1926 - 27 Pontiac Six Indian Chief Hood Ornament/Radiator Cap
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:17543769 | Year: 1926 |
| Country/Region of Manufacture: United States |
This is a vintage original OEM 1926-27 Pontiac Six hood ornament/radiator cap. The face used to be copper-plated, and the headdress was nickel-plated. The copper and nickel plating is long gone, leaving behind just the cast zinc ornament exposed to oxidation. With the zinc corrosion it almost makes it look like a soapstone carving. It would be a nice addition to someone's Americana collection. Some trivia about the Pontiac name: It was named aft...er the famous Native American Ottawa Chief who had also given his name to the city of Pontiac, Michigan where the car was produced. I've included a pic of a 1926 Pontiac Six for reference.
Radiator caps are not particularly attractive things, so automakers started using hood ornaments to dress them up and make them pretty. It was mostly about aesthetics; miniature statues of animals, people or even smaller versions of the cars themselves were much more appealing than boring old radiator caps. This hood ornament represents the bust of Chief Pontiac.
This hood ornament is made of zinc and was originally plated with copper and nickel. The plating is long gone and there is white corrosion on the zinc. There are also tiny cracks in the surface.
Radiator caps are not particularly attractive things, so automakers started using hood ornaments to dress them up and make them pretty. It was mostly about aesthetics; miniature statues of animals, people or even smaller versions of the cars themselves were much more appealing than boring old radiator caps. This hood ornament represents the bust of Chief Pontiac.
This hood ornament is made of zinc and was originally plated with copper and nickel. The plating is long gone and there is white corrosion on the zinc. There are also tiny cracks in the surface.
