Airflow Ornamentation

I love a good hood ornament.  The hood ornament was a descendant of the radiator cap, which sealed the top of early car radiators, and sometimes included a coolant gauge.  While some radiator caps were plain and utilitarian, others became decorative.  As radiators became enclosed by grills and bodywork, automakers kept the decorative aspect through the hood ornament, which usually served no functional purpose.  These ornaments often became the heraldic crests of the manufacturers, e.g. Packard's famous "Lady and the Wheel."  Some Plymouths in the mid-1930's carried a great Art Deco sailing ship representing the Mayflower.  Below, posted on Dieselpunk, is a photo of a 1934 DeSoto Airflow hood ornament in all its streamlined glory.