Naked without a Hood Ornament?
11-28-2008, 12:53 AM
#1
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2013 SL 550 (Previously 2012 Porsche Panamera Turbo-S, 2015 Tesla P85D, 2007 S600, 2005 E55 AMG)
Naked without a Hood Ornament?
One thing I don't understand is why some drivers of MB Sedan's replace the traditional 3 pointed star hood ornament with a flat ornament of the type you might find on a sports MB such as a SL/CL etc... To me, that imperious 3 pointed star always visible in my line of sight is the very essence of driving a Mercedes... in fact a big part of why I feel good driving my car... Indeed this ornament is part of the character of a dynasty of cars going back almost 100 years... To me a classically elegant Merc sedan without the star just looks naked and incomplete... (Just like putting a sedan's hood ornament on a CL would also look out of character)
...but that is just me! Everyone to their own of course... But does anyone else feel this way?
Chris
...but that is just me! Everyone to their own of course... But does anyone else feel this way?
Chris
Last edited by cjf_moraga; 11-28-2008 at 12:59 AM.
11-28-2008, 01:36 AM
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223.168 & 213.012 & 906.633 & 214.005
I'm not sure if the car would look naked without the star, not sure if naked means good or bad. 
But for sure I agree that the hood ornament belongs to a sedan Mercedes. The star on the grill is OK for the sports models like SL though.
But for sure I agree that the hood ornament belongs to a sedan Mercedes. The star on the grill is OK for the sports models like SL though.
11-28-2008, 08:38 AM
#3
One thing I don't understand is why some drivers of MB Sedan's replace the traditional 3 pointed star hood ornament with a flat ornament of the type you might find on a sports MB such as a SL/CL etc... To me, that imperious 3 pointed star always visible in my line of sight is the very essence of driving a Mercedes... in fact a big part of why I feel good driving my car... Indeed this ornament is part of the character of a dynasty of cars going back almost 100 years... To me a classically elegant Merc sedan without the star just looks naked and incomplete... (Just like putting a sedan's hood ornament on a CL would also look out of character)
...but that is just me! Everyone to their own of course... But does anyone else feel this way?
Chris
...but that is just me! Everyone to their own of course... But does anyone else feel this way?
Chris
Are you sure we're not twin brothers separated at birth??
I've restrained from saying that very same thing for a long time. Finally someone comes out and says it. I feel the same way.
11-29-2008, 11:48 AM
#5
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[QUOTE=... To me, that imperious 3 pointed star always visible in my line of sight is the very essence of driving a Mercedes... in fact a big part of why I feel good driving my car... Indeed this ornament is part of the character of a dynasty of cars going back almost 100 years...
Chris[/QUOTE]
I totally agree, Mercedes without a star is a lost soul
. I remember when I first got my S500 and the star gleamed in the shiny sunlight it was a great sight and as of today I still enjoy it on the new S550 which I just got
.
Chris[/QUOTE]
I totally agree, Mercedes without a star is a lost soul
. I remember when I first got my S500 and the star gleamed in the shiny sunlight it was a great sight and as of today I still enjoy it on the new S550 which I just got.
11-29-2008, 12:05 PM
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'08 S550 4MATIC SPORT,DODGE VIPER GTS,ML350 BLK/BLK
Never owned a MB until April when i got a '08 s550 4Mtic sport.It is one of the finest cars i have ever owned,and by far the best sedan i have ever had (had a number of 7'S)and without the 3 pointed star on the hood it just wouldnt seem right.Kinda like pancakes without syrup...........or ya know what i mean.Just gotta have that star,at least on the flagship S series.
11-29-2008, 05:00 PM
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2005 Range Rover HSE, 2008 BMW M3 Cab d/c, 2010 GL550 (wifes), 1993 Porsche 928GTS 32kmi garage quee
Chris couldn't agree any more! My first Mercedes was a 1989 190E when I was in my early 20's. I was proud to be driving that car with the ornament out there. Without that it just wouldn't be the same. Its even better the longer the hood is. When I moved into the E classes to have it out there a little farther was better for some reason. Then when I finally got my first S (2003 S500 sport) It really felt great to have that emblem way out there over that long hood.
Last edited by vonbeeler; 11-29-2008 at 05:16 PM.
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11-29-2008, 09:29 PM
#8
I may just mount an additional star on my trunk lid so that when I'm backing up I even see a star!
Doesn't it make you mad when some salesman calls it a chicken foot???
Doesn't it make you mad when some salesman calls it a chicken foot???
11-29-2008, 11:53 PM
#9
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I loved my GL but never got used to not seeing the star as I drove. Funny, but I thought I was the only one who really cared about that! 
11-30-2008, 12:14 AM
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2008 S65 AMG, 2005 SLR McLaren
One thing I don't understand is why some drivers of MB Sedan's replace the traditional 3 pointed star hood ornament with a flat ornament of the type you might find on a sports MB such as a SL/CL etc... To me, that imperious 3 pointed star always visible in my line of sight is the very essence of driving a Mercedes... in fact a big part of why I feel good driving my car... Indeed this ornament is part of the character of a dynasty of cars going back almost 100 years... To me a classically elegant Merc sedan without the star just looks naked and incomplete... (Just like putting a sedan's hood ornament on a CL would also look out of character)
...but that is just me! Everyone to their own of course... But does anyone else feel this way?
Chris
...but that is just me! Everyone to their own of course... But does anyone else feel this way?
Chris
11-30-2008, 02:38 PM
#12
MBWorld Fanatic!
Guys,
You just don't get it.
There is very specific reason for the star.
MB developed this emblem for every MB driver to
aim at the road better
Now you know...
You just don't get it.
There is very specific reason for the star.
MB developed this emblem for every MB driver to
aim at the road better
Now you know...
11-30-2008, 05:49 PM
#13
Member
[QUOTE... Indeed this ornament is part of the character of a dynasty of cars going back almost 100 years... Chris[/QUOTE]
Here is a little history of the "STAR" The star in Daimler’s logo came from an old postcard where Gottlieb Daimler had drawn a star above the picture of his house and wrote that "this star would one day shine over [his] own factory to symbolize prosperity." The three-pointed star symbolized Daimler’s ambition of making vehicles "on land, on water and in the air." (Source: Daimler)
Here is a little history of the "STAR" The star in Daimler’s logo came from an old postcard where Gottlieb Daimler had drawn a star above the picture of his house and wrote that "this star would one day shine over [his] own factory to symbolize prosperity." The three-pointed star symbolized Daimler’s ambition of making vehicles "on land, on water and in the air." (Source: Daimler)
11-30-2008, 07:07 PM
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Sonderklasse
Never owned a MB until April when i got a '08 s550 4Mtic sport.It is one of the finest cars i have ever owned,and by far the best sedan i have ever had (had a number of 7'S)and without the 3 pointed star on the hood it just wouldnt seem right.Kinda like pancakes without syrup...........or ya know what i mean.Just gotta have that star,at least on the flagship S series.
Welcome to the MB community. You can't go wrong especially when you have the flagship.
However, in MB lingo (as opposed to Munich nomenclature), it should be referred to as "S Class." "Series" belongs to BMW and I guess nowadays Lexus too ("IS-Series" etc). I know it's no big deal but this is another one of those things that bug me...
Yes, it's always been weird when onboard the ML/GL (not so much MB coupes/roadsters) due to the lack of the 3-point star. I have to say though, I didn't like the C class star-on-the-grille treatment at first and preferred the Luxury trim (with the star on hood); but now it has grown on me. Yet, I don't think they'd be able to pull it off if it was on the S-Class. E.g. I never liked those tuner S-Classes that replaced the star with their flat emblems. It's good to see many S-Classes with Brabus kits that retain their hood star. Goes to show that many S-Class owners have similar sentiments regarding the hood star
