Hairline fractures

[Michael West]

[wolfnowl]

Well seen!

Mike.

[Rob C]

Sticking my neck out: Pontiac?

It looks vaguely Indian... but gimme a break, must be 1953 since I last saw one in the flesh, so to speak (the car, not the chief, whom I have never seen at all).

I don't see twin sets of ridged bands down the hood either, but maybe that's the crop.

Rob C

[Michael West]

Well seen!

Mike.

Thank you.  It "saw me coming".

[Michael West]

Sticking my neck out: Pontiac?

It looks vaguely Indian... but gimme a break, must be 1953 since I last saw one in the flesh, so to speak (the car, not the chief, whom I have never seen at all).

I don't see twin sets of ridged bands down the hood either, but maybe that's the crop.

Rob C

From what I can remember from this last Sunday..the ornament was on a "defunct" brand of automobile. I suspect it may have been an Oldsmobile...a close relative to the Pontiac.

 The more I looked at the ornament the less focused I became on the identity of the vehicle as I was bowled over by the light . the detailed hairline fractures and the geometric detals of the metal. 

[Rob C]

From what I can remember from this last Sunday..the ornament was on a "defunct" brand of automobile. I suspect it may have been an Oldsmobile...a close relative to the Pontiac.

 The more I looked at the ornament the less focused I became on the identity of the vehicle as I was bowled over by the light . the detailed hairline fractures and the geometric detals of the metal. 

You're probably right. If memory serves, those old Pontiac mascots showed the profile of an Indian chief's head with a headdress flowing backwards. On some brands, the mascots were partly transparent and illuminated from within. Plymouth had some kind of triple(?) boats, DeSoto, I think, had one that lit up too... I liked art on cars. And chrome.

I have a persistent memory that either the '51, '52 or '53 Lincoln Capri was the first car I ever saw to have metallic paintwork - it was definitely a cherry red. Maybe the metallic's all in my head. It was in Ooty in Southern India, and in the care of the District Collector.

The things you pick up in LuLa, available nowhere else.

Rob C

[Michael West]

You're probably right. If memory serves, those old Pontiac mascots showed the profile of an Indian chief's head with a headdress flowing backwards. On some brands, the mascots were partly transparent and illuminated from within. Plymouth had some kind of triple(?) boats, DeSoto, I think, had one that lit up too... I liked art on cars. And chrome.

I have a persistent memory that either the '51, '52 or '53 Lincoln Capri was the first car I ever saw to have metallic paintwork - it was definitely a cherry red. Maybe the metallic's all in my head. It was in Ooty in Southern India, and in the care of the District Collector.

The things you pick up in LuLa, available nowhere else.

Rob C

It's rather Illuminating comparing the discourse about such images here in contrast to a "general interest" forum.

the perception of the image as image is rarely commented on in many instances.

My father worked as a photographer for the Buick Motor Company for decades and thus I grew up critiquing photogrphic images of automobiles. He once hand painted my birthdate on a license plate in one of his photographs presenting it to me as a gift

thestraighteight by ,

[Richowens]

 

 1948 Chevrolet

[wolfnowl]

1946 Pontiac Silver Streak.  Apparently the front was illuminated.

[Rob C]

Michael,

“It's rather Illuminating comparing the discourse about such images here in contrast to a "general interest" forum.”

Yes, that’s one of its appeals to me. It’s because we can take the fact that we are all more or less competent snappers for granted, and apart from those areas where specific information/advice is sought, we can enjoy what photographs are about, rather than how to make them, a much more enthralling experience

Your Dad must have had a very interesting job doing that kind of photography; I often wonder whether there are places where all of those ‘concept’ cars are stored – those automotive wet dreams that so tickled the fancies of little boys everywhere. Even before they were aware they were having wet dreams, for that matter.

Regarding Buick Eights: there was a great music video of Aswad, the reggae band, shot in St-Tropez, where there’s a red Buick Eight in many shots… you just couldn’t ignore a presence like that! Those harmonica grilles must have played a sweet music all their own.


Rich,

I hadn’t realised that the same brand changed the hood ornaments with the models years and/or variations within the brand. Makes sense, though… thanks for the researching!


Mike,

Thanks for confirming my memory sketch about the Indian chief!

;-)

Rob C

[Michael West]

Thats one i'd like to witness in person.

The Indian of carved ivory on the origianal Indian Motorcycles is quite a sight, and this given the illumination might be a very fine subject

[Michael West]

Michael,

“It's rather Illuminating comparing the discourse about such images here in contrast to a "general interest" forum.”

Yes, that’s one of its appeals to me. It’s because we can take the fact that we are all more or less competent snappers for granted, and apart from those areas where specific information/advice is sought, we can enjoy what photographs are about, rather than how to make them, a much more enthralling experience

Your Dad must have had a very interesting job doing that kind of photography; I often wonder whether there are places where all of those ‘concept’ cars are stored – those automotive wet dreams that so tickled the fancies of little boys everywhere. Even before they were aware they were having wet dreams, for that matter.

Regarding Buick Eights: there was a great music video of Aswad, the reggae band, shot in St-Tropez, where there’s a red Buick Eight in many shots… you just couldn’t ignore a presence like that! Those harmonica grilles must have played a sweet music all their own.
 
Rob C

I went to the GM proving grounds on a few occasion but have no idea where thos "cars Of The Future" could be stored.  I doubt they were demolished for the tax write off..

[Chris Calohan]

1946 Pontiac Silver Streak.  Apparently the front was illuminated.

I had a '54 Pontiac Straight 8 with that very same hood ornament, but for the life of me cannot remember if it lit up at night. Anyway, the hood was so damn long, I'm not sure I could have seen it from the driver's seat. Gawd, what a beast. I got hit in the rear by a '65 Chevy Monza panel wagon which squished it like a grape but only slightly bent one of the uprights on the bumper and cracked a taillight.