April 22, 2022

SAYERS & SCOVILL/S&S

Sayers & Scovill Co. (1907-1935)
Cincinnati, Ohio


This is an S & S radiator emblem (1919)   mjs
Size: 59mm wide 44mm high    MM: Fox

Sayers & Scovill Company was established in 1876 for the manufacture of horse drawn carriages and hearses. An experimental automobile was built in 1906 but the company's first production vehicle was a 1-1/2-ton chain-driven forward control truck powered by a 27 hp four-cylinder engine which was introduced in 1907. The engine size increased to 45 hp by 1909. A Model D 3-ton capacity model was introduced in 1909, to be followed by a Model E 2-ton capacity model. The Sayers & Scovill truck line was built until 1912 during which time the company also built a few ambulances and hearses, which were known under the name S & S. In 1913, ambulances and hearses became the main product line for Sayers & Scovill. 

In 1917, Sayers & Scovill introduced their first passenger car, which was called the Sayers (see Sayers). The Sayers car was produced until 1924 after which a second passenger car called the S & S was produced. The S & S was an eight-passenger sedan, which was simply a conversion of the S & S funeral car. The S & S car began as the 55 hp six-cylinder Brighton Sedan, which became the 66 hp Elmwood Sedan from 1925 to 1927. The S & S car grew to become the 85 hp eight-cylinder Gotham Sedan in 1928 and the 114 hp Lakewood Sedan by 1929, which was the last year of production of the S & S passenger car.

By 1926, S & S professional cars were powered by six-cylinder engines, which were replaced by straight-eight engines in 1928. The Signed Sculpture hearse introduced in 1929 was sensational with sculptured bronze side panels depicting an Angel of Mercy. In the 1930's, S &S vehicles had an elaborate classic appearance with louvered hoods and twin trumpet horns. 

S & S commercial vehicles continued to be made until 1935.  S & S became body makers only after 1935, using Buick chassis initially to be followed by Cadillac and later by other manufacturers. The S&S name continues today as a top class hearse body maker.

Emblems

The early Sayers & Scovill trucks were cab over engine models with no radiator but with a front dash screen, see example shown below. The Sayers & Scovill name was displayed on the side frame of the truck body, see close-up also shown below.

This is a Sayers & Scoville Auto Truck (1908)  s&s truck news

Close-up showing "Built by Sayers & Scovill Co. O."on frame (1908)

The front dash screen may also have displayed the "Sayers & Scovill" name, possibly in the form of a script, but I cannot confirm this.

The Sayers & Scovill Model D 3-ton capacity truck had a radiator, see example below:

This is a Sayer & Scovill Model D 3-ton truck (1910)   atj 

It is possible that there was a Sayers & Scovill truck radiator emblem or a radiator script from 1910 but I cannot confirm this, as available original photos are not clear enough to see the radiator details.

The "Sayers & Scovill" name was also displayed on the hubcaps, see example shown below:

This is a Sayers & Scovill hubcap (c1910)    dkc

The S & S passenger cars, professional cars and commercial vehicles produced in the 1917-1930 period carried an oval shaped radiator emblem, see photos shown below:

Sayers & Scovill fire engine (1922)  vanderbrinkauctions

Sayers & Scovill fire engine radiator emblem (1922)

This is a Sayers & Scovill ambulance (1923)   wmcc

Close-up showing oval radiator emblem (1923)

This shows S&S hearse radiator emblem (1930)  billbravo

These S & S radiator emblems were very similar in design to the radiator emblems used for the Sayers passenger cars from 1917 to 1924. 

Examples of these S & S passenger car, professional car and commercial vehicle radiator emblems are shown above at the top of this post and below. These S & S radiator emblems are scarce.

This is an S & S radiator emblem (c1917-1929)     mjs
Size: 59mm wide 44mm high    MM: Fox

This is an S & S radiator emblem (c1919)    mjs
Size: 59mm wide 44mm high     MM: Fox

This is an S & S radiator emblem (c1922)     mjs
Size: 65mm wide 45mm high    MM: Greenduck

This is an S & S radiator emblem (c1930)     mjs
Size: 65mm wide 45mm high       MM: Unknown (some Greenduck)

The following S & S ambulance photo shows a radiator emblem and an emblem mounted on the headlight bar:

This is an S&S ambulance showing emblems (1930)  wmcc


sdff
Close-up showing radiator emblem & headlight bar emblem (1930)

The following photo shows an S & S headlight bar emblem. This S & S emblem is rare.

This is an S&S headlight bar emblem (c1925-1930)  ms
Size: Unknown

S & S emblems continued to be used for many years, even after S & S stopped making their own vehicles, see example of an S & S hood emblem on a Cadillac chassis from about 1941:

S & S hood emblem on Cadillac chassis (c1941)  mick klass

The "S & S" name was also displayed on the hubcaps, see example shown below:

This is an S & S hubcap (dates uncertain)     ms

The following 1933 Sayers & Scovill hearse photo shows different hubcaps:

This is a Sayers & Scovill hearse (1933)    pinimg

The following is a Sayers & Scovill hub emblem from a similar S & S hubcap:

This is an S & S hub emblem (c1933)    mjs
Size: 63mm diameter    MM: None

The following is an, as yet, unidentified S & S emblem used on an S & S professional vehicle:

This is an S & S emblem (dates unknown)     mjs
Size: 90mm wide 69mm high   MM: None






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