SOUTH BEND

South Bend Motor Car Works (1912-1918)
South Bend, Indiana

This is a South Bend Double Duty radiator emblem (c1913-1918)   mjs
Size: 100mm wide 60mm high    MM: Unknown

The South Bend Motor Car Works was organized in 1912 by A. C. Mecklenburg and production began in 1913. The company specialized in the manufacture of commercial vehicles but a 38 hp six-cylinder automobile was produced until 1914 and was offered in roadster and touring body styles. 

The company also built some 2-ton and 4-ton capacity chain driven trucks. In 1916 South Bend trucks adopted worm drive and 1-1/2-ton and 3-ton capacity trucks were added to the line but may not have gone into production, as South Bend production had ceased altogether by the end of 1916.

 

However, the main product of the South Bend Motor Car Works was motor fire apparatus, including Double Duty fire apparatus. The first South Bend fire engine was delivered in 1913, after which South Bend produced an impressive array of fire apparatus, including combination hose and chemical cars, straight chemical units, triple combination pumping engines and ladder trucks. 

South Bend production ceased in 1918 and the final South Bend fire apparatus units were delivered in early 1919. A. C. Mecklenburg had by then left South Bend to help Harry C. Stutz set up the Stutz Fire Engine Company. 

Emblems

There are very few clear photos of South Bend vehicles showing the emblems. However, a study of available original photos of South Bend vehicles indicates that South Bend trucks and fire engines carried the same or similar diamond shaped radiator emblems, see examples shown below:

This is a South Bend 2-ton truck (1915)     albert mroz

This is a South Bend Double Duty fire engine (c1916)  wmcc

The South Bend Double Duty fire apparatus carried a brown and white enamel radiator emblem, see example shown at the top of this post. This South Bend Double Duty radiator emblem is very rare.

It is likely that other South Bend vehicles carried the same or very similar South Bend radiator emblem but without the "Double Duty" inscription, see possible example shown below. If such a South Bend radiator emblem does exist, it would be extremely rare.

This is a possible South Bend radiator emblem   ms
Size: 100mm wide 60mm high     MM: Unknown

The following is a painted metal South Bend truck or fire engine hood side nameplate. This South Bend hood side nameplate is very rare.

This is a South Bend hood side nameplate (c1915)    mjs
Size: 294mm wide 43mm high     MM: None