… that curly-qued silver piece on the C-pillar of certain Cadillacs which I believe was once a horse-whip holder.
A clarification; they are called “Landau bars”. A Landau was a particular form of carriage, in particular, one with a “falling top” (predecessor of the “convertible”); it was essentially TWO tops which locked together in the middle. The folding mechanism consisted of a four-bar linkage; the “curly-qued” silver piece locked the frame work into position. The original “Landau” was created in Landau, Germany.
circa 1880
Since “carriages” were only owned by the wealthy these drop-tops were viewed, by other wealthy folks, as a sign of elevated status. Not as practical as a hardtop, I guess they were considered a “luxury”. Funny, a rich man’s luxury… …
I like vestigial as well…