Raccoon/Fox Tails on Radio Aerial - Why?

[David Conwill]

What is the story behind this? Why was this done?? I am young and dumb?

This was asked on the HAMB, and if there’s anyone who is going to know the origin of this practice, I think it’ll be the folks on the Fedora Lounge.

Here’s what I had to say:

Hmm, you fellas are too old for me.

I do remember an episode of the “Alf” cartoon show where he’s driving some kind of intergalactic ‘57 Chevy on his home planet, and it’s got a tail hanging from the rear-view mirror, given to him by a “friend.” It turns out to be a booby trap and grabs his steering wheel, causing him to crash.

I’ll second it being more of a ‘40s thing, as Disney’s “Make Mine Music” (kind of a pop music Fantasia from the mid-1940s) shows the characters speeding to the malt shop in a fenderless touring car with a tail attached to the antenna:

Speaking of antennas, weren’t fake radio aerials kinda popular at one time too?

Evidently all my knowledge of the past comes from cartoons.

-Dave

I also recall reading in a coffee table book on '50s cars that some insurance companies would charge higher rates for cars so decorated. What can you add?

-Dave

 

[Cigarband]

Basically ended with WWII.

 

[David Conwill]

Basically ended with WWII.

What's your basis for saying so?

-Dave

 

[LizzieMaine]

I suspect this whole thing was an outgrowth of 20s collegiate culture -- raccoon coats, ukuleles, and vo-do-de-o and such. The tails, which were hung from radiator caps before cars had antennas, had the same meaning that fuzzy dice had from the fifties onward -- that the owner of a car so ornamented was a wild-ridin' rebel who played by his own rules, just like all the thousands of other owners of cars so ornamented.

If you google up a novelty salesman by the name of Charles Brand, you'll find a bit more information on this -- seems he cornered the market on foxtails in the mid-thirties, only to have the fad blow over. The craze seems to have peaked in 1936-37, but lingered for a while -- Brand was still selling off his inventory as late as 1948, by which time he'd moved on to be hailed in the novelty trade as the Rabbit Foot King.

 

[David Conwill]

Thanks Lizzie, I was hoping you’d chime in.

-Dave

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Wow...very informative, Lizzie...thanks!
Rob

 

[BellyTank]

I used to have a Tiger's tail hanging out from my gas tank filler.

B
T

 

[David Conwill]

That's an Esso reference, isn't it? "Put a tiger in your tank."

-Dave

 

[Flivver]

The tiger was Esso/Exxon's trademark in the late 60s to early 70s. I seem to remember Esso stations handing out the tiger tails.

But, as I remember, it was Pontiac who got the tiger tail fad started with an ad for the GTO (around 1966) that showed a tiger tail coming out of the gas filler door of a GTO.

 

[David Conwill]

And now I see them occasionally hanging out of the hoods of Fairlane GTs at car shows - as in "My 390 will eat your 389."

 

[Stearmen]

Raccoon Tails

Clear into the early 1960s guys would put Raccoon tails on the end of their Bicycle handlebars. Just found out, you can still buy them!

 

[David Conwill]

Clear into the early 1960s guys would put Raccoon tails on the end of their Bicycle handlebars. Just found out, you can still buy them!

Really? Where?

 

[Rathdown]

Adult content warning!

Originally raccoon tails on motor cars were supposed to be indicative of the young man's sexual prowess, that he was a "wolf" (as in, "I'm a wolf with a big bushy tail..."). As with a lot of things it's original college meaning was lost as it became a fad, which quickly spread throughout the young crowd in the 20s and 30s, and then as quickly petered out in the 40s and 50s.

My thanks to Ray Hynes who grew up in that era for sharing a lot of wonderful trivia with me back in the 60s and 70s when I was working at ABC-TV in Hollywood, and who knew a whole lot of stuff about the golden era of Hollywood.

 

[David Conwill]

Isn't it funny how quickly the risque becomes the mundane? Every time my two-year-old sings "rock and roll!", I kinda wince, but then the original meaning is as lost as that of "jazz".

 

[scottyrocks]

I had a raccoon tail on my bicycle in the 1960s. I just liked the way it looked (and felt).

 

[vitanola]

Originally raccoon tails on motor cars were supposed to be indicative of the young man's sexual prowess, that he was a "wolf" (as in, "I'm a wolf with a big bushy tail...").

A Wolf? What's a Wolf?

You don't know from a Wolf? A Wolf is a piece-loving animal.

(my apologies to the Barton Brothers)

 

[Stearmen]

Really? Where?

You can find them on ebay.

 

[Carl Miller]

Most of the rockasilly kids in town have them on everything from bikes to their beater 50s cars.

 

[David Conwill]

I did a quick survey of the rockabilly kids in my town and didn't see a single one! Rockabilly kids, that is.

Must be interesting to live in the city.

 

[LizzieMaine]

All our rockabilly kids are 60 years old, and when they drive their turquoise Chevies to the Fifties Meets at the transportation museum, few fox/coon tails are in evidence. Furry Dice are still the dominant decoration in their circles. There are, however, a few locals who hang large rubber -- ah -- glands -- from the trailer hitches of their F-250s in an attempt to intimidate the tourists. These serve the same purpose as animal tails without the subtlety.