You may not have thought much about this but hood ornaments have largely disappeared from "modern" automobiles. This no doubt happened for a variety reason, including aerodynamics, cost and aesthetics. Of course, another reason is that ornaments became a target for thieves and vandals. Some automobile hood ornaments, like the Rolls Royce "Flying Lady," are still part of the design but cleverly disappear through a trap door when the car is turned off and locked. Take that thieves!
This ornament decorates the hood of a beautifully restored 1938 Chevrolet. Randy Tribble, the restorer, told me the car was a real hulk when he started the process and so I'm guessing that the ornament pictured today is a replica. Old or new, it's beautifully designed.
On a technical note, I have to say that this car wasn't photographed in ideal circumstances. I was at the Lake Area Technical Institute Auto Show and while the light was very good, I don't think it was ideal for this kind of photography. I was playing with my 50mm 1.2L lens and when I took the photo, I didn't really like the bright lights beyond this shot. But in the end the bright bokeh the lighting results in seem to complement the photo.
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Canon 5DIII 1/320s f/2.0 ISO400 50mm