BERGDOLL

Louis J. Bergdoll Motor Co. (1910-1913)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This is a Bergdoll 30 radiator emblem (1910-1913)   ms
Size: 58mm diameter     MM: Unknown

The Louis J. Bergdoll Motor Company produced some of America's best high-quality automobiles before the First World War. 

The first Begdoll Thirty appeared in 1910 and was a four-cylinder five-passenger touring model. For the 1911 model year, the Bergdoll Thirty was available in nine different body styles. 

A Bergdoll Forty model joined the Bergdoll Thirty in 1912 and 1913. There were business problems, however, and the company was in receivership in March 1913 and the Bergdoll factory and assets were sold in May 1913.

Emblems

The Bergdoll carried a round radiator emblem, see original period photo shown below from a 1910 auto show:

Bergdoll 30 showing radiator emblem (c1910)  dpl

This emblem is the pale blue and white Bergdoll 30 radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Bergdoll radiator emblem is extremely rare.

This is a Bergdoll 30 radiator emblem (1910-1913)   ms
Size: 58mm diameter   MM: Unknown

This emblem design is similar to the illustration on the front cover of the 1911 Bergdoll 30 brochure shown below:

Bergdoll 30 brochure cover (1911)   ms 

Emblem collectors should beware as there are reproduction Bergdoll 30 radiator emblems, see examples shown below. 

The first example shown below is similar to the original Bergdoll 30 radiator emblem shown above but does not have the sun's rays coming out of the winged wheel. It has a shiny back and no maker's mark.

This is a reproduction Bergdoll 30 radiator emblem  pcc

The second reproduction example, shown below, does have the sun's rays but is finished in dark blue and white enamel. This reproduction emblem also has a shiny back and no maker's mark.

This is a reproduction Bergdoll 30 radiator emblem  cwc

The Bergdoll radiator emblem shown earlier above was used for the Bergdoll 30 model. I have not seen a radiator emblem for the Bergdoll 40 model. It is likely that there was such an emblem, although I cannot confirm this. If an original Bergdoll 40 radiator emblem could be found, it would be ultra rare. 

The "Bergdoll" name was also displayed on some models on a brass script mounted on the radiator core, see original period photo of a Bergdoll automobile and a surviving Bergdoll 30, both photos shown below. Original "Bergdoll" radiator scripts are very rare. It is possible that the Bergdoll 40 model simply used the brass radiator script to avoid the additional cost of a new emblem at a time of financial difficulty. 

Bergdoll auto showing rad emblem & script (1912)  dpl 

Bergdoll Model 30 with radiator script    sillohed

The surviving Bergdoll racer shown below was raced at the Fairmont Park Races in 1911 and used by Grover Bergdoll. This racer has no radiator emblem but does display a Bergdoll radiator script. However, I cannot confirm that this Bergdoll radiator script is original.

Bergdoll racer (1911)   conceptcarz

Close up showing Bergdoll radiator script (1911)  conceptcarz