Re: Hood Ornaments in '55 & '56

Posted by Kevin On 2009/1/24 20:48:37

For what it's worth, I liked the 1955 ornament better because it still tried to resemble an actual bird, with definable eyes, beak and wings. Unfortunately, it can't be determined if it is truly a pelican derived from the Packard family crest or a Kirtland double-breasted ruby throated warbler. Or, a sparrow.

I do like the extended lines of the 1956 ornament, as they give more of a feeling of speed and modern elegance to the car, but it might just as well have been one of Gene Roddenberry's prototypes for the USS Enterprise. There's really nothing to the ornament's shape that suggests a living, flying bird. A ninja attack weapon or gigantic pickle fork, maybe, but a bird, not so much.