Identify this bonnet emblem

[option click]

This turned up in a box of bric-a-brac. No idea what it's from and Google isn't helping much.

Any ideas? My first thought was an old Vauxhall, but don't know if they ever had bonnet emblems?

[Greg the Fish]

No idea but it's very pretty!

[Tankrizzo]

Alvis had eagle mascots although I don't remember them sitting on a globe, I think they were in flight.

[lufbramatt]

Chrysler or Chevrolet used eagles too

[anonymous-user]

[Lotobear]

It's not some obscure long forgotten Liverpool based car maker by any chance?

[Nexus Icon]

Are you sure it's a bonnet emblem? It looks like it could be off the top of a trophy or something.

[Lotobear]

...my thoughts too, it very much looks like a Liver Bird.

is the Bishop of Liverpool missing the top off his staff I wonder?

[tapkaJohnD]

"Designer" bonnet mascots were popular in the day, on luxury cars, and sometimes now mist valuable. Lalique glass for instance!! Any markings on the base? Suggest you search eBay for mascots and seek similar.
John

[Dogwatch]

Is it the Winged Horse of PH folklore?

[CanAm]

Lotobear said:

It's not some obscure long forgotten Liverpool based car maker by any chance?

Triumph, you mean?

[Lotobear]

...well, it stands on a globe?!

[CanAm]

I've never seen the bonnet badge, but it is reminiscent of the logo of the little known Austin Nash Liverpolitan, which was a proposed development of the Austin Nash Metropolitan to be produced at a new plant in the north west. It was a higher performance version with the twin-cam B-series engine, and handling developed by the legendary Edgar Jessop.

[grumpy52]

Isn't it one of the statues that come to life in the original Ghost Busters ?

[Riley Blue]

CanAm said:

I've never seen the bonnet badge, but it is reminiscent of the logo of the little known Austin Nash Liverpolitan, which was a proposed development of the Austin Nash Metropolitan to be produced at a new plant in the north west. It was a higher performance version with the twin-cam B-series engine, and handling developed by the legendary Edgar Jessop.

That's the Liverpool FC emblem of the mythical Liver Bird, supposedly to be based on a cormorant. Perhaps the mascot has a Liverpool connection.

[tapkaJohnD]

It's a Griffin (Griffon, gryphon, etc). The crest tells.

Body, tail, and back legs of a lion; the head and wings of an eagle; and sometimes an eagle's talons as its front feet. Nothing to do with the Liver bird, which is clearly pure avian. Several marques, not only Vauxhall, used the Griffin as a badge.

JOhn

PS Ooops, no it's not! No arms! Eagle then.

Edited by tapkaJohnD on Thursday 2nd May 09:52

[CAPP0]

Is it perchance not manufacturer-specific at all but actually just one of those hideous things that people used to glue on halfway up their bonnet? Like the countryside folk who have a horse there, etc?

[Riley Blue]

A lot of Desmo-made mascots were perched on balls (globes). This could be one of theirs.

[nicanary]

This is the usual radiator mascot for an Alvis Silver Eagle. It's not the same design, but a lot of accessory makers like Desmo made this type of mascot to fit onto the radiator cap of most types of car. I guess this is another example.

[rustycedricpluto]

Doing yet another Google search today and came across this thread. I have the very same bonnet mascot in my possession and I saw that one of these got sold at an auction a couple of years ago. I can not find the auctioneer on line to find out more about this bird. So I am as stuck as you are about the origins of this mascot.