KING

King Motor Car Co.

Detroit, Michigan (1910-1923)

Buffalo, New York (1923)

This is a King radiator emblem (1917-c1923)      mjs
Size: 61mm high 59mm wide   MM: D L Auld

Charles Brady King had planned to enter the Chicago Times-Herald Contest of 1895 but his car was not ready. It was finished in 1896 and was the first gasoline automobile to be driven in the streets of Detroit. Henry Ford had followed him on a bicycle. Charles King next joined up with Jonathan D. Maxwell to build the Northern motor car but left this venture in 1908 and spent two years in Europe studying automobile design.

Charles King returned to Detroit to design his new car, which was tested in 1910. The King Motor Car Company was organised in early 1911 to produce the King, using the slogan "The Car of No Regrets". The King began as a 35hp four-cylinder automobile, which was popular and sold well. King expanded his manufacturing plant but the King company went into receivership within months.

The company was reorganized and King production continued. In December 1914, King introduced a V-8 model, which was announced as "the world's first popular-priced Eight". The best year for the King was 1916 with production up to 3,000 cars. Production figures began to fall year by year after 1916. Financial problems resulted in a second collapse of the company, the assets of which were sold in 1921 and receivership was lifted. But it was no good and the King was finished by 1924.

Emblems

The first King automobile tested in 1910 did not carry a radiator emblem but did display the King name on a brass script attached to the radiator core, see original photo below:

This is a King automobile showing a radiator script (1910)_  dpl

An original King radiator script with this early design would be extremely rare.

The first production King Model A cars in 1911 did carry a radiator emblem, see original factory photo shown below:

This is a King showing a radiator emblem (1911)    dpl

Close up showing the radiator emblem (1911)      dpl

This is the red enamel King radiator emblem shown below. This King radiator emblem is rare.

This is a King radiator emblem (1911-c1916)     mjs
Size: 70mm high 49mm wide    MM: Whitehead & Hoag

This King radiator emblem was still in use in 1915, see the four-cylinder King Model C instruction book cover shown below, and may have continued in use into 1916.

This is a King Model C instruction book cover (1915)   ms

An original photo of a 1915 Model D eight-cylinder King open tourer clearly shows a circular radiator emblem and a new "King 8"radiator script, see below:

This is a King Model D (1915)    dpl

This close-up shows a circular radiator emblem and a "King 8" script (1915)  dpl

This circular King radiator emblem is a mystery. The emblem in the photo is reflecting the sunlight, so that the detailed design of the emblem cannot be seen and advertisements for the King Model D appearing in 1915 still depict the red enamel emblem used since 1911, see example below:

This is a King Model D ad showing the red enamel emblem (1915)  ms

The King Model D in the original 1915 photo may have been using a trial circular emblem for the first eight-cylinder King, which was not continued. The emblem may have been similar in design to the circular King emblem shown below and possibly finished in enamel, although I cannot confirm any of this. The metal King emblem shown below is also found finished in nickel plate and is believed to be a King hub emblem. This King emblem is scarce.

This is a King emblem (dates uncertain)    mjs
Size: 53mm diameter    MM: D L Auld

The "King 8" radiator script is seen illustrated in King advertisements in 1915 and 1916, see example shown below:

King ad showing radiator script (1915)  ebay

Detail showing radiator emblem & script (1915)

There were several versions of the "King 8" radiator script, see examples below. Original "King 8" radiator scripts are scarce.

This is a King 8 radiator script (1915-1916)     mjs
Size: 201mm wide 162mm high   MM: None

This is a King 8 radiator script (1915-1916)    mjs
Size: 127mm wide 110mm high   MM: None

This is a King 8 radiator script (1915-1916)     mjs
Size: 200mm wide 150mm high   MM: None

By 1917, the "King 8" radiator script disappeared and the King radiator emblem was changed to the red and white enamel emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below. This King radiator emblem is seen in King advertisements up to 1920, but King advertising then seems to have ceased, following the collapse of the King Motor Car company in late 1920. I am uncertain about the King radiator emblem used in the final years of King production until 1923. It is likely that the King radiator emblem shown below continued in use but I cannot confirm this. This King radiator emblem is scarce.

This is a King radiator emblem (1917-c1923)     mjs
Size: 61mm high 59mm wide    MM: D L Auld

The following photos show varieties of King hub emblems:

This is a King hub emblem (dates uncertain)      dkc
Size: 41mm diameter     MM: Unknown

This is a King hub emblem (dates uncertain)    mjs
Size: 55mm diameter    MM: D L Auld

This is a King wire-wheel hub emblem (dates uncertain)     mjs
Size: 69mm diameter    MM: D L Auld

The King hub emblems shown above are scarce.