MATHESON

Matheson Motor Car Co. 

Grand Rapids, Michigan (1903)

Holyoke, Massachusetts (1904-1905)

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania (1906-1910)

Matheson Automobile Co. (1910-1912)

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

This is a Matheson radiator emblem (1908-1911)     mjs
Size: 52mm high 39mm wide    MM: None

Production of the Matheson automobile began in 1903 at a plant in Grand Rapids, Michigan and then moved to Holyoke, Massachusetts in 1904 before being transferred to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in 1906. The Matheson was an expensive automobile but sold well from the start with over 60 cars built in the first year. A massive 5-ton truck was also built in 1906 but with very limited production.

After the move to Wilkes-Barre the Matheson automobile really took off and did well in competitions with several top race drivers, including Louis Chevrolet. A Matheson touring car with seven passengers on board established a world record of a mile in 50 seconds at Atlantic City in September 1906.

The Matheson was seen as an ideal touring car. A six-cylinder Matheson joined the line for the 1909 model year and became the Silent Six for 1911. The company was in financial trouble and went through receivership and reorganization as the Matheson Automobile Company in 1910. The second receivership came in December 1912 and the Matheson did not survive.

Emblems

The first Matheson cars did not carry an emblem but most likely displayed the Matheson name on a small serial plate attached to the dash or on the body of the car, see example below:

This is a Matheson serial plate (1907)     mjs
Size: 88mm wide 51mm high

The Matheson serial plate for a car built in Wilkes-Barre shown above, dates from 1907 and is rare. I have not seen Matheson serial plates for the units built in Grand Rapids or in Holyoke. Such Matheson serial plates would be extremely rare.

The Matheson name was also displayed on sill plates and the hub caps, see examples below:

This is a Matheson sill plate (1907)    bonhams

This is a Matheson hub cap (c1908)    dkc

An original photo from 1904 of Henry Ford in a Matheson shows what appears to be a small radiator emblem, see below, but this is almost certainly a radiator maker's name plate.

Henry Ford in a Matheson showing a radiator maker's emblem (1904)   ms

Brass "Matheson" radiator scripts are seen in original photos from 1907, see examples shown below, and may have been used from about 1906, although I cannot confirm this:

This is a Matheson showing a radiator script at Brighton Beach Races (1907)    tom

This is the same Matheson car winning the Giants Dispair Hillclimb (1907)   dpl

This "Matheson" radiator script appears to be in cast brass but scripts cut from brass sheet were probably in use also, see example below. Original brass "Matheson" radiator scripts are very rare.

This is a Matheson radiator script ( c1907)    bonhams

The following original photo of a Matheson car taking part in the 1907 Glidden Tour shows a radiator emblem. The photo is not clear but the emblem appears to be round. I can find no evidence of a round emblem used by Matheson in 1907 which would be a very early date for such an emblem. It is possible that the photo has been wrongly captioned.

This photo is captioned as a Matheson taking part in the 1907 Glidden Tour (1907)   dpl

Matheson brochures for 1908 show a vertical, oval shaped radiator emblem, see example below:

This factory illustration of a Matheson limousine shows an oval radiator emblem (1908)   sfam

Close up showing the radiator emblem (1908)   sfam

The oval radiator emblem is also seen on original photos of Matheson cars from 1908 through 1910, see examples below:

Louis Chevrolet driving a Matheson in Vanderbilt Cup Race (1908)  ms

Factory photo showing Matheson car with an oval radiator emblem (1909)   dpl

Close up showing the radiator emblem (1909)

The following illustration from a 1909 Matheson brochure shows the same emblem and the detail is clear and accurate in the original illustration:

This shows a Matheson radiator and emblem (1909)     sfam

This Matheson radiator emblem is beautifully designed and shows the tartan and coat of arms of the Matheson clan and is finished in multi-colored enamel, see example at the top of this post and shown again below. I suspect that this Matheson radiator emblem was used from 1908 until and including the Matheson Big Four in 1911, but I cannot confirm this. This Matheson radiator emblem is extremely rare.

This is a Matheson radiator emblem (1908-c1911)   mjs
Size: 52mm high 39mm wide    MM: None

There is an equally beautiful, smaller, multicolored enamel Matheson radiator displaying the name "Matheson", see example below:

This is a Matheson radiator emblem (dates unknown, poss 1909)    mjs
Size: 42mm high 28mm wide    MM: Unknown

I have been unable to confirm the dates of use of this Matheson radiator emblem. It may have had very limited use for a specific Matheson model, for example the first Matheson Six model in 1909, or may have been a prototype emblem that was not actually used. This Matheson radiator emblem is extremely rare and possibly ultra rare.

The following original photo shows a Matheson Six with the larger, vertical oval radiator emblem and a radiator script. Original "Matheson Six" radiator scripts are very rare.

This is a Matheson Six (1910)     dpl

Close up showing the radiator emblem and script (1910)

I  can find no reference to the following horizontal oval, deep blue enamel Matheson Silent Six radiator emblem, which is clearly original. This Matheson Silent Six radiator emblem was most likely used briefly for the very first Matheson Silent Six cars in early 1911 and is ultra rare.

This is a Matheson Silent Six radiator emblem (possibly early 1911)     mjs
Size: 69mm wide 43mm high    MM: Unknown

The Matheson brochure for the 1912 Silent Six, which was first produced in late 1911, includes an illustration of the radiator with the emblem. As illustrated, the emblem is similar to the vertical oval emblem seen in the 1909 Matheson brochure but has wings rather crudely and inaccurately drawn, clearly a later addition to the illustration, see below:

1912 Matheson Silent Six brochure illustration showing radiator and emblem (late 1911)    sfam

Close up showing the 1912 Matheson Silent Six emblem illustration (late 1911)

This lack of accuracy is in contrast to the accurate depiction of the radiator emblems illustrated in earlier Matheson brochures and suggests that the final Matheson Silent Six radiator emblem design had not been decided at the time the artwork was prepared for the 1912 brochure. This was some time after the appearance, earlier in 1911, of the first Matheson Silent Six models, which I believe may have carried the blue horizontal radiator emblem shown earlier above, although I cannot confirm this.

The multi-colored enamel Matheson Silent Six radiator emblem shown below is an original of the final version of the emblem. This Matheson Silent Six radiator emblem was used from late 1911 through 1912 to the end of Matheson production and is extremely rare and possibly ultra rare.

This is a Matheson Silent Six radiator emblem (late 1911-1912)      khc
Size: 165mm wide 52mm high   MM: None

Close up showing the Matheson Silent Six emblem center     khc
Size: 52mm high 39mm wide

Beware, there are some good quality reproduction Matheson Silent Six radiator emblems, see examples shown below:

This is a reproduction Matheson Silent Six radiator emblem      mjs
Size: 166mm wide 52mm high

This is a reproduction Matheson Silent Six radiator emblem      kmc
Size: 184mm wide 57mm high

If you can help by confirming the dates of use of any of the Matheson radiator emblems shown in this post, please let me know, in order to update the post.

PULLMAN

York Motor Car Co. (1905-1909)

Pullman Motor Car Co. (1909-1917)

York, Pennsylvania

This is a Pullman radiator script (1906-c1912)      mjs
Size: 157mm wide

Albert P Broomell built a two-cylinder six-wheeled car in 1903 which he called the Pullman but which was unsuccessful. He then designed a new four-wheeled car, which he called the York. He was joined by Samuel E Baily, president of the York Cariage Company, and together they promoted the York motor car. The interest generated in the York was sufficient to encourage the formation of the York Motor Car Company and to engage James A Kline to develop the York design for production. The new car was ready by late 1905 by which time the name had been changed back to Pullman.

The first Pullman cars were finely built, large and expensive 18/20 hp four-cylinder automobiles, which grew to 40 hp by 1907 with six-cylinder models added in 1908. Pullman cars were well respected for quality and comfort. The range of avalable body styles was increased after 1910. A taxi model was introduced in 1911 and a light delivery van was offered from mid-1916.

Pullman cars took part in various tours and competitions. In 1910 a Pullman car won the Fairmount Park Road Race and Pullman won three gold medals at the Russian Exposition in 1911. 

The financial panic of 1907 resulted in management changes and the company was reorganized in 1909 as the Pullman Motor Car Company and the management was in the hands of financiers from New York. James Kline and Sam Baily departed and went on to build a car to be called the Kline Kar.

The Pullman was successful, sales were high and orders for the Pullman grew. Unfortunately, in the hurry to meet demand, quality was sacrificed and the Pullman reputation for superb motor cars suffered badly. This proved to be the undoing of the Pullman and bankruptcy was eventually declared in December 1916. The final Pullman cars left the factory in 1917 after a total lifetime production of over 20,000 units.

Emblems

The first Pullman cars in 1905 did not carry an emblem but would have displayed the Pullman name on a serial plate attached to the body of the car.

The four-cylinder Model C touring car built in late 1905 for the 1906 model year was the first Pullman car to leave the factory with a brass "Pullman" script attached to the radiator core, see example shown below:

This is a Pullman Model C showing a radiator script (1906)    yaim

The small brass emblem just visible at the top of the radiator in the above photo is the radiator maker's nameplate.

This is the Pullman Model C radiator script (1906)       yaim 

Pullman advertisements show several, slight variations in the style of the "Pullman" script logo. Not all of these would be reflected in the actual radiator scripts used at the time. 

The "Pullman" script shown above on the 1906 Model C is the same design as appears on some original Pullman photos from 1909, see example below:

Ths is a Pullman in the Harrisburg Endurance Run showing a radiator script (1909)     dpl

However, there were some variations in the script sizes and designs, for example, see the following original photo from 1906 showing a much larger radiator script:

This is a Pullman Model E with a large radiator script (1906)   hacc

The following photo of a restored 1910 Pullman Model O shows a variation in the "Pullman" script design but I cannot confirm that the script is original:

This shows the radiator script on a Pullman Model O (1910)     sotheby's

The "Pullman" radiator script shown above at the top of this post is another slightly different and, possibly, later design. Original brass "Pullman" radiator scripts are rare.

The Pullman name was also displayed on brass sill plates on early models, see example shown below of a sill plate seen on a surviving 1910 Model O Pullman but presumably built in 1909 before the reorganization to the Pullman Motor Car Company:

This is a Pullman sill plate (1909)      sotheby's

The following photo shows part of a different early Pullman sill plate:

This is part of a Pullman sill plate (date unknown)     sam

From late 1911, the "Pullman" name was also displayed as an embossed script in the radiator tank top, see example shown below:

This is an embossed "Pullman" radiator script (1911)     rentzels

The same embossed "Pullman" script is seen on Pullman cars in an original photo from 1912, see below:

This is a Pullman car with the embossed "Pullman" script (1912)     pvc

This embossed "Pullman" script was not used on all Pullman models and, by 1914, there was a change in the design of the embossed "Pullman" name to a block letter version, see the example below of a Pullman Model 6-46:

This is a Pullman Model 6-46 showing an embossed block letter script (1914)      dbc

This embossed block letter "Pullman" radiator script was last used on the 1915 Pullman Model 6-48.

The Pullman Junior models built in 1915 displayed a "Pullman JUNIOR" radiator script, see 1915 brochure illustration and original photo shown below:

This is a Pullman Junior brochure illustration showing the radiator script (1915)   sfam

This is a Pullman Junior showing the radiator script (1915)    pvc

For 1916, all models carried a "Pullman" script on the radiator core, except for the very last few units, which carried an unusual radiator emblem in the form of a colored circular decal in the center of the radiator tank top. 

This radiator decal emblem was used as a cost saving measure and was used for the Model 4-24, which was the final Pullman passenger car model that appeared in 1917. There is a surviving, unrestored Pullman Model 4-24 in the York Industrial Museum, see photo below:

This is a Pullman Model 4-24 showing the decal radiator emblem (1917)     vaim

Unfortunately, the colored decal emblem is so badly worn, that the detailed design cannot be seen, see below:

This is the surviving Pullman Model 4-24 decal radiator emblem (1917)      yaim

However, the detailed design of the emblem is shown on Pullman advertisements from 1916 and 1917, see example below:

This is a Pullman ad showing the emblem design (1917)   mm

Close up showing the Pullman radiator emblem design (1917)    mm

The same decal radiator emblem was also used on the prototype closed sedan Pullman model intended to be used for 1918, see original photo below:

This is the 1918 prototype Pullman closed sedan showing the decal emblem    pvc

The Pullman name was also displayed on the hub emblems, see example below. Original Pullman hub emblems are scarce.

This is a Pullman hub emblem (c1916)      mjs
Size: 35mm diameter

The Pullman taxi model introduced in 1911 was based on the passenger car chassis and most likely displayed a brass radiator script in the same way as the equivalent passenger car model. The following Pullman taxi serial plate suggests a 1912 date of production. Pullman taxi serial plates are very rare.

This is a Pullman taxi serial plate (1912)     khc
Size: 76mm wide 41nn high

The Pullman light delivery van advertised in 1916 for the 1917 model year, also had the Pullman name displayed on the side of the vehicle by the driver's seat, see factory illustration below:

This is a Pullman Light Delivery Van showing the "Pullman" name (1917)   ms

I am grateful to Paul Vaughn for his valuable advice on the emblems used on Pullman motor vehicles. Any errors in my interpretation of this advice are entirely down to me.

LOOMIS

Loomis Autocar Co. (1900-1904)

Westfield, Massachusetts

This is a Loomis Autocar nameplate (c1903-04)    mjs

In 1900 the Loomis Autocar Company was incorporated by Gilbert J. Loomis for the manufacture of air-cooled gasoline cars powered by 5 hp two-cylinder engines and offered in a variety of models differentiated by the width of their wheel tracks. Loomis also produced light vans as well as passenger cars.

The Loomis Autocar Company was sold in 1904. Thereafter, Gilbert Loomis offered his services as engineer to other automobile manufacturers, including Pope-Tribune and Speedwell.

Emblem

The Loomis Autocar did not carry an emblem but did have a nameplate, see example above. This nameplate is curved and may have been attached to the tiller or steering wheel column. This Loomis nameplate is very rare.

ANDERSON

Anderson Motor Co. (1916-1925)

Rock Hill, South Carolina

This is an Anderson radiator emblem (c1919-1923)      mjs
Size: 76mm wide 53mm high    MM: Unknown (probably Bastian Bros)

The Anderson had its origins in the Rock Hill Buggy Company, which built horse drawn vehicles. The company produced a car called the Rock Hill in 1910 but the venture was unsuccessful. In 1913 the company began to build bodies for automobiles and in 1916 the Anderson Motor Company was established.

The Anderson car was a particularly good, assembled car with high quality coachwork offered in a variety of color combinations. The first Anderson model Six-40 appeared in 1916 and was a 25 hp six-cylinder car. The car was well received and some valuable US government contracts helped the Anderson to survive the First World War period.

The Anderson became one of the most successful and long-lived cars produced in the Southern States of America. Production reached a peak in 1923 but thereafter the Anderson began to suffer problems, mainly because the Anderson was a relatively expensive car. Despite the company slogan " A Little Bit Higher in Price, but Made in Dixie!" the Anderson could not compete with the very low priced Ford Model T.

A factory fire in 1924 resulted in a serious production shutdown and by 1925 it was all over for the Anderson, which continued to be sold into 1926.

Total lifetime production of the Anderson was somewhat over 10,000 units.

Emblems

The first Anderson Six-40 automobiles in 1916 did not carry a radiator emblem but did display an "Anderson Six 40" script attached to the radiator core, see advertisement and example shown below:

This is an Anderson Six Forty ad showing a radiator script !1916)    ms

This is an Anderson Six-40 showing a radiator script (c1916-1917)    ms

The following Anderson factory event advertisement shows the detail of the Anderson Six-40 radiator script. Original Anderson radiator scripts are rare.

This Anderson Six-40 ad shows the design of the radiator script (c1916)    ms

The Anderson name was also displayed on the hub caps, see the Anderson Six-40 hub emblem shown below. This Anderson hub emblem is rare.

This is an Anderson Six-40 hub emblem (1916-1918)     mjs
Size: 50mm diameter

By about 1919 and possibly earlier, the Anderson carried a red and white enamel radiator emblem showing the company slogan "A Little Higher in Price, But Made in Dixie", see examples below. This Anderson radiator emblem is very rare.

This is an Anderson radiator emblem and motometer (1920)    hemmings

This is an Anderson radiator emblem (c1919-1923)     mjs
Size: 76mm wide 53mm high      MM: Unknown (probably Bastian Bros)

Beware, as there is a good quality reproduction of this Anderson radiator emblem, see example shown below:

This is a reproduction Anderson radiator emblem     ms

At first sight, the reproduction emblem looks the same as the original but the reproduction is betrayed by some errors in the design. Look carefully at the two head butting goats. The reproduction emblem has eight, non-symmetric lightning flashes above the two clashing goats and none below, whereas the original radiator emblem shows nine, symmetric flashes above the goats and three below. Also, the comma before the word "BUT" in the slogan is missing in the reproduction emblem. 

There is also a blue and white enamel version of this Anderson radiator emblem, see example shown above at the top of this post and again below. I cannot yet confirm the actual dates of use of the emblem. This Anderson radiator emblem is extremely rare.

This is an Anderson radiator emblem (c1920-1923)     mjs
Size: 76mm wide 53mm high     MM: Unknown (probably Bastian Bros)

In about 1924, the Anderson radiator emblem design was changed completely, see example below. This Anderson radiator emblem is scarce.

This is an Anderson radiator emblem (c1924-1926)      mjs
Size: 57mm high 45mm wide     MM: Bastian Bros