January 30, 2021

SKELTON

Skelton Motor Corp. (1920-1922)

St. Louis, Missouri


this is a Skelton radiator emblem (1920-1922)      sam
Size: 77mm wide 36mm high    MM: Unknown

The Skelton was named after Dr. L.S. Skelton, who provided the finance for the Skelton Motor Corporation, and who had several other automotive and industrial business interests. The Skelton was built by the St. Louis Car Company, which had previously built the American Mors and the Standard Six.

The Skelton was an assembled 37 hp automobile, which appeared in 1920, initially offered as a five-passenger touring and a two-passenger roadster with a five-passenger model also offered in 1921. The Skelton was a good car and was attractively priced, but Dr. Skelton died in 1921 and, despite attempts to keep the Skelton in production, it was all over in 1922.

Emblem

The blue and white enamel Skelton radiator emblem shown above is extremely rare. 

This Skelton radiator emblem is inscribed "Security" at the top. This may have had something to do with the fact that Dr Skelton put his many automotive businesses under a holding company called Security Motors Corporation.

Skelton advertisements are seen with an illustration of the radiator emblem inscribed with the word "Security". However, an advertisement for Skelton motor cars made by Security Motors Corporation in August 1920, shows the Skelton radiator emblem without the word "Security", see below:

Skelton ad with rad emblem (1920)
kansas city star

Close up showing the Skelton radiator emblem (1920) 

If this illustration represents a real Skelton radiator emblem, it would also be extremely rare. If you have a photo of this Skelton emblem, please let me know, in order to update this post.







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