JAEGER

Jaeger Motor Car Co. (1932-1933)
Belleville, Michigan

This is a Jaeger radiator emblem (1932-1933)   nahc
Size: Unknown (poss 54mm high 32mm wide) MM: Unknown (poss Fox)

Charles F. Jaeger was a builder and an inventor of many different things, including portable power takeoff units for motor cars to drive saws and other tools, portable generators, portable water pumps for fire engines and even adding machines. He also designed a novel suspension system for automobiles using pairs of spring coils at each wheel. He built a six-cylinder motor car, to be called the Jaeger Six, which was used to demonstrate the success of his suspension system by easily beating a Ford V-8 and a Chevrolet Six in sprint races around a dirt track in Michigan.

The first prototype Jaeger Six was built by Charles Jaeger and his two sons in a two car garage and the Jaeger Motor Car Company was incorporated in August 1932. The Jaeger Six was intended to be sold directly to the consumer at a price under $700. Surviving invoices show a final price of $650 with a manufacturing cost of $275. Everything suggested that the Jaeger Six would be the basis for a successful automobile manufacturing business. Three sport coupe production cars were ready by October 1932. But, Charles Jaeger's money began to run out and it proved impossible to raise further capital while the Great Depression was gripping America. The Jaeger Six was finished in 1933 after only five cars had been built.

Emblem

The following photo shows the first Jaeger Six production model:

The first Jaeger Six production model (1932) 
ferndale historical society

The photo is not clear enough to show the radiator emblem. However, there was a Jaeger Six radiator emblem, see original period monochrome photo shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Jaeger Six radiator emblem is ultra rare.

This is a Jaeger radiator emblem (1932-1933)   nahc
Size:Unknown (poss 54mm high 32mm) wide MM: Unknown (poss Fox)

Close inspection of this photo suggests that this radiator emblem has been crudely painted in the dark areas and the name "Jaeger". The emblem itself was most likely made by the Gustave Fox Company by changing the name on the die used for the radiator emblems made for Durant motor car models from 1930-1932, see below:

This is a Durant radiator emblem (1932)   mjs
Size: 54mm high 32mm wide   MM: Fox

The Durant radiator emblem was finished in colored enamel but, presumably to save cost, the Jaeger Six emblem shown above was not enameled but appears to have been finished possibly in plated metal to which some paint has been added later after leaving the Fox factory, see likely appearance shown below:

Likely appearance of the painted Jaeger rad emblem (1932-1933)  ms

The Jaeger Six also displayed the "Jaeger" name on the bumper emblem and the serial plate, see below:

This is a Jaeger Six bumper emblem (1932-1933) nahc
Size: Unknown

This is a Jaeger Six serial plate (1932-1933)  dkc
Size: 76mm wide 44mm high