in fluttering robes, with one forefinger against her lips to symbolize the secret of the forbidden love affair. That figurine was called The Whisper.
A couple of years later, in an attempt to discourage customers from affixing “inappropriate” ornaments to its noble products, Rolls-Royce commissioned Sykes to create a dignified and graceful mascot for the brand, inspired by images of the mythical Greek goddess, Nike.
The resulting sculpture was in effect an evolution of The Whisper, for Sykes again used Thornton as his model.
Romantic as it may be, the story doesn’t have a happy ending. In 1915, Montagu and Thornton were passengers on the ocean liner Persia when it became the first passenger ship to be torpedoed without warn- ing during the First World War.
Montagu survived; Thornton did not. But she lives on as the Spirit of Ecstacy.
Within the Art and the Automobile exhibit, that famous mascot is front and centre on an immaculate 1925 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, so named because of its smooth and quiet operation.
This rare specimen, with a Piccadilly Roadster body by Robinson Coach Works in England, is one of about 1,700 Silver Ghosts built in the U.S. at a plant in Springfield, Mass.
Setting off its display is a massive backdrop with an image of the mascot by renowned automotive photographer, Michael Furman — itself a work of art — flanked by a brief description of the Spirit of Ecstacy’s history.
The Rolls is just one of 17 cars mak- ing up the display, most with their own similar backdrops featuring Furman’s photography and histories of the brands’ mascots or emblems.
Among those vehicles are such eclectic treasures as a 1907 Thomas Flyer, a 1929 Packard Dual-Cowl Phaeton, a 1933 Pierce-Arrow Convertible Coupe, a 1939 Delahaye Drophead Coupe, a 1952 Jaguar XK120 Fixed Head Coupe, a1966 427 Cobra, a 1971Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona — and more.
Beyond just appreciating the sheer beauty of these masterpieces, there’s a story to be told for each, both vehicles and mascots.
The Ferrari, for example, spent 25 years sitting on blocks in a Toronto parking garage and the Jaguar was purchased as a basket case in 2006.
The story of the Pierce-Arrow’s famous Archer mascot includes a GM design apprentice taking archery lessons and posing for the sculptor using a broom-handle and yardstick as bow-and-arrow.
There’s one more famous car and emblem that’s an absolute must see: the General Motors Firebird III.
Not to be confused with the pony car that later adopted its name, this 1958 concept car represents the apogee of the 1950s obsession with fins and the fighter-jet influence on car design.
Yes, it introduced the automotive world to the Firebird emblem that would evolve into the “Screaming Chicken” decal adorning all those Trans Am hoods. But it began as art.
Art and the Automobile and a separate display of mascots can be found on the 700 level of the South Building at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.