BLM

Breese, Lawrance, Moulton Motor Car and Equipment Co. (1906-1907)

Brooklyn, New York

This is a BLM radiator emblem (1906-1907)    alt
Size: 57mm diameter   MM: Unknown 

Sidney Breese, Charles Lawrence and Andrew Moulton established the Breese, Lawrence, Moulton Motor Car and Equipment Company in 1906 and the first BLM car, announced in August 1906, was an expensive 85hp four-cylinder model based on an experimental race car built by Breese and Lawrence in 1905. The intention was to use the car to compete in the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race but the car failed to qualify for the race. 

The 85hp model was not commercially successful and, in 1907, the BLM became a lower-priced, sporty looking car called the Pirate Runabout powered by a 24hp four-cylinder engine imported from France. For more elegant motoring an attractive 16hp four-cylinder landaulet was also offered.

Plans for the production of 250 cars were announced in September 1907 but by December the company was finished. A few years later Lawrence and Moulton moved to Paris and built two special sports cars for themselves.

Emblems

The 85hp BLM model, which was planned to take part in the Vanderbilt Cup Race, was entered for the Vanderbilt Elimination Races in September 1906 and was given the race number 15, see the following original period photos. In the event, the car suffered a mechanical failure on the way to the start of the race and did not take part. However, these original photos show that the car carried a large round radiator emblem, although the detail of the emblem is unclear:

85hp BLM Vanderbilt Elimination Races race car (1906)   dpl

Close up showing large round radiator emblem

The BLM radiator emblem is more clearly seen on the following original period photo of the same BLM race car but without the "15" hood and radiator race numbers:

85hp BLM racer showing large radiator emblem (1906)  wiki

Close up showing large radiator emblem (1906)

The following original photo dated c1907 shows what is believed to be the large round BLM radiator emblem used on the 85hp race car model: 

BLM radiator emblem (c1907)   dpl

BLM radiator emblem close up (c1907)

This BLM radiator emblem is partly obscured by the radiator cap latch but clearly has the "BREESE LAWRENCE MOULTON" name around the edge within a wreath and "NEW YORK" across the center. If an original copy of this BLM radiator emblem could be found it would be ultra rare.

A large radiator emblem is also shown on an artist's impression of a BLM racer on the cover of an early BLM brochure, see below:

BLM brochure cover (c1906-1907)  ms

However, original BLM photos dated 1908, but presumably showing the models built in 1907, indicate that the BLM was given a new, smaller round radiator emblem, see examples shown below:

BLM motor car showing small radiator emblem (c1907-1908) dpl 

Close up showing small radiator emblem (c1907-1908)

A small BLM radiator emblem is also seen in the following photo of a BLM radiator and emblem from another BLM brochure:

BLM brochure photo showing a radiator emblem (c1907) hperc

This smaller BLM radiator emblem shows the initials "BLM" inside a wreath. This is the red and blue painted brass BLM radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below:

This is a BLM radiator emblem (c1907)   alt
Size: 57mm diameter    MM: Unknown

The BLM emblem shown above shows some paint repairs and I cannot confirm that the colors are original. Given the early age of this BLM emblem, it is unlikely that it was originally finished in enamel. However, BLM had close contacts with France, where enamel radiator emblems had been used for a few years, so it is just possible that the BLM radiator emblem may have been finished in enamel. In any event, the BLM emblem shown is a very early example of an American radiator emblem and is ultra rare.

The BLM emblem photo shown above came from the emblem photo collection of Al Thurn but what became of the emblem, I do not know. If you have the emblem or a better quality photo, please let me know in order to update this post.

Emblem collectors should beware, because there are Pulfer reproduction BLM emblems, see example shown below. The reproduction emblems lack surface detail and have shiny flat backs.

This is a reproduction BLM emblem    ebay

The following photo is mysterious. It purports to show Charles Lawrence at the wheel of the 1906 BLM Vanderbilt race car entrant. However, as shown earlier, the BLM race car, which was planned to take part in the Vanderbilt elimination event, had a large radiator emblem not the smaller emblem shown in the photo. This car appears to be one of the 1907 models. It is possible that the photo was wrongly labelled.

Chas Lawrence in what appears to be a later BLM car (c1907) 
vanderbiltcupraces

AIROMOBILE

Lewis-American Airways Inc. (1937)

Syracuse, New York

This is an Airomobile emblem (1937)     mjs
Size: 162mm wide 32mm high     MM: None

Paul M Lewis from Denver, Colorado set up Lewis-American Airways, Inc. in 1935 and decided to produce a streamlined, three-wheel motor car to be called the Airomobile. He engaged two engineers, Carl Doman and Ed Marks, both previously engineers with Franklin, who had prototype production facilities in Syracuse, to build the Airomobile. 

A 60 hp four-cylinder air-cooled prototype Airomobile was built and was road tested on 19 April 1937. But sufficient finance could not be found and full production of the Airomobile was never established. A prototype Airomobile car is (in 2017) in the National Automobile Museum in Reno.

Emblems

The Airomobile emblem shown above at the top of this post is ultra rare. It clearly appears to be from an Airomobile and has the date "July 3-37" inscribed on the back but is not the same as the hood emblem on the prototype Airomobile in the National Automobile Museum, which is also ultra rare, see photo below:

This is an Airomobile emblem (1937)      nam
Size: 105mm high  73mm wide     MM: Unknown

The Airomobile emblem shown at the top of this post is not found anywhere on the Airomobile at the National Automobile Museum. However, an advertisement in Antique Automobile in 1967 for the sale of  the only Airomobile in existence, which was partly disassembled and which is presumably the car now on display in the National Automobile Museum, also says "six produced, one remaining", see below:

Advertisement from Antique Automobile (1967)    hperc

It seems most likely that the Airomobile emblem shown at the top of this post was used on one of the other Airomobile prototypes produced by Paul Lewis before he abandoned his venture.

PHIANNA

Phianna Motors Co.

Newark, New Jersey (1917-1918)

Long Island City, New York (1919-1922)

This is a Phianna radiator emblem (1917-1918)    sam
Size: 60mm diameter    MM: Unknown

The Phianna name came from Phyllis and Anna, the twin daughters of one of the organizers of the Phianna Motors Company. Phianna Motors grew out of the demise of the S.G.V. Company of Reading, Pennsylvania (see S.G.V.) when a group of businessmen bought the S.G.V. assets and transferred operations to Newark, New Jersey. 

The first Phianna in 1917 was a small 25 hp four-cylinder model with a patented oval-shaped radiator. Like the S.G.V., the Phianna was a precision-built and expensive motor car, but did not sell well and production ceased in 1918.

Miles Harold Carpenter was impressed with the high quality of the Phianna. He took over Phianna and moved the business to a new factory in Long Island City where he redesigned the Phianna. The new car was beautifully designed and crafted with a longer wheel base and custom-built coachwork. The oval radiator was replaced by a Rolls-Royce type radiator. The car was introduced at the New York Automobile Show in October 1919 with price tags up to $11,500 for a limousine.

The Phianna was clearly meant to be a prestige automobile for the wealthy few. Indeed, it was bought by members of European royal families and diplomats in America. During 1921 there was a plan to build a much larger six-cylinder Phianna but the post First World War depression was too much for the Phianna and the last Phiannas were built from parts on hand in 1922.

Total production of the Phianna was about 300 cars.

Emblems

The Phianna was targeted at a wealthy clientele from the outset, see example 1917 Phianna advertisement shown below, which includes a tiny front view showing the oval shaped radiator and a round emblem:

Phianna advertisement (1917)   ebay

The first Phianna cars using the oval radiator had a circular radiator emblem, see original period photo shown below:

 1917 Phianna showing round radiator emblem   coachbilt

This is the black painted brass Phianns radiator emblem, shown above at the top of this post. This Phianna radiator emblem is extremely rare.

The later Phianna cars from 1919 used a Rolls-Royce type radiator and carried a different radiator emblem, see original period photo shown below:

1919 Phianna showing new radiator emblem   coachbilt

This is the black painted cast metal Phianna radiator emblem shown below. This Phianna radiator emblem is very rare.

This is a Phianna radiator emblem (1919-1922)    mjs
Size: 80mm wide 21mm high    MM: Unknown

MORGAN

Morgan Motor Co. (1902-1903)

R L Morgan Co. (1908-1912)

Morgan Motor Truck Co. (1912-1913)

Worcester, Massachusetts

This is a Morgan Motor Truck combined maker's nameplate and serial plate (1912)     mjs
Size: 180mm wide 107mm high

The original Morgan truck in 1902 was a heavy steam truck powered by a two-cylinder compound engine but few were made.

A second attempt came in 1908 with reorganization of the company as the R.L.Morgan Company and production of a 40 hp four-cylinder gasoline powered truck with double chain drive. 

In 1912 the company was reorganized again as the Morgan Motor Truck Company and a line of 2-ton, 3-ton and 5-ton capacity trucks was introduced. Morgan trucks were offered until 1913. The same trucks were then continued in production until 1920 under the name Steele.

Emblems

From about 1910 and possibly earlier, the Morgan truck had a painted cast metal, combined maker's plate and serial plate mounted on the side of the driver's cab, see example shown above at the top of this post and in the photos below. The Morgan maker's plate and serial plate shown above is from a 5-ton Morgan truck built in 1912 and is very rare.

This is a Morgan truck (date unknown)    tom
Hillsborough Historical Society

This is a close up showing the Morgan maker's/serial plate by the driver's cab

The photo above shows a Morgan truck with a 1913 license plate. It is noted that there is no other radiator emblem or nameplate. 

I do not know, if any other Morgan trucks carried a radiator emblem. If you have any details or photos of Morgan radiator emblems or nameplates, please let me know in order to update this post.