[michaelt]

Vehicles include low-utility features for market positioning all the time.

Do buyers need a motorised hood ornament? A tiny vase built into the dashboard? A built-in champagne chiller? Gull wing doors? A spoiler and a 300-horsepower engine?

If it boosts sales by giving the vehicle a distinctive character, though, there's a place in the market for that tiny vase.

[nickff]

The motorized hood ornaments on Rolls Royce vehicles were a solution to the problem of people being injured by, or stealing the (Spirit of Ecstasy) ornaments.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_of_Ecstasy

[soopypoos]

How does it being motorized prevent injury?

[sarchertech]

> Today's Spirit of Ecstasy, from the 2003 Phantom model onward, stands at 3 inches (7.6 cm) and, for the safety of any person being accidentally hit, is mounted on a spring-loaded mechanism designed to retract instantly into the radiator shell if struck from any direction.

[soopypoos]

I don't think that mentions it being motorized

[sarchertech]

The motor allows you to raise it after it has been retracted.

[soopypoos]

Then why is it spring-loaded?