HENDRICKSON

Hendrickson Motor Truck Co. 
Chicago, Illinois (1913-date unknown)
Lyons, Illinois (dates unknown)
Hendrickson Manufacturing Co. (date unknown-present)
Lyons, Illinois

This is a Hendrickson hood ornament emblem (c1938-1950) mjs
Size: 102mm wide 23mm high   MM: None

Magnus Hendrickson built his first truck in 1900 and was later chief engineer for Lauth-Juergens. In 1913 Hendrickson formed the Hendrickson Motor Truck Company based in Chicago. The first new Hendrickson trucks were cab over engine, chain driven trucks with solid tires. From the start Hendrickson trucks were specially built to suit the customer's requirements.

By 1920, the line-up included three models of 2-1/2-ton to 5-ton capacity still with solid rubber tires but using heavy-duty worm drive. In 1922, Hendrickson introduced a light 1-1/2-ton capacity model with pneumatic tires, which was offered as an option for all models except the 5-ton model. In 1926, Hendrickson designed a tandem suspension unit to distribute the load evenly to the rear axles and to significantly reduce the effects of uneven terrain. A major boost for the company came in 1933 when International Harvester signed an exclusive contract for the tandem suspension. This relationship lasted until 1948. Hendrickson also built fire engines and expanded the range of their trucks.

By the 1950's Henderson trucks became more and more custom-built for a wide variety of specialist purposes. By the early 1970's yearly production was about 300 units, all custom-engineered and hand-built. The company was sold to the Boler Company in 1978. Eventually, Hendrickson sold off its truck manufacturing business and has since then focused on suspension systems for which it enjoys a world-wide reputation.

Emblems

There are very few early period photos of Hendrickson vehicles and few surviving vehicles also. The early period Hendrickson truck photos do not show an emblem or a side nameplate. It is likely that the "Hendrickson" name was displayed on some kind of maker's nameplate but I have no details of such a nameplate.

The Hendrickson logo in the form of the "HENDRICKSON" name in capital letters, which appeared on the emblems and nameplates on all models after about 1925, may have been used soon after production began in 1913, but I cannot confirm this. If you have details of any Hendrickson emblems or nameplates in use before 1925, please let me know, in order to update this post.

The following original period photo shows a 1926 Hendrickson truck with a cast metal radiator emblem:

Hendrickson truck showing radiator emblem (1926)  flickr

This Hendrickson radiator emblem is more clearly seen on the following surviving example also from 1926. This restored Hendrickson truck also displays the "Hendrickson" name painted by stencil on the hood sides but there is no hood side stencil shown in the original 1926 photo.

Hendrickson 3-ton truck showing radiator emblem (1926)  natm

This is the painted cast metal Hendrickson radiator emblem shown below. This Hendrickson radiator emblem is very rare.

This is a Hendrickson radiator emblem (c1925-1928)  natm
Size: Unknown     MM: Unknown

By 1929, the Hendrickson truck had a different radiator emblem, either a cast metal emblem or cast into the radiator, but with the "HENDRICKSON" name in letters of uniform height, see original period photo shown below. If this is a separate cast metal emblem it too would be very rare.

Hendrickson truck with radiator emblem (1929)  flickr

Close up showing Hendrickson radiator emblem (1929)

The following Hendrickson truck from 1936 displays the "Hendrickson" name on hood side nameplates with rounded ends:

This is a Hendrickson truck with hood side nameplates (1936)      flickr

The following is a very similar painted, pressed metal Hendrickson hood side nameplate. Original Hendrickson hood side nameplates are rare.

This is a Hendrickson hood side nameplate (1930's-1940's)  lhtec
Size: 330mm wide 60mm high

From about 1938 to 1950, Hendrickson trucks carried a die cast hood ornament mounted above the radiator grille. The hood ornament acted as a mounting for a small Hendrickson nameplate emblem, see example shown below:

This is a Hendrickson truck showing a hood ornament emblem (1938)    flickr

This is the Hendrickson hood ornament emblem:

This is a Hendrickson hood ornament emblem (c1938-c1950)   ms

This is the painted Hendrickson hood ornament emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Hendrickson hood ornament emblem is rare.

This is a Hendrickson hood ornament emblem (c1938-1950)  mjs
Size: 102mm wide 23mm high   MM: None

The following painted Hendrickson hood side nameplate is believed to have been used after the Second World War:

This is a Hendrickson hood side nameplate (c1940's-1950's) lktec
Size: 330mm wide 57mm high

EDSEL

Ford Motor Co. (1958-1959)
Detroit, Michigan

This is an Edsel radiator emblem (1959)  mjs
Size: 126mm high 41mm wide    MM: None

The Edsel was named after Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, and was introduced for the 1958 season by Ford's Lincoln-Mercury Division to fill a gap between the Ford and Mercury lines (see Ford) and to try to secure additional market share from Chrysler and General Motors, but the project was not successful. 

The Edsel had a wrap-around windscreen and a choice of two sizes of V-8 engines. A distinctive feature of the Edsel was the curious, horse collar-shaped radiator grille. Sales were low and the project made a big loss, so the Edsel was quietly dropped in 1959.

Emblems

The first Edsel produced for the 1958 model year, displayed the "Edsel" name vertically within the horse collar-shaped radiator grille, see examples shown below:

Edsel car showing radiator grille emblem (1958)  john straton

Close up showing radiator grille emblem (1958)

The horse collar-shaped radiator grille remained but there was a change in the emblem for the 1959 model year, see example shown below and the emblem detail shown above at the top of this post.

Edsel car showing radiator grille emblem (1959)  simon cars

DEERE

Deere-Clark Motor Car Co. (1906-1907)
Moline, Illinois

This is a Deere radiator script (1907)    mjs
Size:240mm wide

W. E. Clark built a single-cylinder air-cooled car in 1897 and in 1903 he briefly manufactured a car called the Blackhawk. In late 1905 W. E. Clark persuaded the John Deere company to provide finance for his next automotive venture and the Deere-Clark Motor Car Company was formed in 1906. A few Deere-Clark four-cylinder water-cooled automobiles and a 2-1/2-ton truck were produced in 1906.

The name changed to Deere in 1907 but the John Deere people were not satisfied with either the automobile or the truck and decided to pull out. A total of about 200 cars and some trucks had been built. The company was reorganized to produce another car called the Midland (see Midland).

Emblem

There are very few original period photos of Deere automobiles and none of those that I have seen show an emblem, see example photo below:

Deere motor car (1907)   dpl

However, Deere advertisements include representations of a Deere logo, which has been found in the form of a radiator script, see example shown below:

Deere motor car advertisement (1907)  ebay

It is believed that the "Deere" name was displayed on a brass script mounted on the radiator core but this may have been an optional accessory rather than attached at the factory. An example of a brass Deere script is shown above at the top of this post. Original Deere radiator scripts are rare. 

BRENNAN

Brennan Motor Co. (1902-1908, 1913)
Syracuse, New York

This is a Brennan nameplate (c1906)     mjs
Size: 103mm wide 30mm high    MM: None

The Brennan Manufacturing Company of Syracuse, New York, also later known as Brennan Motor Company, was established in 1897 and initially built bicycles.

From 1902 Brennan built motor cars of their own design, which were mainly made to customer order. After the Brennan motor car ceased production in 1908, the company focused on engine manufacture for a variety of other motor vehicle manufacturers and for other applications. 

In late 1908, Brennan offered an 18 hp two-cylinder 1-1/4-ton commercial car with chain drive, called the Model 7. Later, in 1913, Brennan offered a range of trucks, including 2-ton, 3-ton and 5-ton capacity models, but for one year only.

Emblem

The painted, cast metal Brennan Motor Company nameplate shown above is rare.

WELCH

Chelsea Manufacturing Co. (1903-1904)
Chelsea, Michigan
Welch Motor Car Co. (1905-1911)
Pontiac, Michigan

This is a Welch hub emblem (c1905-1908)    mjs
Size: 48mm diameter

A R Welch and his brother Fred Welch built their first automobile in 1901. The car was very advanced at the time and was first shown at the Chicago Automobile Show in 1903. The Welch Tourist car was a 20 hp two-cylinder automobile offered in runabout and tonneau body styles. Finance was a problem and the company was bankrupt in 1904.

A R Welch moved to Pontiac and reorganized as the Welch Motor Car Company with new financial support. The new Welch offered in 1905 was a 30/36 hp four-cylinder automobile offered in a variety of body styles. In 1908 a 70 hp six-cylinder model was added to the line. The Welch was amongst the best built and most luxurious motor cars of the period. The Welch Motor Car Company was bought by General Motors in 1910 and the last Welch cars were built by General Motors in 1911.

Emblems

The first Welch cars built in Chelsea, Michigan are unlikely to have carried an emblem but may well have displayed the Welch name on a small nameplate or serial plate attached to the rear of the vehicle or under the driver's seat.

Welch articles and advertisements from 1905 and 1906 show that the car still did not carry an emblem but did display the company name impressed or engraved on the brass panel at the bottom of the radiator, see examples shown below:

Welch illustration with inscription at bottom of radiator (1905) country life

Welch ad with rad bottom inscription (1906) catj

This Welch Motor Car Company inscription may have continued into 1907, see original photo shown below:

Welch showing company name at bottom of rad (c1907) dpl

Close up showing radiator inscription (c1907)

By 1907, original photos of Welch automobiles show a brass "Welch" script mounted on the radiator core, see examples shown below: 

Welch touring car displaying radiator script (1907)  dpl

The Welch radiator script continued in use at least through 1909, see original 1909 photo shown below, and possibly until the end of production, although I cannot conform this. 

Welch touring car displaying radiator script (1909)  dpl

The following photo shows a brass Welch radiator script displayed on a surviving 1908 Welch Model 4-L. Original Welch radiator scripts are very rare. 

This is a Welch radiator script (1908)    bonhams

I can find no photos or illustrations of Welch cars from 1910 or 1911 showing the front of the radiator after the take over by General Motors. If you have details of any Welch emblems used after 1909, please let me know, in order to update this post. 

The "Welch" name was also displayed on brass sill plates, see example shown below:

This is a Welch sill plate (1908)   bonhams

The following Welch "emblem" has clearly been cut from a Welch sill plate:

Emblem cut from a Welch sill plate     alt

The "Welch" name was also displayed on the hubcaps. There are some different hubcap designs, see examples shown below:

This is a Welch hubcap (dates uncertain c1905-1908)   dkc

The same Welch hub emblem, which was either pinned or soldered to the hubcap, is shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Welch hub emblem is rare.

This is a Welch hub emblem (c1905-1908)    mjs
Size: 48mm diameter

The following hubcap displays a variation on the hub emblem:

This is a Welch hubcap (c1905-1908)    dkc

The following Welch hubcap has a different hub emblem design with the "Welch" name in the style of the Welch radiator script shown earlier above:

This is a Welch hubcap (dates uncertain c1908-1911)  dkc

The following is an example of a similar Welch hub emblem to that seen above. This Welch hub emblem is rare.

This is a Welch hub emblem (c1908-1911)    glc
Size: 50mm diameter

 

 

FALCON

Moller Motor Car Co. (1922)

Lewistown, Pennsylvania

This is a Falcon radiator emblem (1922)     sam
Size: 57mm wide 32mm high   MM: Unknown

The Falcon was designed and built by the Moller Motor Car Company and was introduced at the New York Automobile Salon held at the Hotel Commodore in November 1921. The Falcon was a light 20 hp four-cylinder motor car offered in a variety of body styles using custom coachwork.

The Falcon was unsuccessful and, after a very small production, it was all over by the end of 1922.

Emblem

The blue enamel Falcon radiator emblem shown above is extremely rare.

LONG DISTANCE

US Long Distance Automobile Co. (1901-1903)
Jersey City, New Jersey

This is a US Long Distance nameplate (1903)   ms
Size: Unknown

The U.S. Long Distance Automobile Company was established in early 1900 but production was initially concerned with marine engines. The Long Distance automobile appeared in April 1901 and was offered in single-cylinder, two-cylinder and three-cylinder models with water-cooled engines, chain drive and tiller steering. A steering wheel replaced the tiller in 1902. 

The Long Distance was a well designed and well built automobile and was successful. The company became the Standard Motor Construction Company in January 1904 and, thereafter, all automobiles produced were called Standard.

Emblems

The Long Distance did not have a radiator and did not carry an emblem.

The "Long Distance" name was displayed on a painted U.S. Long Distance nameplate, which included a serial number, see example shown above. This U.S. Long Distance nameplate was attached to the body of the vehicle and is very rare.

The Long Distance also displayed a patent plate attached to the car body or under the driver's seat, see example shown below. This U.S. Long Distance patent plate is rare.

This is a U.S. Long Distance patent plate (c1903)    mjs
Size: 76mm wide 50mm high

A surviving Long Distance automobile also displays a brass "Long Distance" script on the engine cover, see below:

Long Distance script on engine cover (1903)      ms

However, this is script is unlikely to be original and was most likely added much later during restoration.