PARENTI

Parenti Motors Corp. (1920-1922)

Buffalo, New York

This is a Parenti radiator emblem (1920-1922)     sam
Size: 53mm high 53mm wide    MM: Unknown

The Parenti Motors Corporation was established in 1920. The Parenti was a 35 hp motor car powered by a Parenti "Direct Blast" air-cooled V-8 engine and was offered in four body styles, some of which were finished in bright, bizzare color schemes. The Parenti was a most unusual car, not only due to its color schemes, but also, because it had no axles. Instead, the Parenti used a patented Parenti Springs and Ten Point Suspension System.  

The Parenti was not successful. The Parenti Motors Corporation ran out of working capital and could not pay its creditors. It was all over for the Parenti in 1922.

Only 18 Parenti motor cars were actually built.

Emblem

The red, blue and white enamel Parenti radiator emblem shown above is extremely rare.

Beware, as there is a Pulfer made reproduction Parenti radiator emblem with a flat, shiny back, no maker's mark and sharp pointed "ears" on the shield, see example below:

This is a reproduction Parenti emblem     ms

CHICAGO ELECTRIC

Chicago Electric Motor Car Co. (1913-1914)
Walker Vehicle Co. (1914-1916)
Chicago, Illinois

This is a Chicago Electric hub emblem (1914-1916)   sam
Size: 40mm diameter   MM: Unknown

The Chicago Electric Motor Car Company was established in 1912 by a group of executives previously with the Woods Electric Company. It was expected that the Chicago Electric would be a success but, by November 1913, the factory machinery had been sold to the Carl Electric Vehicle Company for their new commercial vehicle manufacturing factory in Toledo, Ohio. In late 1914, the Walker Vehicle Company bought the Chicago Electric car design and the Chicago Electric was continued in production.

The Chicago Electric had a low slung body with a high arched door and was available in a variety of body styles. An unusual arrangement offered by the Walker Vehicle Company was an option to buy the car without batteries but to rent the batteries from the Rental Battery Company in Chicago. It was all over for the Walker Vehicle Company and the Chicago Electric in 1916.

Emblem

Early Chicago Electric advertisements included a Chicago Electric logo, see example shown below:

Chicago Electric ad with logo (1912)  chuckstoyland

The Chicago Electric did not carry an emblem on the vehicle body but did display the "Chicago Electric" name on the hub emblems, see later example shown above at the top of this post. This Chicago Electric hub emblem is extremely rare.

VICTOR TRUCK (1)

Victor Motor Truck Co. (1910-1914)
Buffalo, New York

Victor Motor Truck logo/radiator emblem (1910-1914)  ms
Size: Unknown

The Victor Motor Truck Company initially offered a 3/4-ton capacity standard express truck powered by a 25 hp four-cylinder engine with Shebler carburetor and used a three-speed selective sliding gear transmission. 

By 1911, Victor Motor Truck Company offered a range of five different sizes of delivery vans, as well as an ambulance, hearse, police patrol wagon, fire apparatus and a sight-seeing bus. In 1912, there was a line of Victor trucks in seven sizes from 1-ton to 10-ton capacity. But the Victor factory was not set up for the efficient assembly of such an ambitious range of commercial vehicles and by 1913, only 3-ton and 5-ton capacity trucks were offered. It was all over in 1914.

Production numbers are not known but are likely to have been modest. 

Emblems

The only original period photos of Victor trucks built in Buffalo, New York that I can find clearly showing the radiator are from the following Victor truck advertisement dated February 1912, which illustrates eight different trucks . 

Victor Motor Truck Co advertisement (Feb 1912)    ebay

The various truck illustrations in the Victor Truck advertisement shown above, are original period photos of trucks probably built in 1911. These photos are small but clearly show the Victor Truck radiator emblem, which appears to be identical to the Victor Truck logo shown in the advertisement, see the following enlargements of some of the Victor Truck photos from the advertisement:

The Victor Truck radiator emblem appears to be the same as the company logo, see illustration shown above at the top of this post and again below: 

Victor Truck logo/radiator emblem (1910-1914)   ms
Size: Unknown

The Victor Truck radiator emblems are mounted on the radiator core and are most likely to be brass script emblems. If you have a photo of an original Victor Truck radiator script emblem, please let me know, in order to update this post. Original Victor Truck radiator script emblems, if they could be found, would be extremely rare.

KIMBALL

Kimball Motor Truck Co. (1917-1926)
Los Angeles, California

This is a Kimball truck emblem (1917-1926)    mjs
Size; 127mm wide 39mm high   MM: None

All Kimball trucks were powered by four-cylinder Wisconsin engines and used worm-drive to the rear axles. The initial line of Kimball trucks consisted of 1-1/2-ton, 2-ton, 2-1/2-ton, 4-ton and 5-ton capacity trucks. By 1922, the range had been reduced to 2-ton, 3-1/2-ton and 5-ton capacity models. Later, in 1924, 1-1/2-ton and 4-ton capacity trucks were added to the line. For the last two years, Kimball limited production to the 2-1/2-ton truck model. Production ceased altogether in 1926.

Emblem

Very little information exists about the Kimball motor truck and its emblems.

The brass Kimball emblem shown above at the top of this post was most likely a hood side nameplate but it may also have been used as a radiator emblem on the smaller capacity Kimball trucks. This Kimball truck emblem is very rare.

The following larger Kimball emblem is believed to have been used as a hood side nameplate. This Kimball emblem is also very rare.

This is a Kimball emblem (1917-1926)    lktec
Size: 170mm wide 58mm high   MM: None

The heavy duty Kimball trucks may have had a cast radiator with the Kimball name cast into the radiator tank top, which was common practice at this time. However, this cannot be confirmed due to the lack of photos or period illustrations of Kimball trucks. 

If you have any further details of Kimball truck emblems, please let me know, in order to update this post.

JUMBO

Nelson Motor Truck Co (1918-1924)
Saginaw, Michigan

This is a Jumbo truck radiator emblem (1919)    hatm

The Jumbo motor truck was built by the Nelson Motor Truck Company in Saginaw, Michigan. 

The first Jumbo truck in 1918 was a 2-1/2-ton capacity model but, in late 1920, the Jumbo truck line was expanded to six sizes, including 1-1/2-ton, 2-ton, 2-1/2-ton, 3-ton, 3-1/2-ton and 4-ton capacity models all powered by four-cylinder Buda engines. Jumbo truck production ceased in 1924.

Emblems

Jumbo stands for a large elephant and the Jumbo truck logo consisted of the name "JUMBO" with the "M" letter partly formed by the head of an elephant, see the 1918 Jumbo advertisement shown below:

Jumbo truck ad showing logo (1918)  ccj

This advertisement also depicts a 2-1/2-ton Jumbo truck with the Jumbo logo used as a radiator emblem, see detail below:

Jumbo 2-1/2-ton truck showing radiator emblem (1918) 

This Jumbo radiator emblem was cast into the top of the radiator, see surviving 1919 Jumbo truck example shown below and the close up view of the radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post:

Jumbo truck showing radiator emblem (1919)   hatm

Jumbo truck advertisements indicate that some models at least displayed the "Jumbo" name on side nameplates mounted on the driver's cab, see original photo from a Jumbo advertisement shown below:

This is a Jumbo truck showing a body side nameplate (1920)    ebay

The detail of this body side Jumbo truck nameplate is unclear but it may be similar to the Jumbo logo panel shown on most Jumbo truck advertisements around 1920, see example shown below:

Jumbo ad showing possible nameplate (1920) ma

The following is a depiction of a possible Jumbo body side nameplate, but this cannot be confirmed:

Possible Jumbo truck nameplate (c1920-1924)
Size: Unknown

If you have further details of Jumbo truck nameplates, please let me know, in order to update this post.

FARMACK

Farmack Motor Car Co. (1915-1916)
Chicago, Illinois

This is a Farmack radiator emblem (1915-1916)   khc
Size: 59mm wide 34mm high     MM: Greenduck

Albert J. Farmer had an extensive background and experience in the automotive industry, including with the General Motors Northway engine manufacturing division in Detroit.  

Farmer designed his own four-cylinder engine with an overhead camshaft engine, which led to interest by some auto business people in Chicago. The Farmack Motor Car Company was incorporated in May 1915 and production of the Farmack began. The Farmack was a 20 hp four-cylinder automobile, offered as a five-passenger touring, a two-passenger roadster and a two-passenger cabriolet. 

Initial sales of the Farmack were good and  Albert Farmer used this success to seek additional finance in order to make improvements to his car. In this he was successful, but his financiers insisted on changing the name from Farmack to Drexel (see Drexel). 

Emblems

The Farmack carried a pale blue and white enamel radiator emblem, see example shown above. This Farmack radiator emblem is extremely rare.

The "Farmack" name was also displayed on the hub emblems, see example shown below. This Farmack hub emblem is also extremely rare.

This is a Farmack hub emblem (1915-1916)    mjs
Size: 57mm diameter

The Farmack name in this hub emblem is presented within a Y-shape representing the branches of the Chicago river, which was used by Chicago based businesses to show pride in Chicago.

VICTOR

Victor Automobile Manufacturing Co. (1905-1910)

Victor Motor Car Co. (1911)

St. Louis, Missouri

This is a Victor automobile radiator script (c1911)   cbc
Size: 231mm wide 71mm high

The first Victor automobiles were high-wheeler motor buggies powered by a 6 hp single-cylinder water cooled engine. In 1909, the Victor was offered as a series of 14/20 hp two-cylinder air-cooled models in runabout, touring and light delivery body styles with the option of solid or pneumatic tires.

By 1911, the company had been reorganized as the Victor Motor Car Company and the Victor had grown to a 40 hp four-cylinder model offered in runabout and touring body styles. However, the company failed later in 1911.

Emblem

The early Victor high-wheeler buggy models did not have a radiator on which to carry an emblem but they did display the Victor name on a  small combined maker's nameplate/serial plate attached to the body or under the driver's seat, see example shown below. This Victor nameplate is very rare.

This is a Victor nameplate/serial plate (c1906)    jtc
Size:78mm wide 20mm high

The air-cooled Victor models introduced in 1908 had a hood and a false radiator and displayed a large brass "Victor" radiator script attached to the radiator grille, as seen in the following original photo of a 1909 Model C Runabout:

Victor Model C Runabout showing radiator script (1909)   william l bailey

The following rare, surviving 14/20 hp air-cooled two-cylinder Victor Model C Runabout also from 1909 on display at the Northeast Classic Car Museum carries a large brass "Victor" script mounted on the radiator:

Victor Model C Runabout with radiator script (1909)  albert mach

This Victor Runabout has been restored, so I cannot confirm if the radiator script is original but it is clearly closely similar to the script seen in the original 1909 photo. Original "Victor" radiator scripts with this design would be extremely rare.

The brass "Victor" radiator script, shown above at the top of this post and again below, is certainly original and is quite different from the radiator script on the 1909 Model C Runabout shown above. It is inscribed "St. Louis" and is clearly intended for the St. Louis built Victor motor car. 

This is a Victor automobile radiator script (poss 1911)   cbc
Size: 231mm wide 71mm high

Close-up showing the "St. Louis" mark 

This Victor radiator script may be from the 1911 Victor Model 4-40 but I cannot confirm this. This Victor radiator script is very rare.