LUXOR

Luxor Cab Manufacturing Co.

Hagerstown, Maryland (1924)

Framingham, Massachusetts (1924-1927)

This is a Luxor taxicab radiator emblem (1924-1927)     mjs
Size: 63mm diameter    MM: Unknown (some Robbins)

The Luxor was planned as a smart taxicab by some New York City business men, who asked M.P.Moller, who was producing the Dagmar motor car, to build the Luxor taxicab.

A few Luxor cabs were built in Hagerstown, Maryland before operations moved to Framingham, Massachusetts, where the Luxor was produced alongside the Bay State car in the R. H. Long factory (see Bay State).

The Luxor was a standard, assembled four-cylinder vehicle but was fitted with leather-upholstered interiors and had a distinctive body color scheme in cream, yellow and black with red striping.

When the R. H. Long business failed in 1925, Luxor bought the Framingham factory to continue production. However, Luxor was in receivership by 1926 and production of the Luxor stopped in 1927. Luxor also built a private passenger car called the Standish between 1924 and 1925 (see Standish).

Emblem

The blue, white and red enamel Luxor taxicab radiator emblem shown above is very rare.

FERGUS

Fergus Motors of America (1916-1922)

Newark, New Jersey

This is a Fergus radiator emblem (c1920)     sam
Size: 114mm high 48mm wide    MM: Unknown

The Fergus motor car chassis was shown at the New York Automobile Show in January 1916 and was well received. The Fergus had a number of innovative features, including rubber mountings for the engine and a complete automatic chassis lubrication system. 

Initially, the plan was to build the Fergus in Northern Ireland and import it into the US, but the First World War made that impossible. Instead, Fergus Motors of America was organized in New York City in 1916 and a factory was acquired in New Jersey.

Production was delayed due to war time material shortages and the Fergus was not shown again until 1920, by which time it had an 80 hp six-cylinder engine. But, in the post-war depression nobody bought the Fergus. Total Fergus production was just three cars, all of the chassis having been built in Ireland.

Emblem

The black enamel nickel plated Fergus radiator emblem shown above is extremely rare.  But, emblem collectors should beware, as there are reproduction Fergus emblems made in relatively thin brass plate with shiny flat backs and no maker's mark, see non-plated example shown below:

This is a reproduction Fergus emblem   mjs

CHASE

Chase Motor Truck Co. (1907-1917)
Syracuse, New York

This is a Chase script (c1910-1916)     mjs
Size: 201mm wide 103mm high

The Chase Motor Truck Company was set up mainly for the production of trucks but high-wheeler automobiles were also produced from 1907 to 1912. The Chase high-wheeler could easily be converted from a passenger car to a 700-pound light truck.

There was also a larger 30 hp 3-ton capacity high-wheeler truck available from 1908. Brockway sold Chase built trucks re-badged as Brockway from 1910 to 1912. Chase trucks were also exported for sale overseas.

By 1914, the Chase was a conventional truck made in 1-ton, 2-ton and 3-ton sizes powered by four-cylinder engines with four-speed sliding transmission and worm-drive. Chase truck capacity ranged from 3/4-ton to 3-1/2-tons before production ceased in 1917. 

Emblem

Most surviving Chase vehicles display a distinctive brass "Chase" script mounted on the radiator core, see examples shown below:

Chase canopy express truck (1907)   conceptcarz

Chase motor wagon (1909)   earlyamericanautomobiles

Although some of these surviving Chase trucks appear very original, it is possible that the "Chase" radiator scripts were added later during restoration particularly on Chase trucks built before 1910.

The earliest original period photo of a Chase automobile and truck that I have found dates from c1910, see below, but neither vehicle displays any visible emblem or radiator script:

Chase automobile & truck (c1910)    dpl

However, it is possible that the Chase radiator script was introduced later in 1910, as the following Chase Model H Express truck illustration is dated 1910 and includes a Chase radiator script:

Chase Model H Express truck ad (1910)  coachbilt

The following Chase truck advertisement from 1911 clearly includes the Chase script logo:

Chase truck ad showing script logo (1911)  catj

This script logo has the same design as the Chase radiator script shown above at the top of this post and again below:

This is a Chase radiator script (c1910-1916)  mjs
Size: 201mm wide 103mm high

The following original photo of a Chase truck taking part in the 1911 Chicago Reliability Run is the earliest original period photo that I have found showing the radiator script:

Chase truck with radiator script (1911)  dpl

This script appears similar to the brass "Chase" radiator script shown above at the top of this post but appears to have additional side bars. Original Chase radiator scripts of any kind are scarce.

The Chase radiator script shown at the top of this post continued in use throughout the life of Chase, see example shown below from a 1916 Chase advertisement:

Chase truck ad (1916)   atj

Close up showing Chase radiator script (1916)

It is noted that the Chase script logo was changed to show the Chase radiator script with wings, which was referred to as "the Emblem of Efficiency" from about 1912, see example shown below:

Chase truck ad with new logo (1912)

There were a few slightly different versions of this logo, see example below:

Chase logo (c1912)    ms

I can find no evidence that this Chase logo design was used as a radiator emblem but it was used as a body side emblem fitted on a body panel at the side of the front of the driver's cab, see example shown below from a surviving 1915 Chase model RHD truck chassis. This cast metal body side Chase emblem is very rare.

Chase truck showing body side emblem (1915)   hmvf

The same logo was also displayed on the driver's cab floor panel, see example shown below:

Chase truck floor panel showing Chase logo (1915)   hmvf

BUFFUM

H. H. Buffum Co. (1901-1907)
Abington, Massachusetts

This is a Buffum nameplate (c1905)   mjs
Size: 84mm wide 35mm high

H. H. Buffum was an engineer and an inventor, who began to take an interest in motor cars in the late 1890s. The H. H. Buffum Company built both touring cars and motor boats. A variety of different engine designs were developed and tested. 

The first Buffum car in 1901 was a 20 hp four-cylinder King of Belgium Tonneau, which continued in production into 1903. In 1904, Buffum offered its Model G, the Grayhound race car with a horizontal eight-cylinder 80 hp engine. This was the first eight-cylinder car offered for regular sale in America. In 1906, Buffum introduced a 40 hp V-8 runabout and this may have been the first V-8 in the market in America. Buffum cars were of excellent quality, including the hand-made aluminum bodies. 

Production of the Buffum ceased in 1907.

Emblem

Early Buffum cars did not carry an emblem but would have displayed the "Buffum" name on a small maker's nameplate or serial plate attached to the body or at the rear of the car.

The brass H. H. Buffum nameplate shown above at the top of this post may have been attached to the body of early Buffum cars and may have also been used as a radiator emblem after about 1905. 

The following poor quality original photo of a Buffum car shows a small rectangular emblem on the radiator. It is possible that this is the brass nameplate shown above but I cannot confirm this.

Buffum car showing a radiator nameplate (c1905)    bonhams 

    

ALLSTATE

Kaiser-Frazer Corp. (1952-1954)
Willow Run, Michigan

This is an Allstate hood emblem (1952-1954)    mjs
Size: 90mm wide 50mm high   MM: None

The Allstate car was built by the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation for Sears Roebuck, for sale by mail order. The car was basically the same as the Henry J (see Henry J) except for the radiator grille, emblems and some accessories and was offered in four-cylinder and six-cylinder engine sizes.

The Allstate was announced by Sears Roebuck at the end of November 1951. Total production of the Allstate was 2,363 units before it was discontinued in 1954.

Emblems

The Allstate carried a small chrome metal Allstate emblem on the hood and a larger Allstate emblem on the trunk lid, see examples shown below:

Allstate showing hood emblem (1953)    autotrader

Allstate showing trunk lid emblem (1953)   autotrader

Allstate hood emblem (1952)    ms

An example of the Allstate hood emblem is shown above at the top of this post. This Allstate hood emblem is scarce.

The following is an example of the Allstate trunk emblem. This Allstate trunk emblem is scarce.

This is an Allstate trunk emblem (1952-1954)   ms
Size: Unknown    MM: None

AMERICAN SIMPLEX/AMPLEX

Simplex Motor Car Co. (1906-1912)

Amplex Motor Car Co. (1912-1914)

Mishawaka, Indiana

This is believed to be an American Simplex radiator emblem (1906-c1909)    sac
Size: 57mm wide 32mm high      MM: Unknown

The Simplex Motor Car Company was organized in late 1904. Their first car was on the road by September 1905 and ready for the market by 1906. The American Simplex had a three-point suspension and was a large, speedy car. Initially the engine was a 40 hp two-cylinder model but in 1908 it became a 50 hp two-stroke four-cylinder model, which was available in several body styles.

There was some confusion between the American Simplex and the better known Simplex car made in New York. As a result, in 1910, the American Simplex changed its name to Amplex. The company was reorganized into the Amplex Motor Car Company in 1912 and a 40 hp six-cylinder Little Six model joined the four-cylinder Baby Amplex for the 1913 model year but it was all over by the end of 1913. After 1913 a few cars were made from available parts.

Emblems

I do not know when the American Simplex first carried a radiator emblem. It is possible that the simple brass American Simplex emblem shown above at the top of this post was used as a radiator emblem from 1906 but I cannot confirm this. If you have more information, please let me know in order to update this post.

The following photo shows an American Simplex nameplate and serial plate of similar design to the emblem shown above at the top of this post:

This is an American Simplex nameplate and serial plate (1906-c1909)    mjs
Size: 67mm wide 40mm high  

The following American Simplex hubcap also uses the same script style as the emblem shown above at the top of this post:

This is an American Simplex hubcap (c1906-1909)  jjc

From about 1909 and possibly earlier, the American Simplex carried a circular radiator emblem, see example shown below:

This is an original photo of an American Simplex showing a circular emblem (1909)   dpl

The emblem is perhaps more clearly seen in the following brochure American Simplex illustration of a Touring Roadster:

American Simplex Touring Roadster showing rad emblem (c1909)  sfam

This American Simplex radiator emblem appears to have the same design as the rare painted brass emblem shown below:

This is an American Simplex radiator emblem (1909-c1912)     mjs
Size: 50mm diameter   MM: None

This American Simplex emblem was also used as a hub emblem, see example below:

This is an American Simplex hub emblem (1909-c1912)     dkc
Size: 50mm diameter

The American Simplex was renamed Amplex in 1910 and the company name changed to the Amplex Motor Car Company in 1912. I do not know exactly when the radiator emblem was changed but the original photo from 1912 below shows the new Amplex radiator emblem:

This is an original photo showing the Amplex radiator emblem (1912)   dpl

The following shows this Amplex radiator emblem on a surviving model:

Amplex radiator emblem (c1912)  ms

The painted brass Amplex emblems shown below are of the same design as the radiator emblem shown in the original Amplex photo above. Original Amplex emblems are very rare.

This is an Amplex emblem (c1910-1914)     mjs
Size: 69mm wide 44mm high   MM: None

This is an Amplex emblem (c1910-1914)      mjs
Size: 38mm wide 26mm high    MM: Unknown

If you have better details, photos or dates of use of American Simplex or Amplex emblems, please let me know, in order to update this post.

MIDDLEBY

Middleby Automobile Co. (1909-1913)
Reading, Pennsylvania

This is a Middleby radiator script (1909)    cccmlc

Charles M. Middleby took over the factory previously occupied by the Duryea Power Company in Reading, Pennsylvania to produce his Middleby automobile. 

The Middleby began as a 25 hp four-cylinder air-cooled automobile offered as a two-passenger runabout, a four-passenger surrey or a five-passenger touring. For 1910, the Middleby range had increased to six body styles and a larger 40 hp companion model called the Reading was also introduced. 

In 1911, the Middleby also became a larger wheelbase, 40 hp four-cylinder water-cooled automobile but it was not successful and it was all over in 1913, including the Reading. 

Emblem

The Middleby did not carry an emblem but displayed the "Middleby" name on a cast brass script mounted on the radiator core, see original period photo and surviving 1909 runabout example shown below;

Middleby runabout at Giant's Despair Hill Climb (1909)  dpl

Middleby runabout showing radiator script (1909)   bmhv

The cast brass Middleby radiator script is shown above at the top of this post. Original Middleby radiator scripts are rare.

The "Middleby" name was displayed on a small brass nameplate/serial plate located on the dash or under the driver's seat, see example shown below. This Middleby nameplate is very rare.

This is a Middleby nameplate/serial plate (c1910)    sam

The "Middleby" name was also displayed on a brass script mounted on the top of the headlights, see 1909 example shown below:

This shows the Middleby script on the headlights (1909)  cccmlc