WALKER ELECTRIC

Automobile Maintenance & Manufacturing Co. (1906-1911)
Walker Vehicle Co. (1911-1933)
Walker Vehicle Co. Div. York & Town Mfg. Co. (1933-1942)

Chicago, Illinois

This is a Walker Electric emblem (c1926-1930)    sam
Size: 55mm diameter    MM: Unknown

The Walker Electric was America's best-known and longest-lived electric truck. 

The initial Walker trucks had separate electric motors for each rear wheel but in 1909 this was replaced by a single 3-1/2 hp motor mounted in the rear axle. For a brief period Walker also offered a gas-electric model. By 1912 the Walker was available in five models ranging from 750 lbs to 3-1/2-ton capacity.

In 1914, Walker bought the Chicago Electric pleasure car design and continued Chicago Electric passenger car production until 1916 (see Chicago Electric). 

The Walker Vehicle Company was acquired by the Anderson Electric Car Company of Detroit in 1916 but was sold to Commonwealth Edison in 1920. However, throughout this time, the Walker Vehicle Company continued to design and manufacture Walker Electric trucks in Chicago.  

From about 1926, some Walker Electric truck models were built in the style of gasoline powered vehicles, including some models made to appear more like gasoline passenger cars than trucks.

Walker bought out the Commercial Truck Company in 1928 (see C-T Electric). By 1929, the Walker Electric range of models extended from the 3/4-ton capacity Model 10 Special, styled like a contemporary gasoline-powered light truck, through heavier trucks up to 7-ton capacity. 

In 1933, the Walker Vehicle Company was sold and became a Division of the York & Towne Manufacturing Company. 

In 1938, Walker produced a new gas-electric model called the Walker Dynamotive, which was a multi-stop delivery vehicle. The Dynamotive and other Walker electric trucks of 1-1/2-ton to 5-ton capacity were built up to 1942 when all Walker Electric truck production ceased.

Emblems

There are very few original period photos of the earliest Walker electric trucks and none I have seen show an emblem, see example shown below:

Walker electric truck (1908)   wiki

However, the earliest Walker Electric trucks were likely to have displayed the "Walker" name on the hubcaps and on a small maker's nameplates or serial plates probably mounted at the rear of the vehicle. 

This is an early Walker electric truck hubcap (c1908)   dkc

The following is an example of a Walker electric truck serial plate. Original Walker Electric truck serial plates are scarce.

This is a 1-ton Walker Electric serial plate (date unknown)  mjs
Size: 150mm wide 68mm high

By 1909, the "Walker" name was prominently displayed on a large painted nameplate mounted on the front and rear of the truck, usually on the bumpers or the chassis frame, see original factory photos and surviving truck examples shown below:

Walker factory photo showing front nameplate (date unknown) dpl

Walker factory photo showing rear nameplate (date unknown)  dpl

Walker delivery truck with front nameplate (1909) rmsotheby's

Walker Electric truck with front bumper nameplate (1911) iowa80

Walker Electric truck with front bumper nameplate (1918) iowa80

This Walker Electric bumper nameplate continued in use on various truck models until the end of production, see later example shown below:

Walker electric delivery truck with front nameplate (1940's)  reddit

The following close ups show examples of the Walker Electric nameplate:

This is a Walker Model 15 electric truck nameplate (1909)  moroz

This is a Walker Electric nameplate (1924)  bmhv

The following shows a surviving 1918 Walker Electric truck exported to New Zealand which has an emblem mounted on the front of the truck in addition to a curved Walker front nameplate:

1918 Walker Electric truck       christchurchlibraries

Close up showing emblem & curved nameplate

The emblem is in cast brass and displays the name and a logo for Walker Vehicles Ltd., see below: 

This is a Walker Electric truck emblem (c1918)   orion group
Size: Unknown

This Walker Vehicles Ltd emblem has not been seen elsewhere. It is most likely the emblem for a New Zealand company, which may possibly be related to the Walker Vehicle Company or maybe a local vehicle body maker emblem. So far, this emblem is a mystery. If you have better information about this Walker Vehicles Ltd emblem, please let me know, in order to update this post.

Walker Electric trucks were also exported to the UK and a fleet of Walker delivery trucks was operated by Harrods of London for many years. Some of these Walker electric trucks also had curved front bumper nameplates, see example below:

Walker Electric showing curved nameplate (1920's)  j l chapman

The following shows an example of the curved front bumper Walker Electric nameplate:

This is a Walker Electric curved nameplate (1920's)  moroz

On some Walker Electric truck models, the "Walker" name was also displayed on the step plate to the driver's cab, see example shown below:

Walker Electric truck step plate (1926)    natm

Walker Electric truck step plate emblem (1926)   natm

In the late 1920's, the Walker Vehicle Company built some Walker Electric truck models in the style of gasoline powered vehicles, including some models made to appear more like gasoline passenger cars than trucks, see examples shown below:

Walker Electric trucks brochure (1926) rg

 

Walker Electric truck ad (1928)   rg

Walker 10 Special electric truck from brochure (c1929)    rg

 

Some Walker Electric truck models designed with false hoods and radiators carried the blue and white enamel Walker Electric radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Walker Electric radiator emblem is extremely rare.

This is a Walker Electric radiator emblem (c1926-1930)  sam
Size: 55mm diameter   MM: Unknown

The following red painted Walker hub emblem displays the CT logo of the Commercial Truck Company, which was absorbed by Walker Vehicle Company in 1928. This Walker hub emblem is rare.

This is a Walker Vehicle hub emblem (c1928)   sam
Size: 82mm diameter   MM: None

The Walker Vehicle Company became a Division of the Yale & Town Manufacturing Company in 1934 and Walker vehicles carried the following small maker's nameplate on the dash:

Walker Vehicle nameplate (c1934)    alt

Some Walker delivery truck models carried a smaller "Walker" nameplate emblem, see painted cast metal Walker nameplate shown below. This Walker emblem is rare.

This is a Walker Electric emblem (c1936)   mjs
Size: 155mm wide 55mm high   MM: Unknown

The Walker Dynamotive gas/electric delivery truck displayed the "Dynamotive" logo on a small emblem attached to the radiator grille, see advertisement and logo shown below:

Walker Dynamotive delivery truck ad showing grille emblem (1937)  rg

This is the Walker Dynamotive logo (1937)

LITTLE GIANT

Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co. (1911-1918)
Chicago, Illinois

This is a Little Giant radiator script (1911-1918)   mjs
Size: 340mm wide

John W Duntley began to develop pneumatic tools and established the Chicago Pneumatic Tool Company in Chicago in 1901 to produce construction tools. 

The Chicago Pneumatic Tool Company produced a solid-tired, 22 hp two-cylinder runabout in 1906 only but it was not marketed. It was used solely for the use of the company's travelling salesmen. The company began to build 1-ton capacity trucks in 1910. These were Duntley trucks, which were sold in the UK as C.P.T. trucks. Some trucks were also sold as Chicago trucks. In 1911, the Duntley truck was renamed the Little Giant. 

Little Giant trucks were initially light trucks powered by two-cylinder engines with double chain-drive and were offered in the 3/4-ton to 1-ton capacity range. 

After 1915, Little Giant truck models were increased in size up to 3-1/2-ton capacity and used four-cylinder engines and worm drive. The Little Giant was also used in later years as a Convert-a-Car unit to convert a Ford car into a one-ton truck.

Emblems

The earliest Little Giant trucks did not have a hood. The brass radiator acted as the dash in front of the driver and had a brass "Little Giant" script mounted on the front of the radiator core, see original period photos shown below:

Little Giant truck in Chicago Reliability Run (1911)   dpl

Little Giant truck ad with period photo showing rad script (1912)  ebay

This is the "Little Giant" radiator script shown above at the top of this post. This Little Giant radiator script is rare.

The following Little Giant advertisement shows several early Little Giant models together with the "Little Giant" and the "CPTCar" logo:

Little Giant adv (1911)  ideal power

CPTCar Logo

A brass "CPTCar." logo script was also used on some Little Giant truck radiators, see original period photo shown below. Possibly, these were the trucks sometimes referred to as "CPT" trucks.  Original "CPTCar" radiator scripts are extremely rare.

Little Giant trucks at trade show with CPTCar rad script (1912)  mroz

The following Little Truck Model D advertisement confirms that the C.P.T. company never made a pleasure car only trucks:

Little Giant Md D advertisement khc

The following is a rare Little Giant Model D truck serial plate:

Little Giant Model D truck serial plate (date unknown) khc
Size: 76mm wide 26mm high

Original period photos of Little Giant trucks do not show any body side nameplates. However, a surviving 1913 Little Giant truck shows the "Little Giant Car" name on the driver's floor mat, see below:

Little Giant floor mat (1913)    aaca

From late 1915, Little Giant trucks had a conventional hood and radiator. The radiator continued to display the "Little Giant" name on a brass radiator script mounted on the radiator core. 

Little Giant truck advertisements from 1916 include an artist's illustration of a Little Giant truck displaying the radiator script but also showing a radiator emblem, see example shown below:

Little Giant truck advertisement (1916)  ebay

Little Giant illustration showing rad script & emblem (1916)

This same illustration is seen on Little Giant advertisements in 1918 also, but I have never seen a Little Giant radiator emblem and original period photos of Little Giant trucks from this time do not show a radiator emblem, see example shown below. If a Little giant radiator emblem could be found, it would be extremely rare.

Little Giant 2-ton truck showing rad script only (c1916)  ms

The following Little Giant advertisement shows a 1-ton delivery truck with the "Little Giant" name stenciled on the side of the hood:

Little Giant ad showing hood side stencil nameplate (c1916) ebay

MIDLAND

Midland Motor Co. (1908-1913)

East Moline, Illinois

This is a Midland radiator emblem (c1912-1913)     sam
Size: 60mm diameter    MM: Unknown

The Midland Motor Company was set up following a reorganization of the Deere-Clark Motor Car Company in 1908 (see Deere). The first Midland was a 30/35 hp four-cylinder touring car. A companion 25/30 hp line was offered in 1909 and by 1910 the horsepower range had increased to 40 hp and 50 hp. 

The Midland was a fine automobile and production rose to over 600 per year by 1911. But in 1913 production ceased when Midland declared bankruptcy due, it was later revealed, to a variety of serious irregularities in the company's operations and finances.

Emblems

The Midland used a distinctive logo with a British pound-sterling sign in place of the letter "L" in the center of the Midland name, see example shown in the following Midland advertisement:

Midland ad showing logo (1908)  ebay

The first Midland cars from 1908 had the "Midland" logo embossed in the top center of the brass radiator, see example below:

This shows the Midland logo in the top center of the Midland radiator (1911)   ms

The "Midland" name was also displayed on a serial plate usually attached to the dash or under the driver's seat, see example shown below:

This is a Midland serial plate (c1910)  mjs
Size: 80mm wide 48mm high

Early period photos show Midland cars with the embossed radiator emblem but also displaying the "Midland" logo on a large brass script mounted on the radiator core, see example shown below:

Midland car with large radiator script in Glidden Tour (1909) dpl

From 1910, the "Midland" radiator script was smaller and usually mounted in the middle of the radiator core, see example shown below:

Midland car with small rad script (1910)    dpl

This is similar to the Midland radiator script shown below. Original Midland radiator scripts are rare.

This is a Midland radiator script (c1910-1911)   ms

Midland cars with the small radiator script are seen in photographs taken at trade shows in the 1910 period but not all, see example shown below of a 1910 Midland trade show car with the embossed radiator emblem but no radiator script:

Midland trade show car with no rad script (1910)  dpl

This suggests that the Midland radiator script may have been an optional extra but used at car events for publicity purposes.

From about 1912, the embossed Midland radiator emblem was replaced by a round blue and white enamel radiator emblem, see example shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Midland radiator emblem is extremely rare.

This is a Midland radiator emblem (c1912-1913)   sam
Size: 60mm diameter   MM: Unknown