Generally, the automotive world is fairly focused on land, mostly because that’s the primary place car owners tend to use their vehicles, Amphicars aside. That also could be why car names tend to be focused on land-dwelling animals and other things, but not exclusively. There are some aquatic-animal-named cars out there, but not too many. Some have secondary names from aquatic animals, like the Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray, but for this moment, I want to focus on what I believe are the two best-known cars named for fish: the Plymouth Barracuda and the AMC Marlin.
Importantly, both of these cars could be had with hood ornaments, and, even more importantly, these hood ornaments featured fish. I believe these are the most-produced OEM fish-based hood ornaments, and the approaches taken by the two companies to the design of these pescatorial hood ornaments are similar and yet quite different, so I think they’re worth evaluating. Because, again, it’s important, dammit.
Both of these fish-cars were similar sorts of muscle car fastback designs, and both quite appealing in their own ways. As is expected from AMC, the Marlin is the stranger of the two, with slightly more awkward – but still quite engaging – styling. The original concept for the Marlin was a concept car based on the Rambler American named for another fish, a tarpon.
The production Marlin had a higher roof and more awkward proportions, arguably, but retained the fastback and pillar-less design that gave the car its unusual charm.
Plymouth’s Barracuda was the more popular of the fish-cars by a pretty significant margin, and I think the Barracuda had a bolder look, mostly due to that huge, curved rear window glass:
They weren’t actually ever painted in cool stripes like that; this was just some brochure magic. Also, here’s a better view of that fantastic, massive rear window glass:
But look, as much fun as this is, I don’t want to get sidetracked into a full discussion of the aesthetics of these two fastbacks; we’re here to decide which car had a better rendition of a fish on their hoods. So, with that in mind, let’s look at these two fish hood ornaments:
Look at these! Two similar yet quite different approaches to making a chromed fish on the end of your hood appealing. I think the Barracuda may have had a harder job here, since I think it’s the uglier of the two fish in reality, though I’m not sure how much of a looker a Marlin really is:
So, let’s consider the two approaches carefully: the Barracuda takes a side view of the fish, embraces its long narrowness, and stylizes the fish quite effectively, simplifying its forms until it becomes sleek and machine-like. The stylized fish is set over a circle, which significantly, doesn’t bound the fish, which breaks through its edges at either end. The result is powerful and sculptural, but perhaps a bit static.
The Marlin’s approach is quite different; we have a view of a leaping marlin, its body curving dramatically and gracefully into a swoosh. This one is bounded by a circle too, but in the Marlin’s case the fish is not just entirely contained within the chromed circle, it’s contained quite easily and with generous room, making the fish feel a bit small. The interior isn’t an empty void like the Barracuda one, either; a bluish-transparent plastic insert with a cocentric circle pattern fills the space, evoking water ripples or a target or a radar scope, depending on your state of mind.
It’s tricky, I’m really not certain which fish ornament I prefer; I think the Barracuda is more clean and bold, but the Marlin is doing some interesting things, too.
Here, if it helps you decide, you can listen to two songs relating to these fish. First, Barracuda by Heart:
A classic! What a banger about a fish! For the Marlin, we have George Strait’s Blue Marlin Blues:
Also a solid fish-themed song!
Okay, time for you to put down whatever other bullshit you’re doing, really focus and choose:
Also, feel free to explain yourself or argue or berate or cajole or evangalize or whatever in the comments! It’s fun! At least fun-ish!
If it all comes down to fish-themed songs, anybody got a hood ornament that looks like a ROCK LOBSTER?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=n4QSYx4wVQg
Saw them just a few years back: their energy is still amazing, and the crowd they attract made it one of my top 10 most fun shows ever.
-gave you a smiley cause you gave me one first
This song is so hilarious and I drive my wife crazy yelling ROCK LOBSTER! sometimes…I used to work w/ someone who yelled it at work and I busted out laughing so hard!
You can’t bring up fish songs and not mention “Wet Dream.”
My Barracuda is in the shop, so I’m in a rented Stingray, but it’s overheating.
If I were buying a car I’ve always had a soft spot for the Marlin and AMC in general, but I like the barracuda hood ornament better.
I went with Marlin, both are referenced in the Kip Adotta Wet Dream ‘song’ so there’s that, but the Barracuda logo has it’s mouth open like it’s about to say something but never does and I find that tedious.
The marlin would probably look like a dolphin from any sort of distance and especially since the fish is positioned to look like the popular ones from Miami.
Barracuda wins.
The barracuda is better looking, but if they did a leaping marlin hood ornament, a la Jaaag, I would have to have one. Although it would be a disaster from the pedestrian safety standpoint.
Team Marlin here. I like the curvature – it’s more stylish than the more linear ‘cuda and I’m not fond of the latter’s open mouth.
The shape of the Marlin does not evoke the fish to me. It looks like the perspective is from below looking up to the sky. It fails to provide the classic Marlin look. the spike is missing, and the telltale dorsal is lost in the figure. The Barracuda shape lives up to the fish.
I remember both these from when I was a wee lad…
I’m here for the Marlin – if only for the “Old Man And The Sea” associations. (and because I’ve been to some of those locations when we made it down to Cuba)
Which reminds me of a certain F150 in Key West which has been covered in fish….
(No, not the B.O.’s Fish Wagon – the other one)
Story idea: “Top 10 Epic Rear Windows”, I’ll get you started: 911 Targa, AMC Pacer, RX-8, Monte Carlo SS Aero, etc.
1947-52 Studebaker Starlight Coupes
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe (the split window – Honorable mention to the succeeding 1964-67 coupes)
1971-73 Buick Riviera
1977-79 Chevrolet Impala/Caprice Coupes
1977-78 Oldsmobile Toronado XS
Then there’s the entire lineage of “Breezeway” rear windows, which could be an article themselves:
1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser
1958-1960 Lincoln Continentals
1963-1967 Mercurys
Interesting that Torch chose to depict the face-lifted ‘67 Marlin, but not the ‘67 Barracuda which was a radical departure from the homely Valiant-based originals. Trying to influence the vote maybe?
I picked the Marlin, because a fish in a Loony Tunes logo is just perfect!
I think the Marlin is the better logo but Hyundai really missed out by not putting a shark on the Tiburon.
The rear script is shark-inspired (similar font to in the ad below without the outline), but they definitely should’ve gone further.
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/5AAAAOSwO8VfmZq4/s-l1600.jpg
Choose the Marlin and you will join AMC….in death.
Well, yeah. Some day. 😉
Nice—Shogun Assassin and Wu-Tang! Best I thought of was Primus songs about fishing.
I prefer the Barracuda’s ornament mostly because the Marlin one, while certainly dynamic, seems (from a 21st century perspective) so familiar as to be cliche. Even by the mid-20th century when these were new, you’d see that familiar pose on any given deep-sea fishing enthusiast magazine cover or boat charter brochure, so given the car’s name, the ornament logo is just kinda low-hanging fruit. Obvious. Yawn. I’m not saying the Barracuda one is a particularly imaginative choice (again, given the car’s name), but… one just didn’t see barracudas all that often, on magazine racks or whatever. And what they did with that admittedly kinda homely fish is turn it into an iconic jet-age avatar for speed and sleek danger, almost like an alien weapon of some sort. They chose all the right badass details from the actual fish, left off the scruffy bits, and made it look awesome.
When I was eight, our next door neighbors bought a light aqua Rambler Marlin with its fish in a baby pool logo. For a New York minute it was the coolest car in the neighborhood. Then, several months later, the guy across the street purchased a new Dodge Charger, which showed everyone what could be done with that body style. It was no contest. Plus, the Charger lived up to its look. The Marlin, not so much. In ‘67, Plymouth upped the ante with its second gen (my favorite) Barracuda with fastback, coupe and convertible models that looked as sleek as its namesake. And it had a better logo, too. The Barracuda logo evinced menace, power and speed. The Marlin logo looked like a guppy squirming in a puddle on the floor, not the magnificent fighting fish it should have portrayed. Barracuda wins in the logo contest and once again AMC is left to ponder an almost win.
Barracuda!
I’ve never driven a Marlin down the quarter-mile.
If the Marlin broke out of the border like the Barracuda does it would be so much better – larger to give it more sculptural detail, and a sense of uncontainable dynamism.
If the Marlin itself were a little more foreshortened, it might have better portrayed a 3D effect, maybe.
The best fish-themed vehicle is the Citroen Nemo; the entire car was designed to look like the titular character from Finding Nemo.
How many others had to do like I did, and do a Google search on the Citroen Nemo?
It’s a neat-looking small cargo van, with a bit of a resemblance to an S-Cargo.
(Why can’t we get cool stuff like that in the U.S.?)
I saw an ad recently that said ‘If the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, it’s probably because your neighbour’s septic tank is leaking. Call xxx-xxxx for septic tank services’.
Comparing the Nemo to a sewage leak is arguably somewhat harsh on the sewage, because no-one intended the leak, whereas the Nemo is the result of deliberate choices by its designers.
I expect you’re looking at it and thinking it has the practicality of a van with the driveability of a small car, but actually it’s the other way around: it drives like a cheap van, and is as practical as a small car. It also has the performance of an economy car, and the economy of a performance car, if I remember correctly. I don’t know if you saw the 0-60 times, but the manufacturer claimed the quicker ones do it in 16.5s.
The Doblo and Berlingo are a bit more useful, but they’re still a hard sell even in Europe, let alone in the US. They’re cheap to make given the companies already build the vans, but they’d definitely never exist if they were stand-alone models.
I think these days you lot get the Transit Connect van-with-windows variants. VW Caddy too, maybe? Much better compromises than the Nemo.
While technically not a hood logo, please allow me to go off topic and cast my vote for the best fish-themed automotive logo, the amazing fender logo from the Opel Manta A.
If you’re going there, include the Chevy Corvette Stingray badge/fender ornament. It’s tied with the Opel for best, which means the Opel wins due to obscurity.
Barracuda, but it’s close.
Barracuda would have won by a landslide if Plymouth had better played up the teeth these things have. They’re quite fearsome looking, if largely harmless to us.
Also, the Marlin name belongs not on a car, but on a watch. The Timex Marlin predates the AMC, and is perhaps one of the all-time great evocative names for a sporty but not over the top timepiece, with much more dynamic graphics used over the years.
Timex Marlin: according to the ads, the watch that “takes a licking and keeps on ticking”
That was Timex’s corporate slogan, not specific to that watch.
Stingray…
Opel did it better.
Went Barracuda, I’m told mom had one of those in the late 60’s when she met my dad. Aparently one of my cousins broke that huge curved back window and it cost fortune to replace.
Marlin, no question. I loved their shape and profile slathered on everything growing up in Florida.
My Mopar-guy-ness and my long time crush on Nancy Wilson make this one easy for me. I prefer the Barracuda’s logo, as well.