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There was a time when hood ornaments served an
aesthetic purpose.
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Popular Science said they were originally
designed to disguise unsightly radiator caps
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back when they were featured on the vehicle
exterior, enabling drivers to keep an eye on
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their coolant vapor.
And while their popularity as brand emblems
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grew in the decades that Followed, they
eventually fell out of favor for a few key
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reasons.
For one, they were no longer needed due to the
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vehicle design changes, and 2, they actually
created some aerodynamic drag,
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which caused vehicles to consume more fuel.
But there was a third reason,
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and it had to do with safety.
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Pedestrians who were struck by vehicles could
be further injured by the sharp or protruding
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metal, not to mention loosened or detached hood
ornaments had the risk of turning into
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projectiles.
These types of safety concerns led Europe to
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regulate them out, whereas in America they
fizzled on their own to the point of just being
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utilized by select luxury vehicles like the
Rolls-Royce.
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But a recent patent filing by Stelantti has
raised some questions about the company’s
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intentions.
Surrounding the hood ornament,
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particularly around the automaker’s Ram pickup,
Motor Authority has pointed out a Stalantti
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patent published in January by the United
States Patent and Trademark Office.
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It takes the form of the iconic Ram’s head hood
ornament, originally featured on the Dodge
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brand trucks, though notably modernized.
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It appears Stellatis is seeking a 15-year
patent on this design,
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though with auto patents, as always, it’s never
clear whether the point is.
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To use it or to prevent others from doing so.
That said,
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one auto blog noted that the design did appear
in 2022 on a one of a kind ram customized for
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musician Chris Stapleton.
And though we don’t know if Stalanttis would
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choose to buck the trend by using the ornament
in the future,
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Motor Authority points out that it is a time of
change for the Ram.
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The report points to the fact that Ram, which
traditionally has shared a chief executive with
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the Dodge brand, As of December has its own CEO
dedicated to what Motor Authority calls the
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mother ship’s best selling and most profitable
product.
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I’m Anna Wells, and this is manufacturing now.