# Lifeboat man car bonnet mascot



## 6639

I recently bought this little chappie on a well known web auction site.
It is a solid brass car radiator bonet mascot about 5" tall and comes engraved on the round base with the inscription "Lifeboatman".
On the underside of the base is a number which I believe is the RNLI charity number.
It was made in the 1930's supposedly for fund raising.
Does anyone know the hisory of this little fella, and how many were made, and who designed him.
I would be gratefull for any info on him.
Just have to save up for the car now, to mount him on.
neil.


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## billyboy

Wow.... think you may well have a Limited edition statuette there Neil.
Take care of it!


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## 6639

i will that, billyboy, the little fella really is a true gem.i was lucky to win him.
i love all things lifeboat, and he really did strike a cord, as my second hobby is classic MG's, and i just thought he'd be nice sat on the radiator of an mg, when i can afford my next one. (Hippy) 
suppose i could sell my two kids into white slavery, but probably end up with a b****y cammel instead.(Jester)


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## wully farquhar

I have never saw any of these things Neil,hang in there you might have got the jackpot!! lol


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## 6639

I doubt it, Wully, but he's not for sale.
A friend of mine bought a little Austin 7 tourer a few years ago and then picked up a "John Bull" figurine mascott for his radiator cap.I really admired that, and when this little fella came up for sale the other day, I just had to have a bid.Just need the car now??
Amazingly I got it for what I thought was a cheap price........my wife says I need b****y well locking up, but who cares.
Would just like to know a little history as to why it carries the lifeboat charity number.
I'll contact the lifeboat enthusiast lads next if no one on this or LB 24-7 site come up with anything.
Just very intriguing.
cheers,neil.


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## cymruman

Sorry to spoil your fun but I think you will find that if you fit it to the bonnet of your car you may attract some unwelcome attention from the local boys in blue.
I think it is no longer allowed to have statues on your bonnet due to the large amount of damage caused to pedestrians who decide to try and look at it when it is doing 30mph at them. I think you will find it needs to be collapsible on impact, hence merc and rollers have collapsible emblems and the new jag has the leaping cat as a stickon on the boot.

Very nice piece though, I'll give you £5 and take a chance on it, lol.

Be interested to see if you can find the history of it.

Happy motoring


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## 6639

cheers, cymruman, sorry but offer declined.lol.
actually you have a point to a certain extent, but the rule on collapsable bonnet mascots relates to cars younger than a certain age.
my friend with the austin 7 also has a friend who is a retired( only just)police officer in the traffic division, and he checked up on the laws and rules appertaining to both himself and my mate fitting mascots retrspectively to their own cars, and, like seat belts and other things that relate to modern motors, there is a cut off age wher one is allowed to fit such adornements.
i would be more worried about getting it nicked. cheers for the comment though. neil.


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## John N MacDonald

Neil, I'd be very careful about the figure as police in different areas appear to interpit laws differently!


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## 6639

cheers, John.
mind you the time it's taking me to save for my car, it might end up as being mounted on my b****y headstone, never mind a car radiator?(A) (Smoke) (Jester)


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## NoR

*Austin Seven*

Probably quite hard to kill anyone with an Austin Seven (Thumb)


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## 6639

had a reply from the MG Enthusiast magazine Editor today.....(Cloud) .......sadly for me , anything that would put "third Party" public in any danger of injury would open me to prosecution, 
but not only that, the question one is always asked by insurers "has your car been modified in any way sir" leads me to have my insurance nulified if not stated that I carry a none standard collapsable mascot such as the Spirit of Extasy and I would be open to a law suit of monumental proportions without any insurance cover, if I fitted ol' 'enry.
Sadly it looks as though it will have to be mounted on my headstone once I've curled my mortal coil and shuffled off.......(A) ..........no one can sue me then....(Hippy) 
Thanks for your comments lads.(MAD)


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## Santos

Ah now Neil, you know what Health & Safety will say about that - mounted on your headstone, be gad - someone whilst passing by with a full watering can might catch on the said mounted Lifeboatman and do themselves an injustice as well as a misdomeanor and your poor family will be liable - no mate - you mount it on your bicycle handles bars and b-gger the consequences (Jester) 

Chris.


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## billyboy

*MG's*

This is the model i was talking about the other day.
You may even be able to mount your statue on the Dash ... or even convert him into a trendy gear knob ...LOL (Thumb)


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## 6639

santos, my old family disowned me years ago.(Cloud) 
said i was an embarrassment to them....i resemble that..(Hippy) so any one trying to sue me after i'm pushin up daisys would have a job and an arf.they'd just deny any knowledge of me[=P] 
billyboy.yes that's the car.lovely little things they are.(Thumb) 
cheers, neil.


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