Do It Yourself Hot Rod Kustom
Identifying Hood Ornaments

	Identifying Hood Ornaments This all started when I was at a flea market and one of the vendors had a box of old hood ornaments for sale. She was not a car person and was glad to get rid of them for a fair price. Next came the 3 month task of identifying each of the unknown hood ornaments which resulted in the beginning of this website. I've come across several other very excellent websites that list hood ornaments and mascots: I came across a very good site for Hood Ornament / Car Mascot From Streamline to Jet age 1933-1966 Hood Ornaments, Mascots & Radiator Caps Lejeune hood ornaments manufacturer since 1911 Mascot Mania Automobile Figural Mascots NOTE: The information contained within these webpages may not be correct. It is correct to the best of my knowledge and may require updating. These pages are updated haphazardly at best. If you are aware of any mistakes, please email me at Collecting Chrome I came across the book Brightworks - Classic American Car Ornamentation (ISBN 0-8118-2663-5) by Ken Steacy at the local bookstore. I started to collect automobile scripts which lead to collecting other chrome pieces, here's a webpage talking about this new found hobby of collecting brightworks. Hood Ornaments and Emblems listed by Make Hood ornaments were styled usually after the most powerful or modern technology of the times or a theme. This can give a clue as to which period the hood ornament dates to. For example: 1930s - Locomotives were the most powerful technology and hood ornaments echoed the locomotive image in their design 1940s - Airplanes were the most powerful technology and torpedos/gunsights were tied for a close second. NOTE: Because of WWII, only 139 passenger cars were built in 1943 and 610 in 1944. 1950s - Rockets and jet aircraft Here's a breakdown of automotive manufacturers and the general themes that they followed: Buick Hood Ornaments Buick hood ornaments were characterized by 1920s: Ladys head with wings for hair rad caps 1930s: Early years: women figures, later years: stylized locomotives, early 1940s: airplane, late 1940s to mid 1950s: gunsights, mid 1950s: jetfighter Cadillac (and LaSalle) Hood Ornaments There are some aftermarket hood ornaments currently available through Gem and JC Whitney that can be mistaken for original pieces. Cadillac hood ornaments are characterized by: 1920s: bugle boy 1930s: bare breasted woman with feathered wings 1940s: stylized woman/airplane 1950s: stylized rocket/woman Chevrolet Hood Ornaments Chevrolet hood ornaments are characterized by: 1920s: Winged woman leaping forward with horse's tail Early 1930s: stylized eagle late 1930s: stylized locomotive and locomotive/eagle 1940s were mixed up with stylized eagle, eagle/locomotive and locomotive 1950s: stylized eagle/airplane and an Impala 1957 had gunsights Chrysler Hood Ornaments Chrysler hood ornaments are characterized by: Early 1920s had the Chrylser logo in the rad cap Late 1920s had a winged girl on a winged rad cap Early 1930s had stylized bullet/wings late 1930s/early 40s had locomotive late 1940s had locomotive/wings early 1950s had locomotive mid 1950s had very sharp edge styled eagle Desoto Hood Ornaments Desoto hood ornaments are characterized by: 1920s: head in armour on rad cap 1930s til mid 40s had bare breasted woman with long hair that blended with wings. Highly arched back Late 1940s had round emblem. early 1950s had Hernando De Soto face (Spanish explorer) mid 1950s had stylized wings, and ball on a bent hoop shape Dodge Hood Ornaments Dodge is usually represented by a Ram's head of some sort. Gem manufacturers a series of hood ornaments with Rams and JC Whitney sells a modern emblem also. Chrysler hood ornaments are characterized by: 1920s: spoked wheel with Dodge Brothers initials on rad cap 1930s: Rams head early 1940s to early 1950s: started with stylized locomotive than added ram's horns to it until complete ram's head emerged in the early 50s Mid 1950s: wings Ford Hood Ornaments There are some Ford Mustang hood ornaments manufactured by Gem that look pretty original. JC Whitney sells aftermarket Ford logo emblems also. Ford hood ornaments are characterized by: Early 1930s may have greyhound rad cap 1930s: usually had a stylized V8 symbol on it and feather style wings early 40s to late 40s: stylized locomotives late 40s/early 50s: round chrome with a clear plastic mohawk early 50s: either an eagle or a stylized plane mid 50s: stylized jet plane Gem Hood Ornaments Gem manufactures aftermarket hood ornaments that are available from auto distributers such as JC Whitney. They are available either chrome or gold-plated, with or without illuminated eyes and also some in a large and small size. Quite a few are easily mistaken for period pieces from original automobile manufacturers. GMC Hood Ornaments GMC hood ornaments are characterized by having the GMC letters present. Hudson Hood Ornaments Hudson hood ornaments are characterized by: Early 30s: torpedo with wings (wings get dropped around mid 30s) Mid 30s: may have used a bird? Late 30s: torpedo/locomotive 40s: locomotive 50s: bullet shape, some with folded wings like aircraft on aircraft carrier Kaiser Hood Ornaments Kaiser hood ornaments are characterized by Late 40s: knight's helmet with large stylized feather on top 50s: rockets and jetplanes Lincoln Hood Ornaments Lincoln hood ornaments are characterized by a stylized 4 point star Mercury/Monarch Hood Ornaments Mercury is characterized by the mythical winged messenger Mercury. He has wings on his hat and feet. Canadian version is called the Monarch. 40s: locomotives with long lengthwise lines 50s: airplanes and jetfighters Nash Hood Ornaments Nash hood ornaments are characterized by early 30s: round circle with either a wing attached or torpedo late 30s: beginning of a mild locomotive design early 40s: locomotive mid to late 40s: long haired woman lying down with stylized arms in wing position 50s: women is lying down and resting comfortably on arms or arms become stylized jet wings Oldsmobile Hood Ornaments Oldsmobile hood ornaments are characterized by 50s: rocket powered planes Packard Hood Ornaments Packard hood ornaments are characterized by mid 30s: goddess of speed was a woman with wings holding a tire outstretched in her arms late 30s: half sphere in stylized base early 40s: stylized locomotive mid to late 40s: winged swan with downturned head, the beak almost touching its breast and very stylized goddess of speed (almost unrecognizable as a woman more like a rocket with outstretched arms) 50s: rocket ships, jetplanes and a ball on a half hoop Note: There are several GEM swans which resemble Packard ornaments. The swan's head is upright but still looking down. May be chrome or gold. Plymouth Hood Ornaments Plymouth hood ornaments are characterized by 1930s-early 50s: stylized sailing ship/schooner, you can see the sails in the design 50s: sailing ships grow wings and become jetfighters Pontiac Hood Ornaments Pontiac hood ornaments are typcially characterized by a running Indian brave or just his face on stylized later models. The native is Chief Pontiac of the Ottawa Indian tribe (from the Great Lakes area of the US), hence the name of the auto company (info courtesy of Chris S). Late 30s-40s: Indian brave face on a locomotive early 50s: Indian face, Indian face on jetplane mid 50s: jetfighter Studebaker Hood Ornaments Studebaker hood ornaments are characterized by: Early 30s: round rad cap with wing late 30s to early 40s: stylized locomotive late 40s: long bullet/torpedo and gunsight/torpedo 50s: spacecraft/jetfighters Tucker Tucker was manufactured for one year only: 1948 and made only one hood ornament. You may never see it again so here it is Willys Hood Ornaments Willys hood ornaments are characterized by a knight Hood Ornaments Reference books There is an excellent book called "U.S. HOOD ORNAMENTS AND MORE...." by Lynn Huntsburger. Over 200 pages of hood ornaments, emblems and more! Paperback. Over 900 items pictured. Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Crossley, Desoto, Dodge, Essex, Ford, General Motors Corporation. Graham, Hudson, Kaiser, Lincoln, Mack, Mercury, Nash, Oldsmobile, Packard, Plymouth, Pontiac, Rolls Royce, Studebaker, and more!