Packard used a number of graceful bird hood ornaments, some referred to as swans, others as cormorants, with longer necks and down turned heads. But for the car that really saved Packard, they used a version that looks more like a goose, with a rather anime head at that. I wonder why? Here’s how the earlier versions looked:
image courtesy etsy.com
This is the one closest to the Camry.
image courtesy eatonvillenews.net
And here’s the cormorant, with the translucent wings like the Camry’s. This is on a ’39 Ambulance.
If the hood ornament was from a 120, or if the car was a lexus ES, I would find this very funny.
Hood ornament from JC Whitney. Metal in Toyota from recycled real Packard Clipper.
Those original Packard hood ornaments were gorgeous… right up there with Rolls Royce and Mack Truck for powerful brand recognition…
A Camrybbean!
a Camry owner with a sense of humor, are rare thing indeed.
Years ago, Toyota used a stylized swan on some of the badging. Here is an old one for a Celica. I don’t know if it appeared on any other Toyota models.
Mr. Bill
Hamlet, NC
It actually looks more like a Viking ship to me. But that wouldn’t be very Japanese 🙂