SCHACHT

Schacht Manufacturing Co. (1904-1909)

Schacht Motor Car Co. (1909-1913)

G A Schacht Motor Truck Co. (1913-1927)

LeBlond-Schacht Truck Co. (1927-1940)

Cincinnati, Ohio

This is a Schacht passenger car radiator emblem (c1911-1913)     sam
Size: 57mm diameter    MM: Unknown

The Schacht Manufacturing Company was a well established buggy builder when in 1904 it produced a 10 hp two-cylinder runabout. In 1905 a 30 hp four-cylinder was added to the line. A two-cylinder high wheel runabout was offered in 1907 and high wheelers only were offered from 1908 to 1910. The Schacht company slogan was the "Invincible Schacht". The company was renamed as the Schacht Motor Car Company in 1909 and a line of more conventional four-cylinder cars was offered from 1910 together with a range of trucks until 1913 when passenger car production ceased.

The company was reorganized as the G A Schacht Motor Truck Company in 1913 to concentrate on the manufacture of commercial vehicles only. Early Schacht trucks were conventional machines from 1/2-ton to 4-ton capacity and by 1922 the range ran from 2-ton to 7-ton capacity. In 1926 Schacht introduced the Super Safety Coach powered by a 49 hp six-cylinder engine. Schacht ran into financial difficulties and found financial support from LeBlond in 1927 when the company was reorganized as LeBlond-Schacht Truck Company. The trucks continued to carry a Schacht radiator emblem.

A period of expansion followed. In 1928 the company bought the Armleder Truck Company. Even so, truck production remained modest with about 360 units sold in 1930. The truck range in the early 1930's went from 1-1/2-ton to 10-ton capacity. A new small lightweight, fast truck was introduced in 1930 that became popular as a chassis for fire engines, particularly for Ahrens-Fox. In 1936 the company acquired Ahrens-Fox and in 1938 LeBlond-Schacht withdrew from the truck market to specialize in fire apparatus. Ahrens-Fox and Schacht fire apparatus continued to be built until 1940.

Emblems

The earliest Schacht runabouts and touring models did not carry a radiator emblem or a radiator script but did display the Schacht name on a small brass maker's nameplate attached to the side of the vehicle, see example below. This Schacht maker's nameplate is very rare.

This is a Schacht maker's nameplate (c1904)      mjs
Size: 87mm wide 37mm high

A brass "Schacht" script was displayed on the radiator core of Schacht vehicles certainly by 1909 but probably by about 1907, although I cannot confirm this date., see example below. Original Schacht radiator scripts are rare.

This is a Schacht radiator script (c1909)     mjs
Size: 196mm wide

Schacht passenger cars carried a red, white and orange enamel radiator emblem from about 1911 or 1912 until passenger car production ceased in 1913, see example shown above at the top of this post. This Schacht passenger car radiator emblem is extremely rare. I cannot confirm the exact start date for this radiator emblem but surviving Schacht cars from 1910 do not appear to have had a radiator emblem.

Schacht trucks continued to use the Schacht radiator script but by the early 1920's and possibly earlier, Schacht  trucks displayed the "Schacht" name embossed into the radiator tank top, see 1922 Schacht truck advertisement shown below:

This is a Schacht truck advertisement (1922)      ms

Detail showing Schacht name on radiator tank top    ms

The following photo shows the embossed "Schacht" name on the radiator tank top of a Schacht truck from the late 1920's:

This shows the Schacht name embossed into the radiator tank top (c1927)    aacaf

From about 1930. LeBlond-Schacht trucks carried a new red, white and blue enamel radiator emblem, see example below. This Schacht truck radiator emblem is scarce and is often, incorrectly, believed to be a Schacht passenger car radiator emblem.

This is a Schacht truck radiator emblem (c1930-1940)     mjs
Size: 107mm wide 73mm high    MM: Mayer

GARFORD

Garford Co. (1907-1908; 1911-1913)

Elyria, Ohio

This is a Garford radiator emblem (late1907-1908; 1911-1913)     mjs
Size: 58mm diameter     MM: Unknown

Arthur L Garford had been involved in bicycle manufacturing but decided to move into the automobile component business and established the Federal Manufacturing Company in 1903. Garford then widened his operations and to supply the automotive industry with complete chassis. Auto companies using Garford chassis included Ardsley, Gaeth, Cleveland, Rainier and Studebaker. 

The contract to supply chassis to Studebaker, which commenced in late 1903, did not allow Garford to market an automobile in their own name. Motor cars produced by Garford were referred to as Studebaker-Garford or Studebaker. But, in October 1907 Garford introduced their four-cylinder Models A and B at the Grand Central Palace Show as Garford cars. They were sold in 1908 and entered the Glidden Tour and other competitions as Garford. Studebaker objected to this infringement of their contract with Garford and the Garford name was dropped. The contract with Studebaker was finally terminated in 1910 after when Garford was able to put the Garford name to its cars again.

The first legal Garford car was the four-cylinder 40 hp Model G-7, which was shown at the New York Automobile Show in January 1911. This was also the last Studebaker-Garford car marketed by Studebaker. Garford produced improved versions of the Model G for 1912 and 1913, including six-cylinder models, which were introduced in 1912. 

Garford suffered difficulties, however, because, having relied on its contract with Studebaker, it had not developed a dealership network of its own. The Garford automobile manufacturing business was sold to Willys-Overland in 1912 and the final Garford cars appeared in 1913. Thereafter, the Garford name continued on commercial vehicles only.

Emblems

The first cars produced by Garford in late 1903 and 1904, were marketed as Studebaker-Garford or Studebaker, and did not carry an emblem. They would have displayed the Studebaker name on small plates attached to the outside of the body or under the driver's seat.

Cars built by Garford in 1905 and 1906, were still Studebaker-Garford and displayed Studebaker radiator emblems and/or Studebaker radiator scripts (see Studebaker).

Cars built by Garford from 1907 carried a round, painted Studebaker-Garford radiator emblem mounted on the radiator tank top. The Studebaker-Garford radiator emblem was used until 1911.

In October 1907 and through 1908, Garford infringed their contract with Studebaker by marketing some of their four-cylinder Models A and B as Garford cars. The 1908 Garford advertisement shown below includes two Garford logos, the "Garford" script logo at the top and a logo consisting of a stylized letter "G" within a diamond surround at the bottom:

This is a Garford ad showing two logos (1908)   ms

The following original photo shows a Garford car taking part in the 1908 Glidden Tour:

This is a Garford car taking part in the Glidden Tour showing a radiator emblem (1908)     dpl

The Garford car shown above is carrying a round, domed radiator emblem, which displays the stylized letter "G" in a diamond logo. An example of this round, domed, black enamel Garford radiator emblem is shown above at the top of this post. This Garford radiator emblem was used on Garford automobiles in late 1907 and through 1908 and again from 1911 after the cancellation of the contract with Studebaker and is extremely rare.

Other original photos taken in 1908 show Garford automobiles carrying the radiator emblem shown above and the two forms of Garford logo displayed in the form of brass scripts attached to the radiator core, see examples shown below:

This Garford car displays the Garford script logo (1908)    dpl

This Garford car displays a brass "G" in diamond logo script (1908)    dpl

Original Garford radiator logo scripts, as shown above, would be extremely rare. If you have better photos of these scripts, please send copies in order to up date this post.

By about 1912, the Garford script logo had changed slightly, see below:

This Garford Six ad shows a revised Garford script logo (1913)  ms

This is a Garford radiator script (c1912-1913)     sam
Size: 350mm wide

The original Garford radiator script shown above is very rare.

NOBLE TRUCK

Noble Motor Truck Co. (1917-1931)

Kendallville, Indiana

This is a Noble truck radiator emblem (date unknown)     natm
Size: 172mm wide 75mm high 

The Noble was a conventional assembled truck and, at times over the life of the Noble, was offered in eight models ranging in capacity from 1-ton to 5-tons. From 1921, all Noble trucks were powered by six-cylinder Buda engines.

The Noble did not survive the Great Depression and it was all over by 1931.

Emblems

The Noble radiator emblem shown above was also used as a nameplate attached to both sides of the hood, see below:

This Noble truck displays common radiator and hood side emblems     natm

The heavier Noble trucks had the Noble name embossed in the radiator tank top and a Noble nameplate on the sides of the radiator, see example below:

This Noble emblem is embossed in the radiator tank top (date unknown)    natm
Size: 253mm wide

This Noble truck has an embossed radiator emblem and side plates   natm

I do not know the dates of use of these emblems. If you have these details, please let me know, in order to update this post.

BOUR-DAVIS

Bour-Davis Motor Car Co. (1916-1917)

Detroit, Michigan

Shadbourne Bros. Co. (1918)

Frankfort, Indiana

Louisiana Motor Car Co. (1919-1922)

Shreveport. Louisiana

This is a Bour-Davis radiator emblem (1916-1917)    sam
Size: 98mm wide 32mm high    MM: Unknown

The Bour-Davis was an assembled car using a six-cylinder Continental engine with a distinctive appearance resulting from a radiator slanting at the same angle as the windshield and the rear of the body. The Bour-Davis was first built in Detroit but by 1918 the Shadbourne Brothers Company had taken over the Bour-Davis business and a few were built in their Frankfort plant in Indiana.

In 1919 the Bour-Davis became part of the Louisiana Motor Car Company with a factory in Cedar Grove. The Bour-Davis now had its radiator placed slightly ahead of the front axle and a higher hood but was otherwise the same car as before. Production of the Bour-Davis was underway again in 1920 with plans for expansion but the postwar recession hit the industry hard and the Bour-Davis was finished by 1922.

Emblems

The red and white enamel Bour-Davis radiator emblem shown above is believed to date from 1916-1917 when the Bour-Davis was built in Detroit and is very rare.

The Bour-Davis radiator emblem shown below is an original emblem used on one of only eighteen Bour-Davis cars built by the Shadbourne Brothers in Frankfort, Indiana in 1918. This emblem is ultra rare.

This is a radiator emblem for a Bour-Davis built in Frankfort (1918)     mjs
Size: 102mm wide 37mm high   MM: Unknown

I do not know the dates of use of the unusual blue and white enamel Bour-Davis radiator emblem shown below. This Bour-Davis radiator emblem is very rare. If you have further details, please let me know, in order to update this post.

This is a Bour-Davis radiator emblem (dates unknown)    sam
Size: 90mm wide 33mm high    MM: Unknown

ZIMMERMAN

Zimmerman Manufacturing Co. (1908-1915)

Auburn, Indiana

This is a Zimmerman radiator script (1908)     acdm
Size: 310mm wide

The Zimmerman Manufacturing Company was a builder of horsedrawn buggies when it entered the automotive market in 1908 with a two-cylinder motorized buggy offered in two 14 hp two-passenger runabout models and a 16/18 hp four-passenger surrey.

A 35 hp four-cylinder touring model was added to the line in 1910 with 44 hp six-cylinder touring and roadster models appearing in 1913. These later Zimmerman models were built by the Auburn Automobile Company.

Zimmerman was a family business and following the death of Elias Zimmerman production of the Zimmerman car ceased in 1915.

Emblem

The Zimmerman did not have a radiator emblem but, from its introduction in 1908, the Zimmerman name was displayed using a cast brass script attached to the radiator core, as shown above. Original Zimmerman radiator scripts are very rare. I am not aware of any other emblems used by Zimmerman.

V.E.C.

Vehicle Equipment Co.

Brooklyn, New York (1901-1905)

Long Island City, New York (1905-1906)

This is a V.E.C. maker's nameplate/serial plate (c1901)     mjs
Size: 87mm wide 45mm high

The Vehicle Equipment Company, known as V.E.C., was established in December 1900 and became an important manufacturer of electric vehicles, including sightseeing buses, ambulances and trucks for special applications.

The V.E.C. facility in Brooklyn was destroyed by fire in 1905 and the company moved to Long Island. In 1906, the company name was changed to General Vehicle Company and the vehicles became known as G.V.

Emblem

The Vehicle Equipment Company did have a logo, see the 1903 advertisement shown below:

This is a V.E.C. advertisement showing a logo (1903)    ms

Close up showing the V.E.C. logo (1903)    ms

However, I can find no evidence that V.E.C. electric vehicles displayed an emblem but they did carry the Vehicle Equipment Company name on a small combined maker's nameplate/serial plate attached to the body of the vehicle, see example shown above at the top of this post. Original V.E.C. nameplate/serial plates are rare.

ANCHOR

Anchor Motor Car Co. (1910-1911)

Cincinnati, Ohio

This is an Anchor radiator emblem (1910-1911)      mjs
Size: 64mm high 50mm wide      MM: Mayer

The Anchor Carriage Company was a builder of horse drawn carriages and decided to enter the automotive field. The Anchor Motor Car Company was established and the Anchor motor car appeared in 1910.

The Anchor was a 35 hp four-cylinder touring car powered by a T-head engine. Production numbers are unknown but are likely to have been modest at best, as it was all over for the Anchor in 1911.

Emblem

The Anchor carried a black and white enamel radiator emblem, see example above. This Anchor radiator emblem is rare. 

There was also a version of the Anchor radiator emblem in gold color metal and finished in blue enamel, see example below. This Anchor radiator emblem may have been used on a special Anchor model or may have been a prototype emblem. This Anchor radiator emblem is very rare.

This is an Anchor radiator emblem (1910-1911)     jab
Size: 64mm high 50mm wide      MM: Mayer

All Anchor radiator emblems that I have seen have been unused, new old stock emblems, indicating that very few Anchor cars were actually built. An original Anchor radiator emblem that has clearly been used on a car would be extremely rare.

Beware, there are reproduction Anchor emblems finished in blue, white and red enamel but with a flat back, no maker's mark and an incorrect anchor design, see example below:

This is a reproduction Anchor radiator emblem    ms