Grants Pass / Oregon / United States
Many car lovers view cars and auto parts as art forms. Bob Drake of Bob Drake Reproductions Inc has raised the bar for automotive art by commissioning a large-scale sculpture by Las Vegas artist Evgeni Vodenitcharov. The V-8 Goddess was unveiled at the S.E.M.A. Show in Las Vegas on November 4, 2008. The 8-foot-tall chrome sculpture is the largest hood ornament in the world and is most definitely pedal-to-the-metal high art. Drake has for years admired the mascots and hood ornaments of early 1900s automobiles. Sadly, these little works of art are largely missing from modern automobiles these days its sometimes difficult even to tell what brand a vehicle is, he said. He wanted to develop an image that would celebrate the early-day hot rod spirit and also pay homage to Henry Fords magnificent accomplishment in 1932: the release of his powerful V-8 engine. The idea for the Goddess came to Drake in a dream. As I dropped off to sleep, I had in mind the extraordinary Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy mascot, a beautiful woman trailing a windswept cloak, he said, I dreamed of a contemporary figure that was at once beautiful, graceful, proud, and powerful all in chrome.
