MIDLAND

Midland Motor Co. (1908-1913)

East Moline, Illinois

This is a Midland radiator emblem (c1912-1913)     sam
Size: 60mm diameter    MM: Unknown

The Midland Motor Company was set up following a reorganization of the Deere-Clark Motor Car Company in 1908 (see Deere). The first Midland was a 30/35 hp four-cylinder touring car. A companion 25/30 hp line was offered in 1909 and by 1910 the horsepower range had increased to 40 hp and 50 hp. 

The Midland was a fine automobile and production rose to over 600 per year by 1911. But in 1913 production ceased when Midland declared bankruptcy due, it was later revealed, to a variety of serious irregularities in the company's operations and finances.

Emblems

The Midland used a distinctive logo with a British pound-sterling sign in place of the letter "L" in the center of the Midland name, see example shown in the following Midland advertisement:

Midland ad showing logo (1908)  ebay

The first Midland cars from 1908 had the "Midland" logo embossed in the top center of the brass radiator, see example below:

This shows the Midland logo in the top center of the Midland radiator (1911)   ms

The "Midland" name was also displayed on a serial plate usually attached to the dash or under the driver's seat, see example shown below:

This is a Midland serial plate (c1910)  mjs
Size: 80mm wide 48mm high

Early period photos show Midland cars with the embossed radiator emblem but also displaying the "Midland" logo on a large brass script mounted on the radiator core, see example shown below:

Midland car with large radiator script in Glidden Tour (1909) dpl

From 1910, the "Midland" radiator script was smaller and usually mounted in the middle of the radiator core, see example shown below:

Midland car with small rad script (1910)    dpl

This is similar to the Midland radiator script shown below. Original Midland radiator scripts are rare.

This is a Midland radiator script (c1910-1911)   ms

Midland cars with the small radiator script are seen in photographs taken at trade shows in the 1910 period but not all, see example shown below of a 1910 Midland trade show car with the embossed radiator emblem but no radiator script:

Midland trade show car with no rad script (1910)  dpl

This suggests that the Midland radiator script may have been an optional extra but used at car events for publicity purposes.

From about 1912, the embossed Midland radiator emblem was replaced by a round blue and white enamel radiator emblem, see example shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Midland radiator emblem is extremely rare.

This is a Midland radiator emblem (c1912-1913)   sam
Size: 60mm diameter   MM: Unknown