MARQUE OF THE MACHINE

MARQUE OF THE MACHINE

Vibrant Icons of American Automobiles
Kurt Hohl    Michael Furman

I have just seen this wonderful new book by Kurt Hohl recently released as Volume Three in the Automotive Jewelry series by Michael Furman and published by coachbuiltpress.

The book is truly a tour de force covering all aspects of automotive nameplates and emblems. I am impressed by the detailed research that Kurt has carried out, which is presented so clearly and beautifully illustrated with photos of so many extremely rare auto nameplates. 

Mike Shears

August 2026

JAEGER

Jaeger Motor Car Co. (1932-1933)
Belleville, Michigan

This is a Jaeger radiator emblem (1932-1933)   nahc
Size: Unknown (poss 54mm high 32mm wide) MM: Unknown (poss Fox)

Charles F. Jaeger was a builder and an inventor of many different things, including portable power takeoff units for motor cars to drive saws and other tools, portable generators, portable water pumps for fire engines and even adding machines. He also designed a novel suspension system for automobiles using pairs of spring coils at each wheel. He built a six-cylinder motor car, to be called the Jaeger Six, which was used to demonstrate the success of his suspension system by easily beating a Ford V-8 and a Chevrolet Six in sprint races around a dirt track in Michigan.

The first prototype Jaeger Six was built by Charles Jaeger and his two sons in a two car garage and the Jaeger Motor Car Company was incorporated in August 1932. The Jaeger Six was intended to be sold directly to the consumer at a price under $700. Surviving invoices show a final price of $650 with a manufacturing cost of $275. Everything suggested that the Jaeger Six would be the basis for a successful automobile manufacturing business. Three sport coupe production cars were ready by October 1932. But, Charles Jaeger's money began to run out and it proved impossible to raise further capital while the Great Depression was gripping America. The Jaeger Six was finished in 1933 after only five cars had been built.

Emblem

The following photo shows the first Jaeger Six production model:

The first Jaeger Six production model (1932) 
ferndale historical society

The photo is not clear enough to show the radiator emblem. However, there was a Jaeger Six radiator emblem, see original period monochrome photo shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Jaeger Six radiator emblem is ultra rare.

This is a Jaeger radiator emblem (1932-1933)   nahc
Size:Unknown (poss 54mm high 32mm) wide MM: Unknown (poss Fox)

Close inspection of this photo suggests that this radiator emblem has been crudely painted in the dark areas and the name "Jaeger". The emblem itself was most likely made by the Gustave Fox Company by changing the name on the die used for the radiator emblems made for Durant motor car models from 1930-1932, see below:

This is a Durant radiator emblem (1932)   mjs
Size: 54mm high 32mm wide   MM: Fox

The Durant radiator emblem was finished in colored enamel but, presumably to save cost, the Jaeger Six emblem shown above was not enameled but appears to have been finished possibly in plated metal to which some paint has been added later after leaving the Fox factory, see likely appearance shown below:

Likely appearance of the painted Jaeger rad emblem (1932-1933)  ms

The Jaeger Six also displayed the "Jaeger" name on the bumper emblem and the serial plate, see below:

This is a Jaeger Six bumper emblem (1932-1933) nahc
Size: Unknown

This is a Jaeger Six serial plate (1932-1933)  dkc
Size: 76mm wide 44mm high

WASHINGTON (1)

Carter Motor Car Corp. (1909-1912)
Hyattsville, Maryland

This appears to be a Washington radiator script (c1909)  ms
Size: Unknown

The Carter Motor Car Corporation of Hyattsville, Maryland abandoned their unsuccessful Carter motor car venture in 1908 and decided to try again in 1909 with the Washington motor car.

The Washington was initially a typical 30 hp four-cylinder motor car offered as a three-passenger roadster or a five-passenger touring model. Further body styles were offered in subsequent years and the Washington became a larger 40 hp model in late 1910 for the 1911 model year. 

The Washington used the slogan "Worthy of the Name".

Two Washington motor cars took part in the 1910 Munsey Historic Tour, which was an eleven-day endurance test. The Washington cars must have been well made, as both cars performed exceptionally well, finishing the grueling 1,550-mile trek with perfect scores. 

However, the Washington motor car was not a success financially and in early 1912, the company declared bankruptcy. But, there was a difference of opinion within the Carter family and, in June 1912, the Washington Motor Car Company was formed to take over the Carter Motor Car Corporation. The name was then changed to Independence Motor Company and a new line of Independence motor cars was announced but this venture too did not survive 1912. 

Emblem

Original period photos and illustrations of Washington cars show that there was no emblem on the radiator tank top, see example below:

Washington touring car showing no rad emblem (1910) standard catalog

The Washington car slogan "Worthy of the Name" was reinforced by using the "Washington" name in script style as the Washington logo, which was used in advertising and company brochures, see examples below:

Washington car advertisement showing script logo (1910)  eBay

1911 Washington brochure cover (1910) abebooks

1911 Washington brochure page (1910) abebooks

The photo on this brochure page shows one of the two Washington motor cars that successfully completed the 1910 Munsey Historic Tour with perfect scores, see below:

Washington car in Munsey Historic Tour (1910) 

What is not so clear from this photo is that the Washington car displays the "Washington" name on a large script mounted on the radiator core, see original photo from the 1910 Munsey Historic Tour shown below:

Washington car taking part in the Munsey Historic Tour (1910) dpl

Close up showing "Washington" radiator script

I have not seen a "Washington" radiator script that is certainly original. This would be extremely rare. The "Washington" radiator script shown above at the top of this post closely resembles the "Washington" script logo but the rather poor quality of the cutting suggest it is most likely to be handmade rather than factory made. If you have an original Washington radiator script, please let me know, in order to update this post.

The following is a rare surviving Washington five-passenger touring model built in 1909 and later beautifully restored:

Washington 5-passenger touring (1909)  rmsothebys

The radiator script does not follow the "Washington" script logo, see below, and is most likely a reproduction script made for the restoration:

This is a reproduction Washington radiator script rmsothebys

The serial plate and hubcaps shown below do not carry the "Washington" name but are inscribed with the Carter Motor Car Corporation name or CMCC and were probably used for all the motor cars built by this company:

Washington serial plate (1909)   rmsothebys

Washington hub emblem (1909)    rmsothebys

Original Washington serial plates and hubcaps are extremely rare.

AMERICAN MERCEDES

Daimler Manufacturing Co. (1905-1907)
Long Island City, New York

 This is an American Mercedes radiator emblem (1905)  khc
Size: Unknown   MM: Unknown (prob None)

William Steinway, piano manufacturer from New York, secured the patent rights to Gottlieb Daimler's engines and motor vehicles and set up the Daimler Motor Company in Hartford, Connecticut to produce Daimler engines. In 1896, the company was reorganized as the Daimler Manufacturing Company for the production of motors, launches and some commercial vehicles, as well as the importation of European motor cars. 

Shipping costs and high import duties made foreign motor cars very expensive in America. To reduce these costs, the Daimler Manufacturing Company began to produce exact reproductions of the 45 hp four-cylinder seven-passenger Mercedes touring car at their plant at Long Island City, New York. 

The American Mercedes was introduced at the National Automobile Show in New York in January 1905. In the same month, H. L. Bowden established a world record over one mile with a flying start by driving a Mercedes with two 60 hp engines at Daytona Beach, reaching an average speed of just over 109 mph, thereby giving a welcome publicity boost to Mercedes. Even so, the first American Mercedes was not delivered until 1906.

However, the American Mercedes sold well until a disastrous factory fire in February 1907 brought the American Mercedes to an end. The total American Mercedes production is unknown, but the factory fire destroyed eight completed cars and forty others in the process of production.

After 1907, all Mercedes cars sold in America were imported.

Emblems  

The following original period photo shows an American Mercedes car with an oval shaped radiator emblem. The radiator is painted but the emblem is possibly finished in polished brass. The detail of the emblem cannot be seen.

This is an American Mercedes (c1905)   dpl

The following photos show the only surviving American Mercedes built in 1905. 

This is the only surviving American Mercedes (1905)  
mercedes benz

This car has an original, black painted oval shaped radiator emblem, which is inscribed with the "American Mercedes" name, see below: 

American Mercedes radiator emblem (1905)
mercedes benz

The "American Mercedes" name is also displayed on the hub emblems, see below: 

American Mercedes wheel showing hub emblem (1905)
mercedes benz

The hub emblem is more clearly seen in the following photo:

American Mercedes hub emblem (1905)   khc

The American Mercedes radiator emblem and hub emblem shown above are both ultra rare. If you have the dimensions of either of these emblems, please let me know, in order to update this post.

The following original period photo of an American Mercedes car at a trade show is dated 1907:

American Mercedes at a trade show (1907)  dpl

Close up showing radiator emblem

The painted radiator emblem appears to have a different shape but this may be an illusion due the way it has been painted.

BOYD

James Boyd & Brother Inc. (1910-1916)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This is a Boyd radiator & hub emblem (c1912-1916)  ms
Size: Unknown   MM: Unknown

The Boyd & Son Fire Equipment Company was formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1819 and was renamed James Boyd & Bro. in 1881, although the business was not incorporated until 1908, by which time the company was manufacturing a line of high quality horse-drawn fire apparatus.

In 1910, James Boyd & Bro. delivered its first motor fire apparatus built on its own assembled chassis. This was the 60 hp four-cylinder Boyd Model B-701 automobile combination chemical engine and hose wagon, which carried two 30-gallon chemical tanks. The companion Boyd Model C-702 auto combination carried a single 35-gallon chemical tank.

In the early years of motor fire apparatus, Boyd also built hose and combination hose and chemical bodies for mounting on other truck chassis, mainly on White, Reo and Mack chassis.

In 1913, Boyd introduced its own motor-driven aerial ladder truck, which used motor power to raise the aerial ladder. Fourteen Boyd aerials were delivered to the Philadelphia Fire Department between 1913 and 1916. Other Boyd aerials used hybrid gasoline-electric drive systems purchased from Couple Gear.

In addition to hose wagons, combinations and aerial ladder trucks, Boyd also built some heavy two-wheel, front-drive motor tractors to replace horses on formerly horse-drawn steam fire engines and ladder trucks.

The James Boyd & Bro. factory closed in 1918 but the business passed into other hands and continues to this day, most recently under the National Foam banner.

Emblems

There are a number of original period photos of Boyd fire appliances but very few show the radiator emblem and mostly the detail is unclear.

The following original period photo shows a Boyd combination chemical engine and hose Model C motor fire apparatus probably dating from about 1910:

Boyd Combination Chemical and Hose Fire Apparatus (c1910)  missouribootandshoe

The front of the radiator cannot be seen but there is a small nameplate attached to the side chassis frame member under the driver's entrance. This would be similar to the later painted brass James Boyd & Bro. Inc. nameplate shown below giving the production date and a stamped serial number. This Boyd nameplate is very rare.

This is a Boyd nameplate (1915)    mjs
Size: 144mm wide 48mm high

The following Boyd advertisement from 1912 includes an original photo of two fire trucks delivered to Philadelphia. The radiators of these trucks are clearly seen and it appears that there is a radiator emblem but the detail is unclear:

Boyd ad showing fire apparatus (1912) municipal journal

Boyd Fire Apparatus delivered to Philadelphia (1912)

However, the following Boyd advertisement from January 1913 has a clearer original photo of a Boyd Fire Apparatus delivered to Leominster, Massachusetts:

Boyd advertisement (1913) municipal journal

This Boyd fire apparatus was presumably built in 1912 and, as seen below, displays the body side Boyd nameplate mounted below the driver's cab entrance, similar to that shown earlier above. The unit also clearly displays a round radiator emblem with a light colored outer band and a "colored" hubcap emblem:

Boyd Fire Apparatus showing radiator & hub emblem & body side nameplate (1912)

The following Boyd advertisement from 1913 incorporates a James Boyd & Bro. Inc. logo, which also has a light colored outer band, see detail below. The same logo is seen in Boyd advertisements up to 1916.

Boyd fire apparatus advertisement showing logo (1913) municipal journal 

Boyd Logo detail (c1912-1916)

This logo was used for the Boyd hubcap emblem, see example shown below. This red, white, maroon and blue painted Boyd hub emblem is very rare:

James Boyd & Bro hubcap (c1912-1918)   dkc

It is not unusual for the emblem used on a hubcap to also be used as the radiator emblem and it is believed that the Boyd radiator emblem was the same as the hub emblem, see the Boyd emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Boyd emblem is very rare.

This is a Boyd radiator & hub emblem (c1912-1916)  dkc
Size: Unknown   MM: Unknown

The two-wheel, front-drive Boyd motor tractor pulling a steamer shown in the following photo dated 1916 has a heavy, possibly cast iron, radiator, which carries a very different and much larger radiator emblem:

Boyd two-wheel, front-drive motor tractor (1916)  matt lee

Unfortunately, the detailed design of this radiator emblem cannot be seen. If you have better details of this Boyd radiator emblem used for heavy duty cast radiators, please let me know, in order to update this post.

THOMAS-DETROIT

E R Thomas Detroit Co. (1906-1908)
Detroit, Michigan 

This is a Thomas-Detroit radiator emblem (1907-1908)  ckepc
Size: Unknown   MM: Unknown (prob None)

Erwin Ross Thomas was successfully building 50 hp four-cylinder Thomas cars in Buffalo, New York (see Thomas) but, in February 1906, he agreed to help finance Howard E Coffin and Roy Chaplin from the Olds Motor Works to produce a smaller but similarly high-quality 40 hp four-cylinder car in Detroit, initially to be called the Thomas Forty. The E. R. Thomas Detroit Company was set up in May 1906 and a site for a factory in Detroit was found in June 1906. 

The first Thomas Forty cars appeared in October 1906 and were well received. The Thomas Forty was built in Detroit but was marketed by Erwin Thomas in New York. By June 1907, Thomas had marketed 503 Thomas Forty cars, the largest number ever sold by any automobile company in the first year. Erwin Thomas then called for another 750 cars.

Thomas Flyer cars built in Buffalo had been extremely active and successful in auto contests, whereas the Thomas Forty cars built in Detroit took only a modest involvement in automobile contests before 1907. In June 1907, however, a Thomas Forty came 3rd in the 24 hour endurance race at the Michigan State Fairground and won the 24 hour endurance race in Chicago in the same month. Together, Thomas Flyer and Thomas Forty cars won 75% of all important contests of speed, hill climbing, reliability and endurance tests in 1907. 

In September 1907, it was announced that Thomas cars built in Detroit would be known as "Thomas Detroit" instead of Thomas Forty to avoid confusion with the Thomas Flyer built in Buffalo, New York. Interestingly, there was no hyphen in the name "Thomas Detroit" in the announcement, although advertisements and automobile press statements sometimes did use the name "Thomas-Detroit" with a hyphen.

Coffin and Chaplin were unhappy with the marketing and sales being controlled by Erwin Thomas and persuaded Hugh Chalmers of Detroit to buy a controlling interest in the E. R. Thomas Detroit Company. Hugh Chalmers became President of the company in December 1907. 

The Thomas Detroit was entered into and won many automobile contests in 1908. The New York Tribune in June 1908, for example, carried a Thomas Detroit advertisement listing the Thomas Detroit victories achieved during May 1908, including the Endurance Runs held in Detroit, Hartford, Kansas City, Baltimore-Hagerstown and Minneapolis, and the Cincinnati, Albany and Wilkesbarre Hill Climbs plus several more.

The Thomas-Detroit became the Chalmers-Detroit in June 1908 (see Chalmers-Detroit). A press announcement in July 1908 simply stated that henceforth the Thomas-Detroit Forty will be known as the Chalmers-Detroit Forty and that there was no change in company ownership or personnel.

Emblems

There are very few original period photos of Thomas-Detroit cars showing the radiator before mid-1908 when the Thomas-Detroit became the Chalmers-Detroit. The many fine period photos taken at the Savannah Grand Prize Races in October 1908 labeled as Thomas-Detroit are in fact Chalmers-Detroit race cars, even though they may have been entered as Thomas-Detroit cars.

The following examples, however, are believed to be 1907 Thomas-Detroit cars but show no sign of an emblem:

Thomas-Detroit Forty race car with no emblem (1907)  hcg

Thomas-Detroit Forty with no emblem (1907)   dpl

It is possible that the "Thomas Detroit" name was initially only displayed on a serial nameplate and on the hubcaps, see examples shown below:

Thomas-Detroit Model C serial nameplate (1907)  tomlaferriere

This is a Thomas Detroit hubcap (1906-1908)  dkc

The following advertisement includes a photo of a possibly later 1907-built Thomas-Detroit Forty displaying an emblem. The photo was taken in February 1908 during a high speed endurance run:

Ad showing the Thomas-Detroit Forty Snow Bird (1908) prewarcar

The Thomas-Detroit Forty carried a round radiator emblem and a brass radiator script, see more detailed photo below. Original Thomas Forty radiator scripts with this design are extremely rare.

1907 Thomas Forty Snow Bird with radiator emblem & script (photo 1908)    ms

The following original period photo shows a 1908 Thomas-Detroit also carrying a round radiator emblem:

Thomas-Detroit showing radiator emblem (1908)  dpl

Detail showing round Thomas-Detroit radiator emblem (1908) 

The Thomas-Detroit radiator emblem was a round stamped brass, painted, see example shown above at the top of this post and again below. This emblem is believed to have been originally soldered to the radiator tank top, so any holes used for screws to mount this emblem on a display board are not original. This Thomas-Detroit radiator emblem is extremely rare.

This is a Thomas-Detroit radiator emblem (1907-1908)  ckepc
Size: Unknown   MM: Unknown (prob None)