DORRIS

Dorris Motor Car Co. (1906-1920)

Dorris Motors Corp. (1920-1925)

St. Louis, Missouri

This is a Dorris radiator emblem (1913-1915)     gdc
Size: 117mm wide 53mm high       MM: None

George Preston Dorris came to St. Louis in 1898 to help organize the St. Louis Motor Carriage Company (see St. Louis). Dorris set up the Dorris Motor Car Company and took over the St.Louis Motor Carriage Company plant, when that company moved to Peoria in 1905.

The first Dorris was a 30 hp four-cylinder touring car and was introduced at the New York Automobile Show in January 1906. The Dorris was well made and was reasonably successful, although sales were modest. The Dorris was offered in a variety of body styles from about 1909 and became more powerful, bigger and more expensive over time.

Dorris trucks were also produced from 1912. The first model was a 3/4-ton stake truck, later joined by 2-ton and 3-ton models. The range of truck sizes and vehicle models grew over the years, with a 2-1/2-ton Model K-4 truck introduced in 1918 and a 3-1/2-ton Model K-7 appeared in 1919. 

In 1917 the company increased its finances to expand the business and a new management took over. Six-cylinder engines were introduced for Dorris automobiles in 1918 and sixes only were offered from 1919. The Dorris was an attractive car and used the slogan "The Most Beautiful Car in St. Louis".  

In 1920 the company reorganized as Dorris Motors Corporation but there were problems. 1923 was the last full year of production for Dorris and for the next two years the Dorris automobile was hand-built to order only. Dorris trucks continued in production and two models of buses were also offered from 1923. A gasoline-electric bus was made briefly in 1925. However the problems at Dorris could not be resolved and all production ceased in July 1925. 

Emblems

The very first Model A Dorris cars in 1906 most likely did not display an emblem but I cannot confirm this. The Dorris advertisements for 1906 do not show any indication of a logo or an emblem,  see example below:

This is one of the first Dorris ads (1906)     ms

By 1907, however, Dorris advertisements showed a Gothic style logo, see example below:

This is a Dorris ad showing a Gothic style logo (1907)     Motor Age

At least some Dorris Model B motor cars in 1907 displayed a brass radiator script using the same Gothic style for the "Dorris" word, see original photo below. Original Gothic style Dorris radiator scripts are very rare.

This is a Dorris Model B showing a gothic style radiator script (1907)    wlb

The same Gothic style logo also appeared on the hub caps, see example below:

This is a Dorris hub cap showing the Gothic style logo (1907-1913)    mjs

The Gothic style Dorris logo was also used on a small combined maker's nameplate/serial plate, which was attached to the dash or under the driver's seat, see example below: 

This is a Dorris Model B nameplate showing the Gothic style logo (1907)    gdc

The photo shown below is taken from an original 1907 Dorris brochure. It shows the front view of a Dorris Model B car with an emblem at the top of the radiator but no radiator script, which indicates that the gothic style Dorris radiator script may have been an optional item. The radiator emblem cannot be seen in detail and may have been the radiator maker's emblem but I cannot confirm this and there are no surviving 1907 Dorris cars. If you have any further information about this emblem, please let me know in order to update this post.

This shows the front of a Model B Dorris car (1907)     ms

For 1909, Dorris adopted a new, more "modern" style logo, see example advertisement below:

This is a Dorris ad showing a new logo (1909)     ms

An original photo of the Dorris stand at the Chicago Auto Show in 1909 shows the new Dorris logo in use in the form of a brass radiator script and a smaller Dorris script on the radiator tank top, see below:

Dorris stand at the Chicago Auto Show (1909)     dpl 

Close up showing the Dorris radiator script and emblem (1909)    dpl

The following photo of a surviving 1909 Dorris car radiator shows the brass radiator script and the small script emblem embossed or soldered onto the radiator tank top:

This is a Dorris car showing the radiator script (1909)     gdc

This is a close-up showing the Dorris radiator script and emblem (1909)    gdc

Original Dorris radiator scripts are very rare, see example below. Original Dorris radiator top script emblems would be extremely rare.

This is a plated Dorris radiator script (c1909)     gdc
Size: 308mm wide

The following shows a number mark n the back of a similar Dorris radiator script:

Dorris radiator script maker's mark (c1909)    cbc

A Dorris advertisement from 1912 shows an oval shaped Dorris emblem, see below:

This is a Dorris ad showing an emblem-like motive (1912)    ms

This Dorris radiator emblem is finished in blue enamel set in an oak leaf surround and is extremely rare, see example below:

This is a Dorris radiator emblem (1912-1913)    gdc
Size: 94mm wide 55mm high overall (74mm wide 46mm high oval)   MM: Unknown

This beautiful Dorris radiator emblem was in use for a very short time, as a new diamond shaped logo was introduced in advertisements for Dorris cars and trucks from 1913, see example below:

This is a Dorris ad for cars and trucks showing a diamond shaped radiator emblem (1913)  ma

The black and white enamel diamond shaped radiator emblem shown below was first used on some but not all Dorris Model H passenger cars in 1913. This radiator emblem is believed to have been used also on the 3/4-ton Dorris stake truck but I cannot confirm this. This Dorris radiator emblem is very rare.

This is a Dorris radiator emblem (1913-1915)     gdc
Size: 117mm wide 53mm high     MM: None

The Dorris radiator emblem was changed to a metal only emblem in 1916, see example below. This Dorris radiator emblem is rare but beware, as there are good quality reproductions of this emblem with a flat back.

This is a Dorris radiator emblem (1916-1925)      mjs
Size: 90mm wide 40mm high    MM: None

This metal Dorris radiator emblem was fixed around the radiator filler neck and was used on the I-A-6, I-B-6 and 6-80 models through 1925, see example below:

This shows the Dorris radiator emblem and motor meter (1924)    gdc

Close up showing the radiator emblem (1924)    gdc

The same logo design was used on the hub emblem, see example below. This Dorris hub emblem is very rare.

This is a Dorris hub emblem (1916-1925)     gdc
Size: 50mm wide 45mm high

Beware, there are colored enamel finished reproduction Dorris emblems based on this hub emblem, see example below:

This is a reproduction Dorris emblem     gdc
Size: 53mm diameter

There are some variations of the diamond shaped radiator emblem, some of which were finished in black paint, see examples below. These Dorris radiator emblems are rare.

This is a Dorris radiator emblem (dates uncertain)     gdc
Size: 85mm wide 38mm high    MM: Unknown

This is a Dorris radiator emblem (dates uncertain)      gdc
Size: 87mm wide 40mm high     MM: Unknown

This is a painted Dorris radiator emblem (dates uncertain)    gdc
Size: 86mm wide 38mm high    MM: Unknown

This is a painted Dorris radiator emblem (dates uncertain)    gdc
Size: 88mm wide 39mm high     MM: Unknown

The following photo shows a red and blue enamel Dorris radiator emblem. This Dorris radiator emblem is extremely rare.

This is a Dorris emblem (dates unknown)      sam
Size: 120mm wide 58mm high     MM: Unknown

This Dorris emblem is of high quality and is slightly larger than the black and white enamel emblem shown at the top of this post. This emblem was included in an emblem collection assembled in the 1920's and 1930's, which strongly indicates that it is an original emblem, possibly made in the last years of Dorris production. There is no current evidence to show that this emblem was made for Dorris Motors for use on production line Dorris cars. However, it is possible that this colorful Dorris emblem may have been made for a Dorris dealership to be attached to Dorris cars to enhance sales before 1925. This was certainly done by some Cadillac dealers. 

Emblem collectors should beware, as there is what appears to be a reproduction red and blue enamel Dorris emblem, see below. This emblem does not have the fixing screw holes at each end, as exist in the red and blue emblem shown earlier above. This further suggests that the red and blue enamel emblem shown earlier is original and was later copied. 

This appears to be a reproduction Dorris emblem     ms

As noted earlier, lighter capacity Dorris trucks are believed to have used the same emblems as for the passenger cars. However, the following photo of the radiator from a 1923 Dorris Model K-2 truck shows the "Dorris" name embossed in the radiator shell. 

This is a Dorris K-2 truck radiator emblem (1923)   gdc

The heavier Dorris Model K-4 and K-7 trucks had the "Dorris" name in a diamond cast in the radiator tank top, see example below: 

This is a cast Dorris truck radiator emblem (1918-1925)     mvmm

These Dorris trucks also carried simple painted brass "Dorris" nameplates on both sides of the hood, see example below:

This is a 1924 Dorris K-4 truck showing the hood side nameplate (1924)   abigail schaefer

The following photo shows an original Dorris truck hood side nameplate. Original Dorris hood side nameplates are rare.

This is a Dorris truck hood side nameplate (c1924)    gdc
Size: 296mm wide 36mm high

I am most grateful to George P Dorris III for his help in preparing this web post and for supplying photos from his collection.