This hood ornament is from a 1931 Lincoln Model K 202A, Sport Phaeton. It is found in the Frick Museum Car and Carriage Shed and was purchased by Frick’s widow who bought this new the year she died at the estate. This sprinting greyhound is part of the radiator cap - sometimes called a Murphy cap. It was designed at the request of Edsel Ford in 1927 and used on the Lincolns for four years. Then as an option on a deluxe version Ford for one or two years. The depression ended its run. They were lost wax castings and there are many “fake” ones on the market. The real ones are much more accurate sculptures, note the ribs, and have spaces between the tail. This is from the era where cars were much more than appliances and the amazement people felt driving a hundred miles in a day was hard to believe. It was an exuberant time.
