Learning about the odd hood ornament on my Packard Hawk
Posted By RichC on October 18, 2018
For years I’ve known the odd hood ornament on my dad’s Packard Hawk (above) was not accurate 
or something that was original to the car, but had no idea where it came from? Last week after an online chat and a little digging with a car-loving friend of mine, we did a little digging and concluded the hood ornament was from a 1952 – 54 Willys Aero. Sure enough, the airplane/jet ornament matches, which make perfect sense considering the original owner of my 
1958 Packard Hawk was a Willys, Studebaker and a Packard guy (he was also my dad’s uncle, Ed Wandtke).
Uncle Ed (and Aunt Agnes) lived on River Road and worked in Toledo, Ohio (where the Aero was built) and had had a connection to the “father of the Aero.” That guy was Clyde Paton, who was also a former engineer for Packard Motor Car Company. My dad’s uncle Ed also enjoyed cars and enjoyed sharing his interest with my grandfather (who owned a service station in Toledo) and those in the family who were interested. With these extra details, now having this Willys Aero hood ornament on the Packard means a lot more to me.
A 1952 Willys Aero Ace
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