They have long since disappeared from the roads, the elegant, extravagant and more or less eye-catching radiator grilles at the front of cars. Up until the 1960s, they made it easy to distinguish between cars that looked very similar. Only Mercedes-Benz and Rolls-Royce remain faithful to the radiator figure to this day, although the days of the upright star seem to be over and at Rolls-Royce the "Emily" has to disappear into the radiator as quickly as possible when touched.
Viewing instead of owning
Anyone who takes part in or attends classic car meetings, goes to trade fairs or comes into contact with very old cars in any other way will soon come across the radiator figures lolling or plumping on the front. They are animals of all kinds, but they are also art figures and were often created by important artists.
Thomas Romen was impressed by this wealth of shapes many years ago and began photographing and cataloging the various radiator figures. At first it was simply the hobby of an amateur photographer and classic car enthusiast, but in the end the stories behind the figures were almost as important to Romen as the figures themselves. He researched for years and finally published his findings in a book, which is now in its second edition and has grown to 408 pages.
Basics and alphabetical list
Romen begins his book with a historical essay on how the radiator figure and its predecessor, the motometer, the water thermometer mounted on the front of the radiator, came about. And how they developed over time. The distinction between branded radiator mascots, fantasy radiator mascots and "commissioned" radiator mascots is also explained.
The book itself then concentrates mainly on the "branded radiator figures" applied by the manufacturers.
95 percent of the book deals with the radiator grilles on cars from over 130 brands. The radiator figures themselves are shown, but also the car on which they were found. It starts with AC Autocarrier and ends with Zil. In between, of course, there are all the major manufacturers such as Chrysler, Hispano-Suiza, Lincoln, Packard, Pierce-Arrow, Rolls-Royce and Stoewer, but also small-series manufacturers and exotic brands.
Mainly pictures
Of course, the photos are the main focus of the book. They were taken by Romen himself, but also by many other photographers whom the author got to know in the course of his research. Due to the variety of situations, but also due to the different photographers, there is a lack of visual uniformity. But this also makes the book easy to read. And with over 1000 integrated photos, it is obvious that not all photos are equally convincing.
However, the book should not just be seen as a picture book, as the background texts on the figures and the stamps are interesting. The "Mascots" were constantly changing and the reasons for this are fascinating. For example, while animal figures were mainly in demand at certain times, there was a tendency towards rocket symbols in other eras.
The subtleties in the margins
Romen not only endeavored to create a large number of different radiator figures, he also put a great deal of effort into selecting the brand logos, which are printed at the beginning of each chapter.
There is also a detailed table of contents and an extensive index at the end of the book. There you can search for animals as well as car brands. The text sources and photographers are also disclosed. In this way, you will also find many a helpful reference for any in-depth research.
EUR 138.00 is a not inconsiderable price, even if many individual radiator figures change hands for several times as much. As a reader, you should be a bit of a pre-war enthusiast, as a significant proportion of the photos are of cars from before the Second World War. However, anyone who is enthusiastic about the history of radiator grilles in their entirety will spend many an enjoyable hour with this 400-page work.
Bibliographical details
- Title: Oldtimer radiator grilles, the gems of a bygone era
- Author: Thomas Romen
- Language: German
- Publisher: DMCverlag Thoams Romen (Selfpublishing)
- Edition: 2nd edition November 2022
- Format: 215 x 305 mm, hardcover with thread stitching
- Size: 408 pages, over 1000 photos
- ISBN: 978-3-00-068951-2
- Price: EUR 138.00 (incl. VAT and shipping costs D)
- Buy/order: Online on the publisher's website
