Car Radiator Mascot François Bazin

Sculptor and medalist François Bazin trained at the École des Arts Décoratifs and later at the École Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Mobilized in 1916, he joined the Spa 164 CF fighter squadron. This experience profoundly influenced his work. He met the industrialist Marc Birkigt, founder of Hispano-Suiza, supplier of engines for SPAD aircraft. From this encounter, after the war, one of the most famous emblems of the automobile was born: the Hispano-Suiza stork, a tribute to Captain Guynemer and his squadron. Between 1920 and 1935, François Bazin designed a series of radiator caps that have become iconic. These works reflect his taste for movement, stylization, and the fusion of art and technology—a typically Art Deco aesthetic.