BMW has the Roundel; Ford the Blue Oval; Chevrolet the Bow Tie. Memorable Chrysler symbols from back in the day include the Flookerang and the Fratzog.
When the automaker formerly known as Chrysler, now Stellantis, recently announced it was reviving the Dodge Flatzog symbol for the division’s electric performance cars, it generated new interest in the various logograms used by the company over the years. One of the earliest was the interlocking-triangle symbol of the Dodge Brothers, which inspired some automotive urban folklore (read about it here). Two logos that have always fascinated us, for their outlandish names as much as anything, are the aforementioned Fratzog and the Flookerang.
The Flookerang, above, which we could describe as a pair of stylized boomerangs more or less, did not represent any specific Chrysler brand or division. Rather, it was the symbol of Virgil Exner’s Forward Look styling theme, which was a feature of all Chrysler Corporation cars from 1955 to 1961. Where the name originated we can’t say, but the logo itself is classic mid-century graphic art with a Populuxe flavor. It was first seen in 1957 in the print and TV advertising materials for the Chrysler Corporation and its five car brands, and also as a small chrome fender emblem on some models. The Flookerang, and the Forward Look with it, were quietly retired by 1961.
The Fratzog, a segmented deltoid shape, was a Dodge exclusive. As the story goes, it got its name when its designer was told that his logo had to be given a name, so he quickly made up one. Unlike the Flookerang, the Fratzog was used mainly as a vehicle emblem, starting with the 1962 Polara 500 and 880, and can be found on hood standups, wheel covers, and other locations on Dodge products between ’62 and ’76. It was seldom featured in Dodge print ads, where the familiar Chrysler Pentastar, designed by Robert Stanley of Lippincott & Margulies in 1962, was commonly used instead.
And now Dodge informs us that the Fratzog is going electric (below). Just how the Fratzog will be utilized in marketing the new Dodge electric muscle machine remains to be seen, but we are sure to find out when the production vehicle is introduced in 2024, or maybe when the concept makes its appearance sometime next year.
