The Mack Bulldog hood ornament identification

Hi,
came across some Mack bulldog ornaments today in a deceased estate house cleaning exercise. Is there any online resource with pictures that can help me determine if they are the real deal?

They were mounted on wooden bases but felt heavy enough I thought. Two were the same , gold and silver, and the other one was more squarer maybe slightly smaller and uglier. All had three lines of text cast in to chest and MACK on the dogs collar.

Terry
PS. Battery was flat on the phone otherwise I would be posting pictures.

Could try the Big Mack Truck forum

Plenty of switched on people on there, I am not one of them

Paul

From the Mack Historical Society.

Mack Bulldog Ornament History

October 1932 - The Mack Bulldog radiator cap ornament was patented. It was released as Part Number 4BF26.
December 1937 - The Bulldog was redrawn and the part number was changed to 27RU217. This was a chrome-plated zinc die casting.
December 1941 - The finish was changed to a painted, #775R Mack Gray finish.
September 1944 - The finish reverted back to the chrome-plating as before the war.
September 1947 - The part number was raised to 217RU217A. The reason for this was that the attaching studs were changed to cast-in female threaded brass fasteners. Under this part number, the P1 version was chrome-plated.
June 1967 - A 14 karat gold-plated version was added under the 217RU217A P2 release.
June 1968 - The gold plating was replaced with a 14 karat gold alloy.
December 1979 - The part number was raised to 217RU217B as the ornament was redesigned to have more ergonomically friendly contours, with shorter ears and tail. Besides being the handsome Mascot, the Bulldog served as a handle to tilt the hood on conventional models and a hand hold on cab-over-engine models for windshield washing. The P1 part was again chrome plated while the P2 finish was “gold flash.”
March 1986 - The patent number 87931 was replaced with the registered Trademark number 1,387,477.

As Mack is a custom truck builder, there are more than likely a few exceptions.

Topics being researched
Unknown Time Frame- Rumors of brass Bulldogs, we have found no documentation to verify this variation.
1993 – 2014 Gold Bulldogs, plated or polished, available as an unpublished option. Origin of this variation appears to be Mack promotional models, perhaps starting with the CH or CL Elite.
Please reference the Bulldog Color PDF for reference
 
 

Gold dogs meant Maxidyne motors, flat torque curve
All the rest had chrome dogs whether all Mack running gear or not
Black dogs was for military Macks
Copper dogs are for Mack all electric jobs
Gold dogs are now all Mack drive train since Swishmans mates from Volvo took over
Which are rebranded Volvo drive train

No matter, thats the dogs and their colours as best as I can recall

Paul

Hi,

in the image post a couple back I can see the same sort of writing in the casting on the chest so I would say the three we found are genuine, but now I want to find out if the odd one of the three is from a different era.

Terry

This is only applicable to the modern ers.

 

This is an earlier "traditional" one prior to 1986 when the number was changed.


 

I got one I took off a B61 ..its zinc alloy ,and I always thought it was a cheap 1970s replacement

John

I have a couple here I got for my poodle Mack but never fitted.

They are certainly genuine 1950-60 period and as you say made of alloy and chrome plated. Like all that alloy stuff such as badges, trims and tail light surrounds of the period American, European and British, they get outbursts of corrosion through the chrome as shown on that close-up shot above.

It would seem they have never been made of quality material (the Mack Museum mob above mention there is a "rumour" of a brass dog but zero evidence). I am sure there have been brass reproductions made better quality than original.

The modern ones used as hand-holds must be stronger, possibly a good quality aluminium casting. Don't they stand with front legs on a box now for extra strength?

Apparently one of the big aftermarket suppliers in USA produced thousands of replicas (to be fitted to hotrods, any truck and particularlu pick-up trucks). These can be identified by the back legs being a solid casting. All genuine Mack mascots have separate back legs.

Lang



Original 1930's photo

 

Spotted on Marketplace for sale, not mine . . .