I'm a big fan of tiny design touches that add personality in areas that may not get much visibility. They show an attention to detail and pride for design, while being cheap enough to slip under the radar of company beancounters.

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Flags are a tried-and-true execution of this strategy. Ferrari is a frequent, and among the most obvious proponents of nationalism, with the tri-colore gracing everything from trim strips to the Ferrari badge itself. So is Alfa Romeo and Maserati.

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American makers are also fond of the red, white and blue gracing their vehicles, particularly the performance ones. They appear everywhere from engine plastic cover moldings on CTS-Vs to the Raptor to the new Grand Wagoneer and C8.

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But my favourite of all has to be the Swedish flag tags affixed to the side of the seats in the most recent generation of Volvos. Nationalism that's even more enjoyable that it's coming from the land of subtly and safety, not bragging.

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It's such a simple way to show pride. Many owners won't find them for a while, but I guarantee they'll smile when they do.

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Interestingly, the use of flags is not a widespread industry trend, especially in mass-market cars. The latest Mini flagship rams the Union Jack down your throat with the taillight design. But steam across the channel and you'd be hard-pressed to find French flags on Citroëns, Renaults or Peugeots. A limited production Alpine, sure, but not a regular car.

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Same with the Germans, whose flag rarely appears on any Mercedes, VWs, Audis or BMWs, and only the occasional Porsche with one of its 2.4 billion customization options of increasing gaudiness. With Mercedes and BMW, perhaps it's tied to wanting to fit in with its models that are built in the US. Meine G-klass came from South Carolina!

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Japan? Only one hardcore, limited edition variants, but never a Corolla, Mazda3 or Civic. This is particularly interesting because Japanese car culture is legendary the entire world over. I mean, the acronym for their domestic market has been co-opted around the world as an entire brand of car culture. So why not the use of the rising sun flag on small badges here and there?

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And you would think that our friends down under would be slapping flags on every Holden they could. It's a cheap way of making an Acadia at least FEEL like its homegrown.

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I find this perplexing. Especially because the argument of culture modesty doesn't typically apply to the nationalistic pride that countries rightfully feel about their storied domestic makers. Japan is proud of Toyota - which they damn well should be!
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So here's hoping we see more flags pop up in future designs. Because it shouldn't just be Americans that get to throw theirs around.