Bentley has issued a recall due to concerns of accidental impalement by their “Flying B” hood ornament. According to the Boston Herald:
Bentley said one of its dealers noticed that corrosion frequently hits a spring mechanism designed to drop the ornament into the car’s body during an accident. That could mean the pointy Flying B stays in place if a Bentley owner ever hits a pedestrian (perhaps while reaching for their Grey Poupon mustard).
The recall covers certain 2007-09 Bentley Arnages, Azures and Brooklands, which originally listed for between $222,000 and $341,000.
The affected vehicles – 620 sold in North America and 200 in Europe – all have special hood ornaments that some owners paid $3,200 extra for.
The Infamous Flying B
There is so much to like about this story. Nothing gets the fauxthentic juices flowing like the striking revelation that Bentley has earned (according to my calculator) a cool $4.5 million in revenue upselling people on… hood ornaments. If nothing else, Bentley has singlehandedly confirmed PT Barnum’s famous maxim that a sucker is born every minute. Go Bentley!
But Then again not every hood ornament retracts in the event of an accident. Kind of like a reverse air bag, huh? And certainly the Herald’s ‘Grey Poupon’ crack is an obvious one. But I gotta say, the first thing that came to mind when I read this story is:
BART!
No sir it wasn’t me that put that “B” shaped hole in granny’s abdomen. Take a look officer. No B’s. This is a B-less Bentley!
A retraction mechanism for a hood ornament. Now I can die in peace. 
Sincerely,
