InsignaAndMascots

[ Last update 10.19..2008 ] Best viewed with a screen image size of 600 x 800 pixels
The (new) Cadillac Database ©
Cadillac and La Salle Insignia
Fake Cadillac crests and mascots
Go back to the Cadillac insignia index page
or return to the "Miscellaneous Cadillac Stuff" index page
Return to The (New) Cadillac Database© Index Page
(le résumé en français se trouve en bas de page)
This is a montage from an illustration
in the 1930 Cadillac Fleetwood catalog;
in that catalog, only the LH side of the crest
is used; so half of it is fake, right?
In more than forty years of collecting Cadillac memorabilia I have come across a number of fake Cadillac
crests. The best looking one was featured on a set of so-called older Cadillac wheel covers that someone
was offering for sale on the Internet, in October 1999. Here it is:
On the image, right, note how the pearls in the crown are shaped
like diamonds instead of being circular. The four quarterings also
are reversed; the top right quarter should be at top left and the lower
left quarter should be at lower right. In addition, the four parts of

the first and fourth quarterings on this image are mis-oriented;
if you tilt them 90° to the left, then they would be OK. BTW, the traditional
merlettes of the authentic Cadillac wheel centers are replaced here with a
geometric design in the form of black dots with a white line cutting
diagonally through them. Also on the authentic Cadillac sombrero wheel
covers, made from 1946 through 1952, there are, in addition, four concentric
rings, in gold color, around the outer perimeter of the detachable, center
crest piece
At first, I thought that the photos had been reversed in the preceding fake, but then I saw part of a name
on the cardboard box, which reads correctly, so I guess the crest is in reverse and not the photo. Here
are some more:
This cover was for sale on e-Bay in Nov.-Dec. 2002; it was described as
being possibly a Cadillac or Lincoln wheel cover. The "V" and crest
suggest Cadillac in preference to Lincoln, but that's as far as the
resemblance goes; on the red part of the shield (image above, right) is
some kind of a bird (swan?) reminiscent of Cadillac's "merlettes"
The same fake crest on a Sombrero hubcap
of the late forties or early fifties
On the image, right, note how the "merlettes" are mixed in
with the other parts of the crest. The dividing bar or "fess"
is missing. This one includes concentric rings around
the circular emblem, but it is still a fake

This one is similar, though not as colorful
Two more fake Cadillac wheel covers
and medallions
At far right is the center cap for the covers shown at left and center;
These covers were seen on a 1975 Eldorado convertible; they are not
factory-issue

These are some more Cadillac wannabe items, probably from the early to
late sixties; the crest on the left has dots in lieu of ducks; in the 2nd and 3rd
quarterings, the colors are reversed (red should be at top left and lower right);
note in the RH Crest the absence of the merlettes and the addition of a stylized
custom car below the five-pointed crown; origin of lower Cadillac script
plate is unknown (perhaps it is a New York Cadillac dealer's plate)
The script is convincing but the whole
medallion is a non-authentic Cadillac piece
Many firms in the fifties and sixties tried to capitalize on the Cadillac image by manufacturing Cadillac
parts and emblems that looked authentic, although they would not stand up to scrutiny. I have seen a
couple of other fake crests like the ones on the foregoing wheel covers, but the latter really almost fooled
me into bidding for them.
Below are some replica hood mascots that closely resemble the authentic mascots of 1930-31, 1936-37,
1941 and 1946-1956.
In the mid-sixties a Cadillac aficionado by the name of Wilber F. Sanders was offering (in the Self-Starter
for February, 1965) a reproduction 1930-31 Flying Lady for circa $55. I don't know if this project ever came
to fruition and, if it did, how many of these repro mascots were made.
The fake 1941 Cadillac Goddess was especially popular in the seventies with some customizes who found
it necessary, inter alia, to add a Rolls-Royce type grille cap to beautify (?) their Cadillac.
This fake Cadillac "Trumpet Tooter"
was offered for sale on e-Bay in 2/2003

This winged Icarus was described as a hood mascot for the 1929 LaSalle
I don't think so; it may have been an accessory house specialty for various makes of the time
This one bears a very vague resemblance with the V16 mascot for the 1933 models;
item on the right (sans "wings") was for sale on e-Bay in July, 2002
These two similar mascots were offered for sale on e-Bay, in 2001,
as authentic Cadillac mascots; face and body are similar to the two abobve it
Left and center: I've seen this fake Flying Lady offered as a
genuine item for the 1930-31 Cadillac V16 (right)!
Here is another fake Goddess from the 30s
Left: fake 1930-32 mascot; right: a genuine article

Seen on e-Bay, May 2000, this mascot was advertised
as a 1940 Cadillac Flying Lady. Anyone seen it before?
This bizarre hood mascot was offered for sale on e-Bay in 2/2003
The stand-up portion of the unit appears to be from the seventies or eighties
The mascot used on Cadillac cars of 1941 and 42 was, in fact, the handle for the latch mechanism to lock and
release the motor hood. Probably the most
ornate of all the mascots was the 1941 model. Like the one for 1942 it was cast in one piece, integral with the hood
latch mechanism, which makes it difficult
to exhibit simply as an art object, unless you build a large, box-like base to conceal the bulky mechanism. In the
seventies, the 1941 mascot became a popular
accessory with many customizers. A light-weight replica was made; it sold by the hundreds. The replica is
usually easy to recognize because on many of them
the interior of the wings are smooth, although I have seen a couple with inner "feathers", suggesting there may
have been two versions; the repro mascot
is hollow (light-weight) and smaller (shorter) than the original. In addition, there is no base (i.e. no integral hood
latch mechanism)
Above two rows: the authentic mascot for 1941 with latch mechanism and inner wing "feathers" (right)

The fake units
Two different styles of the light-weight, fake mascot marketed in the seventies
by GEM Manufacturing Co., Inc. of Chicago, IL [box cover, top photo]
[ Photos: © 1999, Yann Saunders ]
The inside surface of the wings on most of these fake 1941 Goddess mascots are smooth,
which make them readily identifiable as fakes (although I have seen a couple with
the wings correctly "feathered" on the interior); these light-weight repro mascots were made in the
seventies and cost around $10 each; they were popular with customizers
The replica '41 emblem regained popularity among Cadillac cutomizers
in the seventies. The one on the right gives a retro look to a 1958 custom Cadillac limousine
[ Photo: Internet, 2004 ]
Although the face may look familiar, this hood mascot is not an authentic Cadillac item

(Above and below) This is a fake winged Goddess representing that of the late forties and early
fifties It is easily identified by the spine that runs down from the cranium to the lower
back; in addition, the wings (hair) flow back from the forehead in lieu of the shoulders;
according to one source, it was made for the Nash automobile
Notice how the wings on the authentic mascot (left) flow up and back from the bust line, whereas
on the replica (center and right) the wings flow straight and back from the brow of the figurine
The following are authentic car mascots
that belong to other automobile marques
This one is from an Auburn of the thirties
Left: Buick, Right: Plymouth
This 1936 Buick mascot resembles the
La Salle "bullet" mascot of the same vintage

This Cadillac lookalike crest is, in fact,
an after-market item for the Italian Vespa motor scooter
If you have more of these replicas, send them in !
[wanted, in particular, a picture of the 1930-32 replica "Goddess"]
(résumé en français)
Cette page est consacrée aux faux emblèmes et figurines de proue que le collectionneur
peut rencontrer parfois sur son chemin. Avis aux amateurs!
Go back to the Cadillac insignia index page
or return to the "Miscellaneous Cadillac Stuff" index page
Return to The (New) Cadillac Database© Index Page
© 1996, Yann Saunders and the Cadillac-LaSalle Club, Inc.
[ Background image: superimposed Cadillac and La Salle emblems, 1929 ]