Thoughts on the Demise of the Hood Ornament

From Ed -- 

My late Aunt Ruby always owned Pontiacs and got a new one every year or two.  In 1954 she had a new green Pontiac like the one pictured here (I took this at a car show a few years back).  But her car had the optional light in the Chief Pontiac hood ornament.  Actually I think one paid only a couple of dollars more for this option.  When she would come to visit she would typically stay until near dark and I would always beg her to "turn the Indian's head on, Aunt Ruby."  She would start up her car and hit the switch that turned the amber colored light on, much to my delight.  I think these were made out of what was called Lucite or at least some hard resin-type plastic of the era. 

When Aunt Ruby gave up driving she owned an early 1970s Pontiac and one day drove it to my mother's house and said: "Here, the car is yours.  I'll sign over the title right here.  Take me back home.  I'm giving up driving."  My late mother reported that she also said:

"I hated that car, it didn't have an Indian on the hood."

Most young boys I knew were fascinated by hood ornaments and I've known quite a few people over the years who collected them, purchasing most at flea markets or removing them from cars in junkyards.  On ebay today, these Pontiac ones often go for a couple hundred dollars each.

Some of us miss hood ornaments on cars.  Every car company had a small team of real artists and sculptors. Why did this art form die out within the auto industry? Changing tastes in design?  A desire for more of a "clean look?"  Certainly today, federal regulations would have a problem with what might be viewed as a safety hazard --  being impaled by Chief Pontiac