SOCIETY OF AUTOMOTIVE HISTORIANS E. P. INGERSOLL AWARD 2024

Society of Automotive Historians E. P. Ingersoll Award  (Oct 2024)  ms

I am honored and delighted to report that the www.americanautoemblems.com website has received the E.P. Ingersoll Award for 2024 by the Society of Automotive Historians.

The award was presented at the Society of Automotive Historians Awards Ceremony in Hershey on October 9, 2024 and was received by Mike Shears and his son, Murray John Shears, who was the real inspiration for the website.

The full citation for the award is as follows:

The 2024 E.P. Ingersoll award goes to Americanautoemblems.com. This website is a detailed repository that covers a diverse variety of American automotive makes and models dating from the horseless carriage era up to the postwar period. What makes this site unique is that it features a large number of historic photos and images that complement the emblems being displayed. Auto emblems are just part of the material to be found on the site, with vehicles listed alphabetically to facilitate navigation and identification. Exploring Americanautoemblems.com is like wandering through an antique shop or flea market; once you start looking at emblems, you find yourself falling down a rabbit hole of American automotive artifacts. The website is a wonderful example of what the E.P. Ingersoll Award represents, and that’s why it’s the recipient of this year’s honor.

Mike Shears receiving the Award     ms

Mike & Murray Shears with the Award   ms

Thank you for your continued interest in and support for the website.

Mike Shears

October 2024

BREWSTER

Brewster & Co. (1915-1925)

Long Island City, New York

Springfield Manufacturing Corp. (1934-1935)

Springfield, Massachusetts

This is a New York Brewster radiator emblem (c1920-1925)    mjs
Size: 50mm diameter    MM: Unknown

Brewster & Company was a long established builder of high quality coachwork, originally for horsedrawn carriages and later for motor vehicles. In 1915 the company began also to manufacture an automobile of their own. The Brewster had a four-cylinder Knight-type engine and used a variety of elegant body styles. The Brewster was discontinued in 1925 and the Brewster company was absorbed by Rolls Royce of America in early 1926 (see Rolls Royce).

Brewster was back in business in Springfield, Massachusetts from 1934 to 1935 after the collapse of Rolls Royce of America. The new Brewster cars were built using mainly Ford V8 chassis but other chassis were also used. However, Brewster suffered financial problems and could not survive the Depression. Only about 113 Brewster cars were built in Springfield.

Emblem

The New York Brewster carried a simple metal radiator emblem, which was also used as a hub emblem for some models, see example shown above at the top of this post. This Brewster radiator emblem is rare.

The Springfield Brewster used a black and white enamel radiator emblem, see example below, which is extremely rare:

This is a Springfield Brewster radiator emblem (1934-1935)   aacam
Size: Unknown     MM: Unknown 

SANDUSKY

Sandusky Automobile Co. (1902-1904)

Sandusky, Ohio

This is a Sandusky hub emblem (c1904)      sam
Size: 40mm diameter   MM: Unknown (probably none)

The Sandusky Automobile Company was established in 1902 and plans were made to build a factory and homes for workmen. It was announced in early 1903 that ten cars were being constructed in a temporary manufacturing facility. The Sandusky was first shown at the New York Automobile Show at Madison Square Garden in 1903.

The Sandusky was a small, two seat, chain-driven, 5 hp single-cylinder light runabout. A 7 hp runabout companion model called the Courier was introduced in 1904. But, the company was in trouble and was put into bankruptcy in October 1904. This was the end of the Sandusky, although production of the Courier continued into 1905.

Emblem

The Sandusky did not have a radiator. Original photos show a possible decal on the side of the body but this cannot be confirmed, as the photos are unclear, see example below:

This is a Sandusky ad showing a possible side decal (1903)     ms

The Sandusky did show the "Sandusky" name on the hub cap emblems, see example shown above at the top of this post. This Sandusky hub emblem is very rare.

The following photo shows a Sandusky hub cap:

This is a Sandusky hub cap (c1904)      dkc

WING MIDGET

Chauncey Wing's Sons (1922)

Greenfield, Massachusetts

This is a Wing Midget radiator emblem (1922)     sam
Size: 52mm wide 27mm high     MM: Unknown (probably None)

Chauncey Wing's Sons had began producing newspaper mailing machines in 1882 but, in 1922, the company decided to produce a small motor car.

The car was called the Wing Midget or Wing Special and was a minature version of an early racing car. The Wing Midget was an air-cooled four-cylinder chain driven car with a top speed of 80 mph. The Wing Midget was produced for one year only.

Emblems

The Wing Midget carried a cast metal radiator emblem and cast metal hub emblems, see original photos shown below:

This is a Wing Midget showing the radiator emblem      dpl

This is a Wing Midget showing the hub emblems      tom

The black painted, cast metal Wing radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post is extremely rare.

The following painted, cast metal emblems are Wing Midget hub emblems and are very rare:

This is a Wing Midget hub emblem (1922)      mjs
Size: 52mm diameter    MM: None

This is a Wing Midget hub emblem (1922)     mjs
Size: 53mm diameter   MM: None

MORRISS-LONDON

Century Motors Co. (1919-1923)
Elkhart, Indiana

This is a Morriss-London radiator emblem (1919-1923)   toc
Size: 64mm diameter    MM: None

The Morriss-London was a four-cylinder assembled tourer built for export to the UK under an agreement between the Crow-Elkhart Motor Car Company and Frank E. Morriss, an automobile agent in Piccadilly, London. The Morriss-London was built by the Century Motors Company, a subsidiary of Crow-Elkhart.

Frank Morriss imported two complete cars and 100 chassis in 1919. The chassis were given bodies made by Morgan in the UK and some cars were exported to Australia. However, Morriss was bankrupt in 1920, after which some of the remaining 69 chassis were bodied by Saunders Motors Ltd. Crow-Elkhart was also bankrupt in 1923. A few Morriss-London cars continued to be sold up to 1925.

Emblem

The Morriss-London carried a blue and white enamel radiator emblem depicting the dome of St Paul's cathedral, see example shown above. This Morriss-London radiator emblem is extremely rare.

The "Morriss-London" name and an "ML" logo were also displayed on the hubcaps, see the Morriss-London hub emblem and hubcap shown below. This Morriss-London hub emblem is extremely rare.

This is a Morriss-London hub emblem (1919-1923)   sam
Size: 70mm diameter

This is a Morriss-London hubcap (1919-1923)   dkc

 

OREN

Roanoke Welding & Equipment Co. (1927-c1943)

Oren Fire Apparatus Co. (c1943-1949)
Roanoke, Virginia
Oren Roanoke Corp. (1949-1976)
Roanoke & Vinton, Virginia
Oren Roanoke Div. Grumman Emergency Products (1976-c1984)
Vinton, Virginia

This is an Oren radiator emblem (1952-c1954)   flickr
Size: 253mm wide 70mm high    MM: Unknown

Oren D. Lemon started an auto repair and welding shop in Roanoke, Virginia in 1917. The business grew and became the Roanoke Welding & Equipment Company in 1927. By the mid-1930's, the company was building commercial vehicle bodies, including light duty fire trucks on commercial chassis. By 1937, Roanoke Welding was building a growing number of well constructed triple combination pumpers and by the early 1940's fire engines were the company's main products.  

The Oren fire engine business grew rapidly after the Second World War. Oren continued to build their distinctive fire apparatus on commercial chassis, but, in the late 1940's, Oren began to build its own custom-chassis fire apparatus. initially based on Available chassis. By 1949, Oren had started to build their own heavy-duty custom chassis using Corbitt components. Oren advertised themselves as "The South's Only Fire Truck Manufacturer". Oren used Duplex chassis from 1954 following the collapse of the Corbitt business.

Oren was acquired by Howe Fire Apparatus Company in 1961 and moved to a new plant in Vinton in 1962. Howe and Oren were acquired by Grumman in 1976 and the Oren name disappeared in the mid-1980's.

Emblems

Oren fire apparatus built on commercial chassis displayed the radiator emblems of the chassis manufacturer, although the "Oren" name was also displayed on serial plates attached to the fire apparatus body, see example shown below:

Oren Roanoke Welding & Equipment Co. serial plate (1942) facebook

Some Oren fire engines built on commercial chassis in the late 1930's and early 1940's also displayed the "Oren" name on Oren hood side nameplates with rounded ends, see example shown below on an Oren/Chevrolet pumper:

Oren/Chevrolet pumper ad (1944)    ebay

Oren/Chevrolet pumper showing Oren hood side nameplate (1944)

The Oren custom chassis fire apparatus built using Corbitt components in the late 1940's and early to mid-1950's used Oren emblems and hood ornament instead of Corbitt emblems. 

The Oren fire truck shown in the following 1951 Oren advertisement shows an Oren radiator emblem with rounded ends, similar to the earlier hood side nameplates, together with an Oren hood ornament:

Oren fire truck ad (1951)   ebay

Oren fire truck with rad emblem & hood ornament (1951)

This is an Oren radiator emblem also used as a hood side nameplate on some models:

This is an Oren radiator emblem (c1950)  moroz
Size: Unknown

Surviving Oren fire engines from 1952 have a larger rectangular Oren radiator emblem and the same Oren hood ornament, see examples shown below and at the top of this post:

Oren fire truck showing emblem & hood ornament (1952)  bindman

Oren fire truck with rad emblem & hood ornament (1952)  vmt

This is an Oren fire truck radiator emblem (1952-c1954)  flickr
Size: 253mm wide 70mm high     MM: Unknown

This is an Oren fire truck hood ornament (1949-c1954)  corbitttrucks

HENDRICKSON

Hendrickson Motor Truck Co. 
Chicago, Illinois (1913-date unknown)
Lyons, Illinois (dates unknown)
Hendrickson Manufacturing Co. (date unknown-present)
Lyons, Illinois

This is a Hendrickson hood ornament emblem (c1938-1950) mjs
Size: 102mm wide 23mm high   MM: None

Magnus Hendrickson built his first truck in 1900 and was later chief engineer for Lauth-Juergens. In 1913 Hendrickson formed the Hendrickson Motor Truck Company based in Chicago. The first new Hendrickson trucks were cab over engine, chain driven trucks with solid tires. From the start Hendrickson trucks were specially built to suit the customer's requirements.

By 1920, the line-up included three models of 2-1/2-ton to 5-ton capacity still with solid rubber tires but using heavy-duty worm drive. In 1922, Hendrickson introduced a light 1-1/2-ton capacity model with pneumatic tires, which was offered as an option for all models except the 5-ton model. In 1926, Hendrickson designed a tandem suspension unit to distribute the load evenly to the rear axles and to significantly reduce the effects of uneven terrain. A major boost for the company came in 1933 when International Harvester signed an exclusive contract for the tandem suspension. This relationship lasted until 1948. Hendrickson also built fire engines and expanded the range of their trucks.

By the 1950's Henderson trucks became more and more custom-built for a wide variety of specialist purposes. By the early 1970's yearly production was about 300 units, all custom-engineered and hand-built. The company was sold to the Boler Company in 1978. Eventually, Hendrickson sold off its truck manufacturing business and has since then focused on suspension systems for which it enjoys a world-wide reputation.

Emblems

There are very few early period photos of Hendrickson vehicles and few surviving vehicles also. The early period Hendrickson truck photos do not show an emblem or a side nameplate. It is likely that the "Hendrickson" name was displayed on some kind of maker's nameplate but I have no details of such a nameplate.

The Hendrickson logo in the form of the "HENDRICKSON" name in capital letters, which appeared on the emblems and nameplates on all models after about 1925, may have been used soon after production began in 1913, but I cannot confirm this. If you have details of any Hendrickson emblems or nameplates in use before 1925, please let me know, in order to update this post.

The following original period photo shows a 1926 Hendrickson truck with a cast metal radiator emblem:

Hendrickson truck showing radiator emblem (1926)  flickr

This Hendrickson radiator emblem is more clearly seen on the following surviving example also from 1926. This restored Hendrickson truck also displays the "Hendrickson" name painted by stencil on the hood sides but there is no hood side stencil shown in the original 1926 photo.

Hendrickson 3-ton truck showing radiator emblem (1926)  natm

This is the painted cast metal Hendrickson radiator emblem shown below. This Hendrickson radiator emblem is very rare.

This is a Hendrickson radiator emblem (c1925-1928)  natm
Size: Unknown     MM: Unknown

By 1929, the Hendrickson truck had a different radiator emblem, either a cast metal emblem or cast into the radiator, but with the "HENDRICKSON" name in letters of uniform height, see original period photo shown below. If this is a separate cast metal emblem it too would be very rare.

Hendrickson truck with radiator emblem (1929)  flickr

Close up showing Hendrickson radiator emblem (1929)

The following Hendrickson truck from 1936 displays the "Hendrickson" name on hood side nameplates with rounded ends:

This is a Hendrickson truck with hood side nameplates (1936)      flickr

The following is a very similar painted, pressed metal Hendrickson hood side nameplate. Original Hendrickson hood side nameplates are rare.

This is a Hendrickson hood side nameplate (1930's-1940's)  lhtec
Size: 330mm wide 60mm high

From about 1938 to 1950, Hendrickson trucks carried a die cast hood ornament mounted above the radiator grille. The hood ornament acted as a mounting for a small Hendrickson nameplate emblem, see example shown below:

This is a Hendrickson truck showing a hood ornament emblem (1938)    flickr

This is the Hendrickson hood ornament emblem:

This is a Hendrickson hood ornament emblem (c1938-c1950)   ms

This is the painted Hendrickson hood ornament emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Hendrickson hood ornament emblem is rare.

This is a Hendrickson hood ornament emblem (c1938-1950)  mjs
Size: 102mm wide 23mm high   MM: None

The following painted Hendrickson hood side nameplate is believed to have been used after the Second World War:

This is a Hendrickson hood side nameplate (c1940's-1950's) lktec
Size: 330mm wide 57mm high