Show me elegant and classy vintage hood ornaments and motormeters.

[patrikman]

This is actually a radio antenna too. Bonus points if you can name the make model and year.

[SMG]

1939 Packard Model 1707 V12.

Here's a Franklin hood ornament:

[vwlarry]

The Lincoln greyhound, from Lincoln's classic heyday of the thirties and early forties.



Packard had two iconic mascots. The Cormorant, seen here:



and the "Donut Chaser" (actually more formally known as the "Goddess of Speed"):



Hispano-Suiza's beautiful mascot:



Even lowly, workingman Ford had a beautiful mascot in the thirties, the Quail (most typically seen on the Model A):



Duesenberg's was deco-simple, and very pretty:



I especially like Pierce Arrow's mascot, the Archer:

[Buickboy92]

1937 Cadillac V16. One of my Favorites.

[thesteve]

Pontiac had some AMAZINGLY cool hood ornaments.

[patrikman]

1939 Packard Model 1707 V12.

I guess that was too easy.

[Subwoofers]

YES ^ That's right

[vwgtiIII]

I guess that was too easy.

Lol. Yea, whoaa. That was way quicker than I had expected!

[thesteve]

Here.....just check this out:

http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010...ion-guide.html

[patrikman]

Here.....just check this out:

http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010...ion-guide.html

That's no fun.

[slirt]

[Bixmen]

This was on a 1950 Ford Heavy Duty Truck

[barry2952]

The '56 Mark II hood ornament was beyond the skills of Ford's foundry and was let to a gun sight manufacturer. It cost more than an entire '56 Ford front grill assembly.

[93JC]

Nash:

[.BRuno.]

I got this one from my dad as my 9 year old birthday gift.

Found out last year (through TCL of course) it's from a 42-46 DeSoto, but never found a picture of the car.

[barry2952]

What's this hood ornament from?

[atomicalex]

Many of the glass ones were fitted with illumination. These were commonly made by LaLique(!) and the glass was frosted to improve the glow effect.

[barry2952]

Many of the glass ones were fitted with illumination. These were commonly made by LaLique(!) and the glass was frosted to improve the glow effect.

I've never heard that before. How would that be accomplished?

[vwlarry]

Many of the glass ones were fitted with illumination. These were commonly made by LaLique(!) and the glass was frosted to improve the glow effect.

]

Lesser marques often had illuminated ornaments over the years, too. My dad drove a beat-up 'old 1949 Chevy to the steel mills for years that had one of these glowing red at night (not Lalique, just blue-collar plastique ), just like Rudolph's nose:

[barry2952]

I know about those, as the wiring could be concealed under the hood. How would you illuminate a radiator cap. There were a number of Lalique radiator caps at Meadow Brook last year, but I saw none with wires.

[Yo Teach]

The '56 Mark II hood ornament was beyond the skills of Ford's foundry and was let to a gun sight manufacturer. It cost more than an entire '56 Ford front grill assembly.

What made it so special/expensive/difficult to make?

[NeezDuts]

No mention of the Bugatti Elephant?

[barry2952]

What made it so special/expensive/difficult to make?

Even with a centrifugal casting rig the fine stylized ring was very difficult to fill with molten metal, hence the failure rate was quite high.

[randyvr6]

Here are a few from the Orphan Car Show in Ypsilanti, Mi several weeks ago

1928 Graham Paige



1929 Willys Knight



1928 Isotta Fraschini

[Merc-MarkO]

Praga

[atomicalex]

I know about those, as the wiring could be concealed under the hood. How would you illuminate a radiator cap. There were a number of Lalique radiator caps at Meadow Brook last year, but I saw none with wires.

No illuminated rad caps that I know of, just hood ornaments. And... while we call them "hood ornaments", most time, they were mounted to the cowl as the "hoods" were on the sides of the engine bay.

[barry2952]

No illuminated rad caps that I know of, just hood ornaments. And... while we call them "hood ornaments", most time, they were mounted to the cowl as the "hoods" were on the sides of the engine bay.

I believe the cowl is the area between the hood and the windshield and front doors. The hood incorporated the top and side lids of the engine compartment.

Please provide a picture of a Lalique mascot mounted to the cowl of a car. I've never seen one. They are always mounted to the radiator cap, from what I've seen.

[patrikman]

What's this hood ornament from?

I have no idea but I absolutely love these types of sculptures when they are intricate and detailed as opposed to a sparkplug welded to a rusty something or other.

[randyvr6]

Studebaker (1928-1934?)

[patrikman]

[warrenW]

this is by far the most civil/informative/amazing thread that i have ever seen here.

in order to not ruin it, ill add in some of my own pictures.
packard, of course.

[BrewtownDUB]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Lalique-Car-Masc...ht_4764wt_1139

[atomicalex]

I believe the cowl is the area between the hood and the windshield and front doors. The hood incorporated the top and side lids of the engine compartment.

Please provide a picture of a Lalique mascot mounted to the cowl of a car. I've never seen one. They are always mounted to the radiator cap, from what I've seen.

Actually, I think you are right. I'm using cowl in the aviation sense, which is wrong here. For a car, cowl is right where you place it. I'm refering to the grille surround (an aviation cowl ). Rad caps of the period might have a thermometer fitted, but not an illuminated ornament. The ornament definitely had to be mounted to the body work.

<-- has pics, but they are back in .de, give me a week.

[patrikman]

And probably my favorite shot from this year thus far.

[pat_ernzen]

Hispano-Suiza's beautiful mascot:

So incredibly elegant. One of my personal favorites.

One of the Pontiac ornaments lit up.


I actually licensed this shot to be used as set dressing for the movie Knight and Day. Guessing it never made it into the film, though... haven't actually watched it yet, haha.