Hood Ornaments are certainly one of the ‘classy’ symbols for vehicles from the days of yore! These small, 5-6” accessories grabbed quite a lot of attention with their solid walls and mascots. So much so that some top cars like Bentley and Rolls-Royce decided to feature their own logos there!
Even though people stopped making them by the 2000s, there is still a high demand for their old designs and features, like mechanical thermostats. But are these old parts the only thing that makes the hood ornaments antique, or are there any other features, too? Let’s find out!
Key Takeaways
- Vintage hood caps will always have shiny chrome or crystal finishes, LEDs, and old, hand-chiseled designs. Some of them might have capped or bolted bases too!
- Old hood ornaments with brass, nickel-plated, and clear or tinted glass bodies fetch the best returns.
- Branded hood ornaments such as those from Mercedes, Bugatti, and Rolls-Royce cost $500 – 1000 more than others.
- Old hood ornaments will always look Gray or Silver. But if you want the new ones, pick Brown, Green or Gold ones for a good value.
Key Features of Vintage Hood Ornaments
Well, most old and new hood ornaments may look the same – car/bird-shaped. But, with the old ones, you’ll see brass or bronze details and many more aged features as follows:
- Shiny Chrome-plated, Glass or Crystal finishes on top
- Themed Animal, Mythology, Figurine, or Geometric designs
- Triangular structure – mostly to reduce wind resistance and aerodynamics
- Might have translucent sheets – glass or acrylics and LEDs for lighting
- Might have spring bases to avoid damage from impact
- 4 – 20 inch bodies with an in-built gauge or thermostats
A Brief History & Evolution of Hood Ornament
Did you know that people made hood ornaments even before they knew about cars? That’s right! In fact, the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun used bone motifs on his chariot. And even its designs were simple – just birds or falcons. But yes, it was only for royals!
Then, in the 1900s, Oliver H. Clark made them accessible for all. He even added some levels and sensors for the coolant. And since the 1900s cars had external radiator caps, it was possible to fit them easily. So, there were many designs – lions, tigers, eagles, etc.
Then, in the Post World War era, we had military designs – rockets, jets, and tanks. But, these had shiny, steel bodies with thin, easy-to-dent sections of low value.
However, in the 2000s, there were no radiator caps. At that time, the government revised fuel economics and removed the external joints. But even then, you’ll get some abstract and branded models just for collection!
2 Types of Vintage Hood Ornaments (With Values & Features)
Below are the two most popular vintage hood ornament types with their identification features and average values.
1. Mascot Hood Ornaments
Just as the name says, these ornaments have logos or mascots from various brands. So you can expect some Lincoln Stars, Cadillac Victress, and Chrysler’s Winged Goddess forms. Also, these will have silver or glass walls that hike their cost from $500 – 5000.
2. Abstract Hood Ornaments
Abstract hood ornaments, costing $30 – 3500, have everything you can ask for – Animals, Religious motifs, and even Cartoons. In fact, most of them have hand-molded brass and nickel walls with a chrome finish. You can spot some Chinese ‘Good Luck’ patterns too!
7 Factors That Impact the Value of Vintage Hood Ornaments
Now that you know the base type, let’s move to the other aging and make details to appraise your hood ornament:
1. Manufacturing Date & Age
While hood ornaments are not that old, dating back to the 1900s, you’ll still find some handmade parts, Art Deco, and colonial themes with the earliest ones. On the other hand, the new 1950s models might have molded steel bodies. So they are cheaper!
But how do you know if your hood ornament is vintage? You must check its age and date using the key features below.
| Old Hood Ornament Era | Age | Special Features | Collectible Models | Estimated Value |
| 1920s | 95-105 years | Art Deco designs with intricate details, flowing curves, grooves, or Brass or Chrome wings | Packard Goddess of Speed, Duesenberg Spirit of Victory & Lincoln Minuteman | $200 – 5000 as per the design |
| 1930s | 85-94 years | Female or Locomotive shapes with streamlined, geometric designs and Aerodynamic tips | Cadillac Leaping Cat, Chrysler Airflow Winged Grille & Nash Rambler Ram’s Head | $120 – 2000 |
| 1940s | 74-84 years | Airplane, Eagle, or Gun shapes with machine polishes and grooved walls | Ford Thunderbird, Chevrolet Bel Air & Studebaker Champion | $100 – 900 |
| 1950s | 64-74 years | Large Fin, Rocket, or Futuristic designs with Stainless Steel walls & Silver finishes | Buick Wildcat, Oldsmobile Rocket & Pontiac Silver Streak | $60 – 800 |
| 1960s | 54-63 years | Minimal, light, and molded bodies with Plastic or Bakelite walls and shiny, Galvanized finishes | Lincoln Continental Star, Mercury Monterey Viking & Chrysler Imperial Ram’s Head | $30 – 700 |
Look for hood ornaments with Calorimeter temperature gauges, car mascots, and logos for an old make.
2. Materials
Most of the 1900s hood ornaments had brass or nickel walls. But by the 1950s, makers started using plastic too. So each had different features and properties that changed their costs. Let’s see how!
| Old Hood Ornament Materials | Top Features | Average Price |
| Brass | Hammered, yellowish surfaces with thick, linear sections | $40 – 2000 |
| Nickel or Chrome-Plated Bronze | Lustrous, mirror-like finish with sleek and curved forms | $200 – 4000 |
| Clear & Tinted Glass | Clear, Frosted, or Stained walls with star or abstract shapes. Also, these might have thick, curvilinear, or molded bodies | $150 – 1500 |
| Plastic & Bakelite | Matte or Grooved finishes with hollow, molded bodies and complex shapes | $50 – 400 |
| Pot Metal, Stainless Steel & Aluminum | Shiny, Anti-corrosion resistant finishes with brass or nickel electroplating | $50 – 1000 |
Pick old hood ornaments with shiny chrome detailing, nickel, and gold plating to hike their costs by 10 – 12%.
3. Brands
Want to know if your vintage hood ornament is branded or not?
Well, simply unscrew its cap, and look for any stamped logo or sign on the baseplate, hood, wings, or head. If you find one, compare the features with our table, and find the best resale cost of such branded pieces!
| Old Hood Ornament Brands | Identifying Features | Rough Cost |
| Mercedes- Benz | Three-pointed stars with a circle and stand at the base | $100 – 3500 |
| Rolls – Royce | Shows a woman leaning forward with her arms outstretched and clothes flowing back | $80 – 3000 |
| Jaguar | Muscular, Leaping Jaguar, symbolizing speed and power | $30 – 1000 |
| Bugatti | A large design with an elephant standing on its hind legs and trunk pointed upwards | $50 – 2000 |
| Bentley | Stylized ‘B’ design with wings | $200 – 1800 |
| Cadillac | Intricate birds with a crown, shield, and coat | $500 – 4000 |
Various forums, such as the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA), Classic Car Club of America (CCCA), and Hood Ornament Collectors International (HOCI), will help you learn more about your hood model’s brand and history.
4. Colors & Finishes
It’s not that all the hood ornaments were Gray or Silver. Some 1950s galvanized ones had colored red or blue finishes as well! So let’s see how to price those!
| Old Hood Ornament Colors | Estimated Value |
| Black, White & Gray | $30 – 800 |
| Brown, Beige & Orange | $50 – 500 |
| Metallic Gold & Silver | $100 – 800 |
| Blue, Green, Purple | $50 – 300 |
| Red & Yellow | $40 – 250 |
Get old hood ornaments with old Hammered metal, Satin metal, or Enamel Paints for more value.
5. Unique Shapes & Designs
One more quick visual test to identify your old hood ornament is its shape. It’s so that the 1900s models were geometric, while the later 1970s ones were abstract or bird-shaped. Plus, the new ones might have car logos or mascots too!
Here’s a list of all the ornament shapes with their features to identify and price them:
| Old Hood Ornament Shapes | Rough Value |
| Human Figurines – Silver Lady, Flying Lady & Other Human Mascots | $100 – 2000 |
| Animal Figurines – Jaquar & Elephants | $50 – 800 |
| Automaker Logos – Mercedes, Cadillac, Bentley | $200 – 2500 |
| Abstract & Geometric Shapes | $60 – 1000 |
| Objects & Symbols – Ships, Sculptures & Cooking Accessories | $80 – 600 |
Avoid getting hood ornaments with deformed, melted, or misaligned sides, as those might lose their value considerably.
6. Mounting Methods
Most vintage hood ornaments have four mounting styles – Radiator, Bolt, Spring, and Adhesive. Of these, the radiator ones are quite old, often from the 1900s, while the adhesive ones are new, from the 1970s. So let’s check their features and costs:
| Old Hood Ornament Mounting Method | How it Works? | Estimated Value |
| Radiator Cap Mounting | Uses screws and bolts to stick to the radiator cap | $400 – 3000 |
| Bolt-On Mounting | Uses one or two threaded studs to secure the cap on the hood | $30 – 1500 |
| Spring-Loaded Mounting | Uses a spring-loaded mechanism to retract the ornament to the hood | $30 – 700 |
| Adhesive Mounting | Uses super glues to stick the ornament onto the hood | $20 – 300 |
8 Highly Valuable & Rare Vintage Hood Ornaments
Any themed, series-based, or large celebrity-style hood ornament obviously fetches a better value than the regular ones. So check its history, tags, and golden finishes before purchasing.
Here are the 8 most valuable and rarest vintage hood ornaments worth a lot of money!
| Rare Hood Ornaments | Estimated Price |
| Spirit of Ecstasy | $200,000 |
| Egyptienne Ailee M. Bonnot Signed Hood Ornament | $96,000 |
| M.Bonnot Art Deco Hood Ornament | $9,000 |
| Edsel Hood Ornament | $5,000 |
| Winged Goddess of Flight Hood Ornament | $5,500 |
| Hispano Suiza Hood Ornament | $5,000 |
| Graf & Stift Lion Hood Ornament | $4,500 |
| Victoria Goddess of Wind Hood Ornament | $3,000 |
What is the Rarest Hood Ornament?
The Spirit of Ecstasy, based on Eleanor Velasco Thorton, is the rarest hood ornament as of 2023. Its exclusive features, such as anti-theft mechanisms, diamond-studded bodies, and platinum parts, value it at about $200,000.
Are Hood Ornaments Banned?
Hood ornaments aren’t banned, not anywhere in the United States. But yes, you may face a hefty fine if its metal injures any piece of public property or pedestrians.
What Are Jaguar Hood Ornaments Made Up Of?
Jaguar hood ornaments have a shiny chrome plate over a bronze finish with typical iron bolts and magnets at the base.
Vintage hood ornaments are certainly old, fancy, and precious. But, to identify the AUTHENTIC ones, you must check their age and materials. Also, try to appraise them with the help of our brand, shape, and color table. And if you feel stuck, drop us an email anytime!
If you want to learn about more car antiques like ‘old hubcaps,’ ‘car jacks,’ and ‘go-karts,’ I have created detailed guides you can explore right away!
