a
reference to the cars produced by the Rickenbacker
Motor Company of
Detroit, Michigan, USA, which was founded in the early 1920s by
American race car driver, automobile manufacturer and
ace fighter pilot, Edward Rickenbacker (1890-1973).
Hat-in-the-
Ring refers to the emblem he used on his cars, which was literally a
hat with a
ring around it-the same insignia used for his
squadron of fighter
planes of
World War I (1914-1918), which were famous for their
success in battle.