ROYAL TOURIST

Royal Motor Car Co. (1904-1906)

Royal Motor Car & Manufacturing Co. (1906-1908)

Royal Tourist Car Co. (1908-1911)

Consolidated Motor Car Co. (1911)

Cleveland, Ohio

This is a Royal Tourist radiator emblem (1908-1911)    ms
Size: Unknown 

The Royal Motor Car Company was established in late 1903 for the production of the Royal Tourist automobile. The first two-cylinder 18/20 hp Royal Tourist was introduced at the New York Automobile Show in January 1904 and a four-cylinder 32/35 hp model appeared shortly after.

The Royal Tourist was a big, attractive looking automobile and kept its body shape almost without change throughout its life. The Royal Tourist was well received and sales were initially good. The company was reorganized as the Royal Motor Car & Manufacturing Company in late 1906 with an increase in capital stock and a year later moved into a large new manufacturing plant.

A new six-cylinder model was planned for introduction in 1908 but this did not happen. The company suffered financial problems, went into receivership and was reorganized as the Royal Tourist Car Company in October 1908. In March 1911, Royal Tourist and Croxton, also based in Cleveland, merged to form the Consolidated Motor Car Company. But, this did not work and it was all over later in 1911 

Emblems

The first Royal Tourist cars did not carry a radiator emblem but most likely had a small maker's plate attached to the body.

The first indication of a Royal Tourist emblem is seen on original period photos from 1906, see example shown below:

Royal Tourist showing rad emblem (1906)  dpl

This same small rectangular radiator emblem is also shown on the 1906 Royal Tourist Manual, see below:

This is a Royal Tourist Manual showing a radiator emblem (1906)   ms

Close up showing the radiator emblem (1906)   ms

I have not seen this emblem in detail. It may be a radiator manufacturer's emblem but, given that this illustration is on a Royal Tourist manual cover, it is more likely to be a small brass Royal Tourist nameplate. If you have a photo of this radiator emblem, please let me have a copy in order to update this post. This Royal Tourist radiator emblem would be extremely rare.

Some Royal Tourist models also displayed a small brass "Royal Tourist" script attached to the radiator core from about 1906, see example below. Original Royal Tourist radiator scripts are very rare.

This is a Royal Tourist radiator script (c1906-1911)     sam
Size: 105mm wide  50mm high

The small rectangular radiator emblem is seen on original period photos of Royal Tourist cars up to 1907 but there was a change in the Royal Tourist radiator emblem from 1908, see original 1908 Royal Tourist trade show photo shown below:

Royal Tourist showing new radiator emblem (1908)   dpl

The same radiator emblem is seen in the original 1909 Royal Tourist photo shown below: 

Royal Tourist showing rad emblem (1909)  vintagecarcatalog

This is the brass Royal Tourist radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below. It is believed that this Royal Tourist radiator emblem continued in us to the end of production.  This Royal Tourist radiator emblem is extremely rare.

This is a Royal Tourist radiator emblem (1908-1911)   ms
Size: Unknown 

The Royal Tourist also displayed the "Royal Tourist" name on the sill plates, see example below:

This is a Royal Tourist sill plate (c1908)     alt
Size: 250mm wide 37mm high

CHILDS

O. J. Childs Co. (1899-1922)

Foamite-Childs Corp. (1922-1926)

Utica, New York

This is a Childs radiator emblem (c1922)     mjs
Size: 55mm diameter    MM: Fox

In 1899, Orlando J. Childs organized the O. J. Childs Company for the manufacture of hand-held chemical fire extinguishers. The business grew to include the manufacture of larger chemical fire fighting equipment. By 1918 Childs was producing ready-made fire fighting truck bodies for rural fire-departments, as well as complete fire equipment, to go on any commercial truck chassis.

In 1922 Childs merged with Foamite to become the Foamite-Childs Corporation to provide complete fire apparatus. The company also made fire engines using chassis made by the Kearns Motor Car Company which were sold under the name Childs Thoroughbred. 

In 1926 Foamite-Childs was acquired by American-LaFrance Corporation. 

Emblem

The Childs Fire Apparatus radiator emblem shown above is rare.

McINTYRE

W. H. McIntyre Co. (1909-1915)
Auburn, Indiana 

This is a McIntyre radiator script (1909-c1913)    acdm

The McIntyre was the successor to the Kiblinger high-wheeler, which was sued for patent infringement (see  Kiblinger). The Kiblinger company was bought out by the factory manager, W. H. McIntyre, in 1909 and was reorganized as the W. H. McIntyre Company. The Kiblinger high-wheeler was slightly revised to avoid patent infringement and renamed the McIntyre. The McIntyre was also built in Canada through an agreement with the Tudhope company in Ontario.

The McIntyre was also a high-wheeler and was offered in two-cylinder and four-cylinder models, four different horsepower sizes and a range of nine different body styles. McIntyre also built high-wheeler trucks from 1909. In 1913 the truck line was greatly modernized in appearance and was expanded to include 3/4-ton, 1-1/2-ton, 3-ton and 5-ton models.

McIntyre also offered a line of conventional, four-cylinder passenger cars, with a six-cylinder model introduced in 1913. McIntyre also built the Imp cyclecar in 1913 and 1914. However, McIntyre was not taken seriously as a conventional car builder and passenger car sales fell each year after 1912. Following a series of unsuccessful models, McIntyre went into receivership in 1915.

Emblems

The following McIntyre advertisement from 1910, which shows three McIntyre models with no emblem or radiator script, although a "McIntyre" trademark script logo is shown:

McIntyre ad showing trademark script logo (1910)  ebay

The McIntyre never did carry a radiator emblem but the "McIntyre" name was frequently displayed using brass scripts, which may initially  have been optional accessories. McIntyre scripts were mounted on the radiator where a radiator was used, or on the front of the dash or on the dash box on high-wheelers where there was no radiator, see surviving McIntyre examples shown below:

McIntyre Model 251 Autobuggy with dash script (1909)   acdm

Close-up showing the McIntyre script (1909) 

This script is similar to the following McIntyre script cut from brass plate. Original McIntyre scripts of this kind are rare.

This is a McIntyre script (1909-1915)    sam
Size: 250mm wide

McIntyre Model M touring car with radiator script (1909) acdm

The McIntyre radiator script on this Model M touring car is made of cast brass, see detail shown above at the top of this post and again below. Original McIntyre scripts of this kind are very rare.

This is a McIntyre radiator script (1909-c1913)   acdm

The following advertisement shows a script on the radiator of a McIntyre Model 14 truck:

McIntyre Model 14 truck ad showing rad script (1911)  ebay

Early McIntyre vehicles also displayed the "McIntyre" name on small maker's nameplates and serial plates attached to the body of the vehicle, commonly on the outside of the vehicle, see examples shown below. Original McIntyre nameplates and serial plates are rare.

This is a McIntyre maker's nameplate (1910)    bonhams

This is a McIntyre serial plate (1909)    mjs
Size: 76mm wide 31mm high

KAISER

Kaiser-Frazer Corp. (1947-1953)
Willow Run, Michigan
Kaiser-Willys Sales Corp. (1954-1955)
Toledo, Ohio

This is a Kaiser Darrin trunk emblem (1954)    mjs
Size: 76mm diameter   MM: None

The Kaiser was the creation of industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and Joseph W. Frazer of Graham-Paige, who together formed the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation. Joseph W. Frazer left in 1951 after disagreements with Henry J. Kaiser. The Kaiser-Frazer Corporation also built the Henry J (see Henry J) and the Allstate (see Allstate) motor cars.

The Kaiser was planned as a low-medium-priced automobile to be produced alongside a more expensive custom automobile called the Frazer (see Frazer) offering exciting new automobile designs at the time when the major car manufacturers were still marketing their pre-war designs. The Kaiser sold well and about 140,000 cars were built during 1947 and 1948 making Kaiser the highest selling independent automobile producer ahead of Studebaker, Hudson and Nash. Kaiser introduced a number of novel ideas and innovations and some special models, including the Kaiser Darrin roadster. Only 453 Kaiser Darrin models were built.

Altogether Kaiser-Frazer produced over 747,000 cars and in 1954 Kaiser-Willys joined together to produce another 25,000 cars. The 1954 and 1955 Kaiser Manhattan was equipped with a supercharger that boosted the power of the engine from 115 hp to 140 hp. Kaiser made an articulated bus in 1946 for National Trailways and, between 1949 and 1950, Kaiser also built taxis. The Kaiser was phased out in 1955.

Emblems

The first Kaiser cars appearing in 1947 carried a large shield shaped emblem with a large letter "K" at the top and a buffalo below representing power and stability, see Kaiser brochure cover shown below:

Kaiser radiator emblem on brochure cover (1947)  ms

This Kaiser radiator emblem was mounted on the front of the hood above a chrome "Kaiser" script, see example shown below:

Kaiser hood emblem & script (1948)    ms

This is the dark green enamel, black paint and chrome Kaiser radiator emblem shown below. This Kaiser radiator emblem is scarce.

This is a Kaiser radiator emblem (1947-1948)   mjs
Size: 140mm high 97mm wide   MM: A.E.Co. (some Ross AD)

The following is an example of the Kaiser hood script:

This is a Kaiser hood script (1947-1948)    mjs
Size: 304mm wide

The Kaiser emblem for the 1949 and 1950 model years was reduced in size and set in a chrome mounting at the bottom of the hood just above the radiator grille, see example shown below:

Kaiser brochure showing the hood emblem (1950)   ms

This is the chrome finished green and black Kaiser hood emblem shown below:

This is a Kaiser radiator emblem (1949-1950)   mjs
Size: 107mm wide 93mm high     MM: Unknown

The Kaiser radiator emblem was made even smaller for the 1951 model year, see example shown below:

This is a Kaiser radiator emblem (1951)   mjs
Size: 127mm wide 72mm high     MM: ODEL

There was a complete change in the Kaiser hood emblem for the 1952 and 1953 model years, see example shown below:

Kaiser Manhattan with new hood emblem (1952) classicautomall

The following shows the new plastic "K" hood emblem mounted in a sharply pointed chrome V-base unit:

This is a Kaiser hood emblem (1952-1953)      ms

A similar plastic and metal Kaiser emblem was also mounted on the trunk lid in 1952 and 1953. For the 1954 and 1955 model years the Kaiser Manhattan did not carry a hood emblem but did carry the previous trunk lid emblem. The 1954 and 1955 Kaiser Manhattan models also displayed "Kaiser" scripts on the front of the hood and on the trunk lid, and "Kaiser Manhattan" scripts on the body sides, see example shown below:

Kaiser Manhattan showing hood and body side scripts (1954-1955)    conceptcarz

The Kaiser Manhattan was equipped with a supercharger, which boosted the engine performance. The following is a painted Kaiser Supercharger emblem from the engine:

This is a Kaiser Supercharger emblem (1954-1955)   mjs
Size: 66mm high 64mm wide   MM: None

The unique Kaiser Darrin 161 model was introduced in 1954. It had a distinctive hood and radiator grille design, see below, and did not carry a hood or radiator emblem:

Kaiser Darrin (1954)      bonhams

Some Kaiser Darrin models did display a discreet "Darrin" script below and to one side of the radiator grille, see example shown below:

Kaiser Darrin with Darrin script (1954)

A Kaiser Darrin emblem and scripts were displayed on the trunk lid, see example shown below:

Kaiser Darrin trunk emblem & scripts (1954)  supercars

This is the two-piece red, white, blue, green, black and gold painted Kaiser Darrin emblem, which is shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Kaiser Darrin trunk emblem is rare.

This is a Kaiser Darrin trunk emblem (1954)   mjs
Size: 76mm diameter  MM: None

Some Kaiser Darrin models carried a similar emblem on the hubcaps, see below:

Kaiser Darrin hub emblem (1954)   bonhams

The following shows the Kaiser Darrin steering wheel center emblem:

Kaiser Darrin steering wheel center emblem (1954)  bonhams

BAKER ELECTRIC

Baker Motor Vehicle Co. (1900-1915)

Baker, Rauch & Lang Co. (1915-1916)
Cleveland, Ohio

This is a Baker Electric nameplate/serial plate (c1903)  mjs
Size: 76mm wide 38mm high

Walter C. Baker established the Baker Motor Vehicle Company in Cleveland in 1900. The Baker Electric was first built in 1900 and was very successful. The Baker Electric became the highest selling electric car in America and was offered in a wide variety of body styles over the years. 

By 1915, the market for electric cars was in serious decline. Baker merged with Rauch & Lang to form the Baker, Rauch & Lang Company (see Rauch & Lang) and in December 1915 the new company made arrangements with R. M. Owen to build the Owen Magnetic car (see Owen Magnetic). Production of the Baker Electric continued until 1916.

Baker also began building electric trucks in 1908 and over time made a variety of electric truck models ranging from 1/2-ton to 5-tons capacity with double chain drive. After the merger with Rauch & Lang in 1915, commercial vehicle production ceased. However, the Baker name continued until 1930 as the Baker Industrial Truck Division, forklift truck builders, as part of the Otis Elevator Corporation.

Emblems

The Baker Electric did not carry an emblem but did display the "Baker" name on a small painted, cast metal Baker nameplate/serial plate attached to the body of the vehicle, see example shown above at the top of this post. This Baker nameplate is rare.

The Baker Electric nameplate/serial plate later became a painted metal plate, see example shown below:

This is a Baker Electric nameplate (1910)   electricmitten

The following is a rare Baker Electric patent plate:

This is a Baker Electric patent plate (1911)    mjs
Size: 76mm wide 38mm high

After the merger with Rauch & Lang, the "Baker R&L" name was displayed on the hubcaps, see hub emblem shown below:

This is a Baker R&L hub emblem (1915-1916)   mjs
Size: 63mm diameter   MM: None

STANWOOD

Stanwood Motor Car Co. (1920-1922)

St. Louis, Missouri

This is a Stanwood radiator emblem (1920-1922)      sam
Size: 63mm wide 45mm high    MM: Unknown

The Stanwood was an assembled car powered by a 55 hp six-cylinder engine and was built using standard components. The Stanwood was offered as a five-passenger touring with a three-passenger roadster and a four-passenger sedan also available for 1922.

The Stanwood was out of business during 1922 after a total production of 642 cars.

Emblem

The following Stanwood Six advertisement appearing in August 1920, includes an illustration of a Stanwood emblem:

Stanwood ad (1920)  ma

This is the red, white and blue enamel Stanwood radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post. This Stanwood radiator emblem is very rare.

The following metal only Stanwood emblem may be a hub emblem and is also very rare:

This is a metal Stanwood emblem (1920-1922)     mjs
Size: 50mm wide 37mm high     MM: Unknown

BLACK/BLACK-CROW

Black Manufacturing Co. (1907-1910)

Chicago, Illinois

This is an original Black body side decal (1909)    nam

The Black Manufacturing Company initially offered their product under two names. The first Black was an 18 hp two-cylinder air-cooled, high wheeler buggy with chain-drive and solid rubber tires, available as a surrey or a delivery wagon. A more basic 14 hp two-cylinder, high wheeler runabout buggy was also available under the name of Chicago Motor Buggy.

The Black Manufacturing Company exhibited Black buggies at the Chicago Auto Show in December 1907 and then attended many auto shows in several nearby states throughout 1908 resulting in a large number of orders.

In 1909, the Black Manufacturing Company aimed to offer its customers a wider choice of vehicle by joining up with the newly formed Crow Motor Car Company to produce the 35/40 hp four-cylinder Black Crow. 25 hp and 35 hp Black-Crow models were built in 1910. The Black Manufacturing Company distributed and sold the Black-Crow and had a Black-Crow repository in Chicago. However, the Black Crow was built entirely at the Crow plant at Elkhart, Indiana and mostly marketed by Crow, which turned out to be bad for the Black, because, in 1910, Crow cancelled the contract with Black and continued to market the new car as the Crow (see Crow). 

The result was the end of the Black Manufacturing Company and the Black in 1910.

Emblems

The Black displayed a named decal on the side of the body under the driver's seat, see example shown above at the top of this post. 

This body side decal was small and could not be seen from any distance, so was clearly not used for general publicity, see example photos below of a surviving but original Black buggy from 1908:

This is a Black buggy showing the small body side decal (1908)     hcg

Close up showing the body side decal (1908)    hcg

Original period photos of Black motor buggies shown in a 1909 Black catalog show no sign of any other emblems or scripts, see example photos shown below:

This is a Black motor buggy (1907)   dezosgarage

This is a Black motor buggy Model 20 (1908)  dezosgarage

However, Black motor buggies did display small brass nameplates attached to the side of the body under the driver's entrance, see clearer example below:

Black motor buggy Md 12 with body side nameplate (1908)
dezosgarage

The following Black maker's nameplate was used for the earliest Black buggies. This Black nameplate is very rare.

This is a Black maker's nameplate (c1908)    mjs
Size: 103mm wide 52mm high

The following Black serial plate was mounted on the dash or under the driver's seat. This Black serial plate is rare.

This is a Black serial plate (c1909)    mjs
Size: 80mm wide 30mm high

The following photo of a surviving 1908 Black motor buggy Model 112 has a brass "Black" script mounted under the dash:

Black Model 112 showing dash script (1908)   bonhams

As shown earlier above, there is no evidence of a "Black" script on any of the many original period photos of Black motor buggies, so it is most likely that this brass script is not original but was added during restoration for decorative purposes.

I do not know, if there were different maker's nameplates and serial plates for the buggies sold under the name Chicago Motor Buggy. If you have details of such a nameplate, please let me know, in order to update this post.

The Black-Crow built in 1909 and 1910 was advertised with a script style logo, see example shown below:

This is a Black-Crow ad showing logo (1909)  ebay

The Black Manufacturing Company catalog for the Black-Crow for 1910 includes original photos of the Black-Crow in the shipping floor at the Elkhart factory and in the Chicago repository. In both cases all Black-crow cars display the "Black-Crow" name using brass radiator scripts, see example photo shown below:

Black-Crow cars with rad scripts (c1909)
indiana state library

The Black-Crow radiator script is more clearly seen in the following original period photo:

Black-Crow motor car showing Radiator script (c1910)  wiki

Original Black-Crow radiator scripts are very rare.