7 replies to this topic

[HEROS]

Several times, I saw the prancing horse back to front, for example on the helmet
of Merzario.

Is it about a chance or is there an explanation ?

Thanks

[D-Type]

I've never thought about it - I always assumed it was prancing in the direction the car was going.

Wasn't there something about the nag on the Ford Mustang 's badge going in the wrong direction?

[Nanni Dietrich]

Merzario as two horses on his helmet, one on left one on right side. Perhaps the right horse is back to front, I don't remember.
I'm sure that, after he went away from the Scuderia Ferrari, he painted rein for the "cavallino rampante" (prancing horse) on his helmet.

[Peter Morley]

Originally posted by HEROS
Several times, I saw the prancing horse back to front, for example on the helmet
of Merzario.

Is it about a chance or is there an explanation ?

Thanks

Could it be to avoid copyright problems?

Since Ferrari signed an exclusive deal with Mattel for Ferrari models, and subsequently realised you can't stop people modelling a 20+ year old shape, all they can do is stop you using their logo & emblem - hence a lot of recent Ferrari models just have a blank yellow rectangle where the badge should be.

[Garagiste]

It's also worth asking if you saw the horses in "real life" or in photographs. Picture editors seem very fond of reversing images to make the page look better, even when this leads to glaring errors.

[Arjan de Roos]

Originally posted by Peter Morley


Could it be to avoid copyright problems?

Since Ferrari signed an exclusive deal with Mattel for Ferrari models, and subsequently realised you can't stop people modelling a 20+ year old shape, all they can do is stop you using their logo & emblem - hence a lot of recent Ferrari models just have a blank yellow rectangle where the badge should be.

Some model makers, especially artisan model makers who dont or cant pay these license fees, put the decals on and add a dot of yellow water soluble paint on top of the decals. So after purchase wipe the paint away with a wet tissue or a Q-tip, and presto, you see the prancing horse!

If it still not appears after one hour, it never was there I guess

[panzani]

I think the prancing horse is always 'looking to the left'.
If this is correct it will look to the back of the car on the right side -- like here -- and to the front in the left side.

[doc540]

Origins of the prancer.

Original Direction?