Hood and/or radiator orniments...

[Steve Plucker]

What is the best looking hood and/or radiator orniment which you have seen on a car?

For me, it is the flying lady on the 1955 Nash Ramblers (not sure how long it was in production).

Pluck

[mass A man]

The early '30's Pontiac's had a great looking Indian type ornament, and same with the old Dodge Ram ornaments from the 1930's too. I'm still using the plain 'ole flat cap on my Ford A truck. Goes to show how much class I show.

[700rpm]

First: 1930's Pierce Arrow.
Second: Any Rolls Royce.
Third: This one comes out of a vague memory: A mid-fifties Pontiac with a celluloid Indian head that lit up at night when the lights were on. I was very young when (I think) I saw this, so I'm not sure if I actually remember it or I made it up in my child's imagination wishing it really existed. Maybe someone can confirm or deny its existence.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by 700rpm

First: 1930's Pierce Arrow.
Second: Any Rolls Royce.
Third: This one comes out of a vague memory: A mid-fifties Pontiac with a celluloid Indian head that lit up at night when the lights were on. I was very young when (I think) I saw this, so I'm not sure if I actually remember it or I made it up in my child's imagination wishing it really existed. Maybe someone can confirm or deny its existence.

Ray,
It's NOT a figment of your imagination, classy lookin' Injun'! I worked at a wrecking yard part time during High School.
My favorite was the MERCURY GUY with WINGS on his helment. I had polio & NEVER ran in my lifetime. I wonder, if I had a helment like that and bought "RUNNING" shoes, maybe I could--------Naw!! Bill W.

[mot]

this one has to be

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lalique-Car-...120478119375?6

[Wick]

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Heres one I found for My Model T

[Bob-A]

1. Late 20's, early 30's Packard "Goddess of Speed"

2. 1929-early '31 Chevrolet "Viking"

3. Lincoln "Greyhound"

4. Any naked babe with wings........

Bob-A

[mmindling]

Steve,

I like the Rolls-Royce flying lady from the Ghost models. This was an oversized ornament, much bigger than the later Shadows and Spirits.
It is a design by Charles Sykes, the sculptor, modelled by Eleanor Thornton, the (ahem) private secretary of a Rolls-Royce shareholder.

The earliest RR cars had no radiator ornament, since Henry Royce felt that ornaments were vulgar. However, customers began putting their own devices on the cap, so Royce caved and got control of the situation.

More than you wanted to know, eh?

Regards,

[email protected]

[1931 flamingo]

mot: Nice one and only 27k, but I need two, one for each car..........................
Paul in CT

[Bruce]

I "collect" automotive mascots, commonly known as hood ornaments. Actually, since all my extra $$ are spent on Modeal A stuff, my collection is digital. It takes up less room and I never have to polish anything.
Here are a couple favorites. The first one is on a Model A. The next is from a Grahm hotrod. It gets better the bigger the picture gets. And, the last is from a Nash (my Dad had '50 Ambassador. He and my Mother argued about whether the flying lady was wearing a swimsuit ... so my Mother crocheted a bikini top for "her.")

[jrapose]

I really like the guy selling trophy tops mounted to radiator caps on EBAY...He does not claim they are original, just vintage...(from yard sales)...and gets a bunch of money for them... probably laughs all the way to the bank...

I always wanted one of those airplane mascots....but eating was more important.

[ericr]

Willys-Knight?

[jkelsh]

In one of the pictures in the model a album book someone had made one out of a flowerpot

[Purdy Swoft]

None at all on mine. On the fifties cars, the first thing I did was remove the airplanes or whatever and sail it off down in the woods. We called it shaving the hood. Some called it nosed and decked when the mascot and emblems were removed from the hood and deck lid. I still think that it looks cool. My third model A had half of the windshield missing on the passenger side, caused by some gaudy ornament that the past oner had attached to the radiator cap. When the ornament came loose it took out the windshield.

[oldmanandakid]

Originally Posted by 700rpm

First: 1930's Pierce Arrow.
Second: Any Rolls Royce.
Third: This one comes out of a vague memory: A mid-fifties Pontiac with a celluloid Indian head that lit up at night when the lights were on. I was very young when (I think) I saw this, so I'm not sure if I actually remember it or I made it up in my child's imagination wishing it really existed. Maybe someone can confirm or deny its existence.

700rpm-----1955 Pontiac Star Chieftain, I loved that hood ornament going down the highway at night.

[CarlG]

Here's a few that were taken Sunday at the Jay Ofsthun Show 'n Shine this past Sunday by the Anchorage Daily News:

[700rpm]

Originally Posted by oldmanandakid

700rpm-----1955 Pontiac Star Chieftain, I loved that hood ornament going down the highway at night.

Thanks to you and Bill for confirming that. As I get older, I'm not sure about what I think I remember from 55 years ago!

Now I'm on a quest: I gotta find one of those!

[700rpm]

Well, my search didn't take long. Here's a company remaking those Pontiac heads: http://torkresincasting.wordpress.com/

Still, I think I'll try to find an original.

[700rpm]

And here's a genny:

[CarlG]

My college roommate had one of those!

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

The Dodge Brothers commissioned some dude to dream up a new hood goody. He came in with a chrome plated BIGHORN SHEEP RAM!!! They looked at each other in complete amazement & confusion! Probably wondered what this guy was "ON!"
When finally asked, "Why a RAM?" The designer replied, "If you were hiking on a narrow mountain trail with a vertical cliff to your left and a STEEP canyon to the right and this Ram was runnin' 35 M.P.H.on this narrow trail, about to hit you HEAD-ON, what would you do?"
In complete, unrehearsed unison, The Dodge Brothers replied, "DODGE!" (And that's the rest of the story, Scout's Honor!) Bill W.

[CarlG]

Or the well known factory in Japan was about to come out with a new car. But didn't know what to name it. So they called up one of their friends at a well known German car maker and posed the question to him. The German asked "How soon do you need it?" The guy from Japan replied: "In less than a week". In astonishment, the German replied "Dat Soon?"

As Paul Harvey would say: "Now you know the rest of the story!"

[Ken B]

I have to vote for my avatar.

[Benson]

Originally Posted by Steve Plucker

What is the best looking hood and/or radiator orniment which you have seen on a car?

For me, it is the flying lady on the 1955 Nash Ramblers (not sure how long it was in production).

Pluck

54 Nash Ramblers had them also ... My Grandmother had one from '54 to '59.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by Ken B

I have to vote for my avatar.

Ken,
Is that a Rat Terrier? I tried & tried to find one. Bill W.

[Big John]

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Try americanarrowcorp.com....

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

Ken,
Is that a Rat Terrier? I tried & tried to find one. Bill W.

It looks like NIPPER. Must have come from an RCA Victor automobile.

[johnsor]

My favorite is the "Flying Lady" on my 31 LaSalle Roadster that came originally with the car. It would bring a couple hundred bucks on eBay, but I'm going to hang onto the extra original one I have.

[CHuDWah]

Maybe it's too obvious but I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the Quail - maybe not the "best" looking but certainly good-looking. Since I have a couple late-30s Plymouths, I'm also partial to the sailing ships:

[peters180a/170b]

You guys should hang around LARGE BRASS CARS.... Hands down the best radiator orniment !!! The THOMAS FLYER.....Bald eagle with its wings open on top of the globe all in Brass .That's gotta be the tallest one too...

[glenn in camino]

My favorite has always been the dounut pusher/motor meter, on the 28, 443, dietrick body, convertible coupe, Packard I had about 10 years ago. Shoulda kept it.

[Ken B]

Yes, that is NIPPER. I found it at a phonograph show a number of years ago. It came off of a delivery vehicle from a Victor phonograph dealer. I have only seen one other and bought that one too. I have a bucket list item to build a C-Cab delivery logoed with the famous NIPPER and phonograph. I have the chassis underway and hope to get to the body after that. I have been collecting phonographs for over 30 years and have had Model As for almost as long so it is a kind of apex of both hobbies to have a delivery vehicle. I saw some pictures of original C-Cab Model A delivery vehicles. UPS used them and I have pictures of a few others.

[montanafordman]

I recently went through the former Towe Ford museum in Deer Lodge, MT. I think they just call it the old prison complex museum. I was impressed with the collection they have there since I didn't know what to expect. I remember hearing about IRS troubles and most of the previous collection was repossesed or transferred to California but there were still several brass era cars, model T's, Model A's and much more. I saw this radiator ornament and thought it was a nice pose. Can't remember the make or year though..

[DGNY]

Some fine ones mentioned here. I am partial to the flying lady on the '41 Cadillac. Also the Mack Bulldog!

Regards,

Dyson