MARION

Marion Motor Car Co. (1904-1914)

Indianapolis, Indiana

Mutual Motors Corp. (1914-1915)

Jackson, Michigan

This is a Marion radiator emblem (1912-1914)     mjs
Size: 56mm diameter     MM: Robbins

The Marion was initially an air-cooled 16 hp four-cylinder side entrance tonneau but water-cooled models were added later. A six-cylinder engine was used for 1908 but was not used again in a Marion until 1914. The best-known sporting car from Marion was the rakish Bobcat roadster of 1913. 

Early members of the Marion team included Robert Hassler, who went on to build his own car, and Harry C. Stutz, who was Chief Engineer at Marion from 1907 to 1910. The Marion was a good car but the Marion business had been under capitalized from the start and struggled to survive.

However, the company was recapitalized in 1912 with the help of J. I. Handley, who became company president. In December 1914 he reorganized as Mutual Motors Corporation, acquired Imperial of Jackson, Michigan and moved the Marion to Jackson as well. The cars were kept quite independent from each other and had separate sales organizations. The Imperial was discontinued in 1915 and the Marion became the Marion-Handley (see Marion-Handley) in 1916.

Emblems

The earliest Marion cars did not carry an emblem but, no doubt, carried small maker's nameplates attached to the body. 

By about 1908 or possibly earlier, the Marion displayed a large brass "Marion" script on the radiator core, see example in the original photo of a Marion race car from 1909 shown below:

Marion race car with large radiator script (1909)     dpl

Large sized brass "Marion" scripts are displayed on some surviving Marion cars, but I cannot confirm they are original, see example shown below:

Marion brass radiator script (1911)   bonhams

I do not have a good photo of an original large sized "Marion" radiator script. Original large "Marion" radiator scripts are very rare.

Original photos of Marion cars from 1910 and 1911 and Marion factory illustrations for 1910 show a small sized "Marion" radiator script but with no radiator emblem, see examples shown below:

Marion motor car on a tour event (1910)   dpl

Close up showing Marion radiator script (1910)

Part of Marion factory illustration showing small rad script (1910)  ms

The following photo shows the small "Marion" radiator script on a surviving car:

Small brass "Marion" radiator script (1911)     bonhams

This is the brass Marion radiator script shown below. This Marion radiator script is rare.

This is a Marion radiator script (1910-1911)    mwc
Size: 115mm wide 35mm high

Some Marion models from around 1910 had the "Marion" name impressed into the top of the radiator shell, see example shown below:

Marion motor car with "Marion" name impressed on rad (1910)  sam

Close up showing impressed "Marion" name in radiator (1910)

From 1912, Marion motor cars displayed a round radiator emblem in t he center of the radiator tank top, see examples in the following original photo of the Marion stand at an auto trade show:

Marion cars with radiator emblems at a trade show (c1912)   dpl

The new Marion radiator emblem featured a Marion race car and driver, see example below: 

This shows the radiator emblem on a Model 33 Marion (1912)    sotheby's

This is the blue and white enamel Marion radiator emblem finished in polished metal, as shown in the emblem photo above at the top of this post and again below:

This is a Marion radiator emblem (1912-1914)   mjs
Size: 56mm diameter    MM: Robbins

The same Marion radiator emblem can also be found finished in nickel plate, see example below. Both versions of this Marion radiator emblem are very rare.

This is a nickel plated Marion radiator emblem (1912-1914)     sam
Size: 56mm diameter     MM: Unknown (probably Robbins) 

This Marion radiator emblem is sought after by emblem collectors but beware, as there is a Pulfer reproduction Marion emblem. The reproduction emblem has a flat shiny back and the front design is cruder and lacks the in depth detail of the original emblem, see example shown below:

This is a reproduction Marion radiator emblem  showing the lack of detail  ms

Following the Marion company reorganization in December 1914, the Marion had a new emblem design, see the original 1915 photo below:

Marion motor car showing a new radiator emblem (1915)  dpl

This is the white and blue enamel Marion radiator emblem shown below:

This is a Marion radiator emblem (1915)    sam
Size: 68mm wide 32mm high    MM: Unknown

This Marion radiator emblem was used for one year only and is extremely rare.