JENNIS

P. Jenness (1903-1905)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This is a Jennis radiator script (c1905)      dragone

Peter Jenness was a blacksmith who started to build cars in 1902. He secured financing from a wealthy Philadelphia businessman and built two fabulous prototype Jennis cars. The Jennis was a fine, well engineered and well built 48 hp four-cylinder five-passenger touring car. The cars were completed in 1903 and were beautifully finished with coachwork by Quinby in 1905.

Unfortunately, the Jennis financier died before the Jennis Company had been established and production of the Jennis did not proceed. One of the two Jennis cars still exists.

Emblem

The original Jennis cars built in 1903 would not have carried an emblem and the extant Jennis shows that there was no Jennis maker's nameplate. However, when the final coachwork was completed in 1905, a Quinby nameplate was attached to the body, see below: 

This is a Quinby coachbuilders nameplate (1905)     dragone

The extant Jennis automobile carries a brass Jennis script attached to the radiator core, see above at the top of this post. This Jennis script may have been attached when the coachwork was completed in 1905 but is more likely to have been added at a later date.

The Jennis had a Kells radiator and a Kells maker's nameplate is attached at the top of rhe radiator, see below:

This is a Kells radiator maker's nameplate (1903)     dragone