Parry Auto Co. (1910)
Motor Car Manufacturing Co. (1911-1912)
Indianapolis, Indiana
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| This is a Parry radiator script (1910) mjs Size: 293mm wide |
When David Parry started to experiment with an automobile in the 1890's, the Parry Manufacturing Company was already one of America's largest carriage manufacturers. His first automobile was an electric and was completed in 1896 but did not go into production. Parry became more interested in the automobile business in 1906 when he took a controlling interest in the Overland Automobile Company which was later taken over by John North Willys.
Parry established the Parry Auto Company in 1909 and started a major advertising campaign based on the "Parry Idea" to produce 5,000 cars for 1910 and with the aim to become "the largest auto business in the world".
Parry established the Parry Auto Company in 1909 and started a major advertising campaign based on the "Parry Idea" to produce 5,000 cars for 1910 and with the aim to become "the largest auto business in the world".
The Parry was introduced for the 1910 model year and was a four-cylinder automobile offered as a 35 hp four-passenger runabout and a 40 hp five-passenger touring car. But the grand ambitions of the "Parry Idea" were not achieved. The Parry Auto Company was vastly under capitalized and ran out of cash. The company was in receivership by December 1910.
The creditors took over and formed the Motor Car Manufacturing Company in 1911. Initially the Parry continued in production but was now called the New Parry, which was identical to the 35 hp Parry but was offered in a wider range of body styles and at a higher price. This did not work either and in 1912 production of the New Parry ceased and a new car called the Pathfinder appeared (see Pathfinder).
About 900 Parry cars were sold in 1910. Production figures for the New Parry are not known but are likely to have been modest at best.
About 900 Parry cars were sold in 1910. Production figures for the New Parry are not known but are likely to have been modest at best.
Emblems
Carriages built by the Parry Manufacturing Company in the late 1890's and early 1900's carried a small maker's nameplate, see two examples below:
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| This is a Parry carriage nameplate (c1900) mjs Size: 77mm wide 22mm high |
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| This is a Parry carriage nameplate (c1905) ms Size: Unknown |
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| Parry Model 40 touring showing radiator script (1910) ms |
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| Close up showing the Parry radiator script (1910) |
The original Parry radiator script shown above at the top of this post is very rare.
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| This close up shows the decoration on the letter "A" of an original Parry script mjs |
The Parry motor car also displayed the Parry name on the sill plates and on a small serial plate attached to the dash board, see examples below:
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| This is a Parry step plate (1910) pwc |
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| This is a Parry serial plate (1910) pwc |
The Parry Auto Company hub cap also displayed the Parry name but not in the form of the Parry script logo, see example below:
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| This is a Parry hub emblem (1910) dkc Size: Unknown |
It appears from advertisements that initially the New Parry did not carry a radiator emblem and presumably continued to to display the Parry radiator script, see examples shown below:
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| New Parry Model 37 advertisement showing no radiator emblem (early 1911) ms |
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| This is a New Parry ad showing the original Parry script logo (March 1911) The Horseless Age |
By September 1911, a New Parry emblem was shown in advertisements for the 1912 model year, see example below:
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| This is a New Parry ad showing the new emblem (Sept 1911) The Horseless Age |
The New Parry radiator emblem used for the 1912 model year was finished in black and white enamel, see example below. This New Parry radiator emblem is extremely rare.
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| This is a New Parry radiator emblem (1912) mjs Size: 57mm diameter MM: Unknown |
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