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2011/17/3 Car mascot, Packard 'Goddess of Speed', metal / glass, designed by John D Wilson, Grosse Pointe, Michigan, United States of America, 1938, for the Packard Motor Car Co, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America, 1941, owned by William Diskon, Diskon & Molyneux Ltd, Bexley, New South Wale. Click to enlarge.
  • Image 1 of 1, 2011/17/3 Car mascot, Packard 'Goddess of Speed', metal / glass, designed by John D Wilson, Grosse Pointe, Michigan, United States of America, 1938, for the Packard Motor Car Co, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America, 1941, owned by William Diskon, Diskon & Molyneux Ltd, Bexley, New South Wale. Click to enlarge

Packard 'Goddess of Speed' car bonnet mascot

This bonnet mascot or hood decoration, named 'Goddess of Speed', was fitted to some models made by the American car company, Packard, between 1939 and 1942. Individual company bonnet mascots were added to cars to make the vehicles easier to recognise as well as for decoration and were in popular use from the 1910s to the 1950s.

This Packard mascot features a kneeling woman in chrome with a glass wing and arms outstretched holding a car wheel. It is colloquially known in America as the 'donut …

Summary

Object No.

2011/17/3

Object Statement

Car mascot, Packard 'Goddess of Speed', metal / glass, designed by John D Wilson, Grosse Pointe, Michigan, United States of America, 1938, for the Packard Motor Car Co, Detroit, Michigan, United States of America, 1941, owned by William Diskon, Diskon & Molyneux Ltd, Bexley, New South Wales, Australia, 1941-1947

Physical Description

Car bonnet ornament which features the sculpture of a woman kneeling on her right knee, with her left leg outstretched behind her. The figure is leaning forward with both arms extended in front. In her hand she holds a small car wheel and tyre. Her long hair and loosely fitting clothes steam behind her and a single glass stylised wing, attached to her hair and back, stretches out behind her. The figure is mounted on a sweeping elongated base, both of which are cast chrome-plated zinc.

Marks

Two circular stamps on underside, including one with the letters 'S M'.

Short URL

https://ma.as/415023

Dimensions

Height

113 mm

Width

84 mm

Source

Credit Line

Gift of Mary Tugnett, 2011

Acquisition Date

17 March 2011

Cite this Object

Harvard

Packard 'Goddess of Speed' car bonnet mascot 2023, Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, accessed 29 March 2023, <https://ma.as/415023>

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://ma.as/415023 |title=Packard 'Goddess of Speed' car bonnet mascot |author=Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences |access-date=29 March 2023 |publisher=Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, Australia}}

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