VEHICLE HERALDRY

Private cars can display your coat of arms in a variety of ways. It is traditional to be discrete rather than flamboyant but it is entirely up to you how far you go. Commercial vehicles use corporate arms in graphic modern ways, as exampled by Vauxhall’s use of its griffin crest as a large ¾ image over bodywork in recent years.

The car transfer or car decal is a painting of a component of your arms on a clear carrier film for your application. It is soaked in water and slid onto the bodywork. Once dry it must be varnished to protect it and make it permanent. The crest is most often done in this way but shields are not unknown. Full instructions are sent with the transfers, which are usually done as a pair. They can be quite tricky to apply and while some people get their garage to put them on, others are quite keen to do it themselves. A scrap piece of transfer is included for practice use. 2 inches high is the recommended maximum. For any sizes larger than this a different method is recommended. I am happy to paint to any size but large transfers have a danger of cracking during application.

A more durable alternative is to have the heraldry painted directly onto the bodywork. This has the disadvantage of the car being off the road while it is being done. While I am able and very happy to paint bodywork the car must be delivered to me, as I am currently unable to work away from home for the time it would take.

Peers of the realm favour the use of crests on their car doors but in order not to be ostentatious, they never exceed a diminutive 1" in height.

As a more durable alternative I produce small shields in thick plastic card. This is cut to any shield shape then painted with signwriting enamels and gilded. It has a commercial double-sided tape applied to it for you to stick to your car. Again instructions are included. I have known these to survive on the bonnet in a very exposed location, be untouched by carwash brushes and after some 5 years and 70,000 miles the gold leaf field was showing slight traces of wear, while the enamel was still sound. Obviously, though, I cannot guarantee them.

I could as easily cut the plastic card to the shape of your crest, badge, or even the full arms.

Civic Authorities’ vehicles will often feature the Authority’s coat of arms, as will Fire and Police vehicles feature theirs. Whereas once this employed local signwriters in a fulltime capacity nowadays artwork is produced on paper and turned into self adhesive vinyl signs. I can either create the artwork for your local sign companies to copy or take the whole procedure through to completion. This process is most suited to fleet use as the start up costs are high but the unit cost comparatively low. Size is not an issue with vinyl, either.

Official cars such as mayoral limousines can have metal plaques or shields attached to strong roof or bonnet magnets. These plaques are sprayed and have the Authority’s coat of arms painted and gilded on. I provide the full service, supplying the finished plaque with one of the strongest commercially available car magnets in the world. This is advisable as weaker ones have been known to be lost when the cars have driven along, one Local Authority once coming to me after they had lost no less than 3 in this way.

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