ADAMS-FARWELL

The Adams Company (1905-1911)
Dubuque, Iowa

This is an Adams-Farwell sill plate (c1906-1911)  ms
Size: Unknown

The Adams Company was founded in 1883 for the manufacture of park benches and grave markers but soon moved into milling and general foundry equipment. In 1895 Fay Oliver Farwell began to experiment with internal combustion engines. His first vehicle was working by 1898. He tried four different automobile models before making his Model 5 prototype, which was exhibited at the Chicago Automobile Show in February 1905. He designed and patented a novel rotary, radial air-cooled engine design, which he installed into his motor cars.

The first Adams-Farwell car put into production in 1905 was Model 6, a 20/25 hp three-cylinder convertible brougham. A 40/45 hp five-cylinder model was added to the line in 1906 in a variety of body styles and thereafter only five-cylinder models were offered. The Adams-Farwell incorporated several other ingenious mechanical systems but was generally regarded as a novelty and the Adams Company decided to give up the motor car business in 1911 after making 200 cars. One Adams-Farwell model remains extant.

Emblems

There are few original period photos of Adams-Farwell motor cars and only one surviving example from 1906. There is no evidence that the Adams-Farwell carried an emblem.

It is possible that some early Adams-Farwell models displayed the Adams Company name on a small brass maker's nameplate mounted at the rear of the car, see example shown below. This Adams nameplate is rare.

This is an Adams Company nameplate (c1905)   mjs
Size: 68mm wide 18mm high

From 1906, the Adams-Farwell displayed the "Adams-Farwell" name on brass sill plates, see examples shown above at the top of this post and below. Original Adams-Farwell sill plates are very rare. 

This is an Adams-Farwell sill plate (1906)   nam
Size:  Unknown

MASON

Mason Motor Car Co. (1906-1908)
Des Moines, Iowa
Mason Automobile Co. (1909-1910)
Maytag-Mason Motor Car Co. (1910-1912)
Mason Motor Co. (1912-1914)
Waterloo, Iowa

Mason The Hill Climber emblem (1906)   ms
Size: Unknown   MM: Unknown

Fred and August Duesenberg opened a garage in Des Moines, where they also built their first experimental automobile in 1904. Their first successful prototype car was called the Marvel but it became the Mason when Edward R. Mason came up with the finance needed to establish The Mason Motor Car Company, which was ready in early 1906. 

In May 1906, a pre-production Mason car was driven up the 47 steps of the Iowa State Capital building and henceforth the Mason carried the slogan "Mason The Hill Climber". The Mason also received good publicity in races after 1907. 

Production of the Mason began on August 16, 1906. The first production Mason was a 24 hp two-cylinder model offered in touring and runabout body styles.

In 1909, the Maytag brothers, successful builders of washing machines and agricultural machinery, took a controlling interest in the recently renamed Mason Automobile Company and moved the plant to Waterloo, Iowa (see Maytag). The company was reorganized as the Maytag-Mason Motor Car Company in 1910 and continued to produce the two-cylinder Mason alongside a new 32/35 hp four-cylinder Maytag touring car also designed by Fred Duesenberg. For 1911, the two-cylinder model was marketed as a Maytag. 

In January 1912, Edward R. Mason regained control and reorganized as Mason Motor Company and all the cars became Masons. Fred and August Duesenberg left to form their own company in 1913 but continued to provide some support to Edward Mason. The two-cylinder Mason was dropped for 1914 and a new 65 hp four-cylinder car known as the Mason-Mohler joined the 30 hp four-cylinder Mason. But, the Mason company was already in financial trouble and efforts to save the company while in receivership failed. All Mason production ended in 1914.

Emblems

The first Mason cars sold in 1906 appear to have had black enamel painted radiators, see original photo shown below, which is dated 1906 and labelled as "the first Mason cars sold" by an unknown sales company. This early Mason car has the "Mason" name in Gothic script and finished in white across the top of the radiator, possibly painted or in the form of a decal.

Mason car with radiator emblem (1906)   dpl

If this "Mason" name is in the form of a separate radiator emblem and a genuine original could be found, it would be ultra rare. 

Some surviving 1906 Mason cars using the same radiator style show a more elaborate radiator emblem design, see example below:

Surviving 1906 Mason car with radiator emblem & script   dpl

This Mason car also displays a small Mason script mounted on the radiator core. The radiator emblem appears to be the same as the Mason "The Hill Climber" emblem shown above at the top of this post and the further example shown below, which maybe the actual emblem seen in the above photo:

Mason radiator emblem & script (1906)  tcc

Mason "The Hill Climber" radiator emblem (1906)  tcc
Size: Unknown   MM: Unknown

Genuine original examples of this Mason radiator emblem are extremely rare.

It is likely that these very early Mason cars with the radiator design shown above were based on the prototype models named "Marvel" by the Duesenberg brothers and were possibly built before Mason production began on August 16, 1906, because the Mason car advertised in June 1906 and which continued in production through 1908, had a different radiator design, see advertisement and publicity photo shown below:

Mason ad showing 5-pass touring model (June 1906) 
The Des Moines Register

The photo of the Mason five-passenger touring model shown in the above advertisement was used for publicity purposes by the Mason Motor Car Company, see same car photo below where the radiator design is more clearly seen:

Mason five-passenger touring model (1906)    dpl

There is a hint of a radiator emblem in this photo but this is not certain and maybe distortions or reflections in the radiator. However, a surviving Mason from 1906 with this radiator design has the "Mason" name painted on the radiator, see below:

Mason touring car (1906)  rmsotheby's

This surviving 1906 Mason touring model was kept in the possession of the same family from 1906 until 1970 and the car still had its original body when it was restored. It is reported by Sotheby's that the car was refinished in red with the correct elaborate pin-striping ( a single continuous line that runs throughout the car, forming THE MASON on the radiator shell).

Mason radiator detail (1906)   rmsotheby's

It is likely that other Mason cars from later in 1906 with this radiator design had no radiator emblem, as future Mason advertisements clearly show no radiator emblem or script, see example of the same Mason model shown below from 1907:

Mason touring car ad (1907)  ma

Mason five-passenger touring model (1907)  

There was a change in the Mason radiator design for 1909, see the following original photo of a Mason touring car taking part in the 1909 Glidden Tour which shows no sign of a radiator emblem but the Mason name is displayed on a large brass radiator script:  

Mason Touring on Glidden Tour (1909)   dpl

Close up showing Mason radiator script (1909)

Original Mason radiator scripts are extremely rare:

This is a Mason radiator script (c1911)  moroz
Size: Unknown

Apart from a front view of a 1914 Mason -Mohler coupe, see below, I have been unable to find any original period photos or illustrations of Mason cars that show the radiator after 1909. If you have details of any Mason emblems used in the period after 1909, please let me know in order to update this post. 

Mason-Mohler Coupe (1914)  atj

Mason-Mohler Coupe radiator (1914) 

It is not clear if the feature at the bottom of the radiator is an emblem. It is possible that Mason cars produced after 1909 had no radiator emblem but some may have continued to display a radiator script, although I cannot confirm this.

SPAULDING

Spaulding Manufacturing Co. (1910-1916)
Grinnell, Iowa

This is a Spaulding vehicle tag (c1909)    mjs
Size: 70mm wide 27mm high    MM: None

By 1900, the Spaulding Manufacturing Company was the oldest and largest manufacturer of horse-drawn vehicles west of the Mississippi. The Spauldings began to manufacture automobiles in 1910 with the first units driven out of the factory in Grinnell in June 1910.

 

The first Spaulding cars were a pair of 30 hp four-cylinder models on the same chassis and with the same engines but different transmissions: Model C with a three-speed sliding gear transmission and Model D with a two-speed planetary transmission, both offered in touring, pony tonneau and roadster body styles. The Model D became a larger 40 hp car in 1911 and more body styles were offered and, from 1913, all Spaulding models were 40 hp four-cylinder cars. A Spaulding Model T one-ton truck using chain-drive and solid rubber tires was offered for 1913 only.

In 1914, Spaulding acheved some useful publicity when a 1913 stock model driven by Hal Wells achieved a new cross-state speed record on the River-to-River (Mississippi-to-Missouri) Road. 

A "Sleeping Car" model with adaptions to provide overnight accommodation made news for Spaulding in 1915. But, there were problems with finance and in obtaining parts and it was all over for the Spaulding car by the end of 1916.

Emblems

The following Spaulding name tag would have been used on Spaulding horse-drawn carriages and wagons:

This is a Spaulding makers tag (date uncertain)   moroz

However, the Spaulding trademark consisted of a diamond shaped frame usually with the "SPAULDING" name in capital letters, see example shown below:

Spaulding trademark   ms

The diamond shape was used on the carriage and wagon tags used by Spaulding, see example shown above at the top of this post and again below:

This is a Spaulding vehicle tag (c1909)   mjs
Size: 70mm wide 27mm high     MM: None

A report concerning Spaulding 30 cars exhibited at the Marshall County Fair in September 1910, concluded that the Spaulding car was worthy of the "diamond trademark". 

No doubt, the first Spaulding motor cars did display the diamond shaped trademark but as I have not seen an illustration or a photo of a 1910 Spaulding motor car showing the radiator, I do not know if it carried a radiator emblem. It may have carried a small maker's nameplate similar to the tag shown above probably mounted on the body of the vehicle, but I cannot confirm this.

The "Spaulding" name would have been displayed on the hubcaps, see example shown below:

This is a Spaulding hubcap (1910-1916)   dkc

There are original period photos of Spaulding motor cars from 1911 showing the radiator. The following very clear photo shows no evidence of a radiator emblem or a radiator script:

Spaulding runabout with no emblem (1911)    shsi

However, the following photo of a 1911 Spaulding taking part in the Iowa Little Glidden Tour has the Spaulding name stenciled onto the radiator grille, no doubt for publicity purposes, but, although difficult to see in the photo, there is also what appears to be a round radiator emblem:

Spaulding car taking part in Iowa Little Glidden Tour (1911)  shsi

The Spaulding radiator emblem is more clearly seen in the following original photo of a 1912 Spaulding car. The detailed design of the emblem cannot be seen but is likely to include the diamond shaped trademark:

Spaulding fore-door car showing rad emblem (1912)   shsi

If you have details or a photo of the Spaulding radiator emblem, please let me know, in order to update this post. An original Spaulding radiator emblem would certainly be extremely rare and possibly ultra rare.

It appears that the radiator emblem did not continue in use after 1912. There are several original photos of 1913 Spaulding cars but none show a radiator emblem, see example shown below, which has no radiator emblem but has the "SPAULDING" name stenciled across the radiator core probably for front view publicity, as the side view shows the model name and date:

Spaulding 40 car with no radiator emblem (1913)  des moines register

The following photo shows a 1913 stock car being driven by Hal Wells at the start of his record breaking River-to-River Run in 1914:

Hal Wells driving a 1913 Spaulding (1914)    shsi

The car has a very visible "script" mounted in the center of the radiator core, probably the Spaulding diamond trademark, which would have been very clear publicity for Spaulding. At the end of the record breaking run the car and Hal Wells were covered in mud, as seen in the following photo, from which the radiator "script" can just be made out and is indeed diamond shaped:

The record breaking River-to-River Spaulding car (1914)  shsi

There is only one known surviving Spaulding car, a 1913 Spaulding 40 roadster. This car too has no radiator emblem.

I can find no front views of the 1913 Spaulding truck, which may also have had no emblem, but the following Spaulding emblem is a candidate:

Possible Spaulding truck radiator emblem (1913)   mjs
Size: 157mm wide 83mm high    MM: None

If you have details of the use of the Spaulding emblem shown above, please let me know, in order to update this post.

DART

Dart Truck Co. (1903-1907)
Anderson, Indiana
Dart Mfg. Co. (1907-1912)

Dart Motor Mfg. Co. (1913-1914)
Dart Motor Truck Co. (1914-1918)
Dart Truck & Tractor Corp. (1918-1924)
Hawkeye-Dart Truck Co. (1925)
Waterloo, Iowa
Dart Truck Co. (1925-1961)
KW-Dart Truck Co. (1961-1970)
Dart Truck Co. (1970-present)
Kansas City, Missouri

This is a Dart radiator and hood side emblem (c1933)   mjs
Size: 325mm wide 73mm high    MM:

Dart trucks have been built for over 110 years under several company names and in three locations. The company started as a bicycle manufacturer in 1890. The first trucks in 1903 were chain driven 1/2-ton capacity high-wheelers powered by 20 hp two-cylinder engines. The company moved from Anderson, Indiana to Waterloo, Iowa in 1907 and, by 1912, the trucks were completely redesigned and three models were offered, 1/2-ton, 1-ton and 1-1/2-ton capacity all powered by four-cylinder engines. By April 1916, the Dart truck line-up consisted of seven models ranging from 500 lbs to 3-ton capacity. 

After the First World War truck models up to 3-tons continued to be produced. In 1925 the company was reorganized in Kansas City as the Dart Truck Company and production continued into the 1930's with trucks up to 5-tons capacity. During World War II, Dart trucks grew even larger with 10-ton trucks and 40-ton truck tractors used as tank transporters. In the late 1950's production focused on large off-highway trucks of up to 70-ton capacity and by the mid-1960's Dart was building 100-ton capacity dump trucks and 120-ton bottom-dump tractor trailers.

Dart has continued to build specialist heavy duty dump trucks and related vehicles of sizes up to 160-tons capacity to the present time (as of 2023) under a number of different owners.

Emblems

The earliest Dart high-wheelers probably did not carry an emblem but would have displayed the "Dart" name on small nameplates and serial plates attached to the rear of the vehicle. By 1907, the Dart high-wheeler 1/2-ton light delivery wagon displayed the "Dart" name, either painted or on a decal, on the side of the wagon under the driver's seat, see illustration shown below:

Dart light delivery wagon with Dart side "emblem" (c1907)  rg 

Close-up showing Dart side "emblem" (c1907)

The now, well known "Dart" script logo is first seen around 1912 or 1913 in Dart advertisements, see example shown below:

Dart ad with logo (1913) ebay

The four-cylinder Dart trucks from about 1912 displayed an early form of the "Dart" script logo nameplate with a very long arrow on the sides of the body under the driver's seat, see example shown below:

Dart truck showing body side nameplate (1913)   ms

It is possible that these early Dart trucks also displayed the "Dart" name on a brass script mounted on the radiator core, as shown in the following illustration taken from a 1916 Dart advertisement:

Dart truck displaying a Dart radiator script (1916)   ebay

The Dart Model D light delivery car introduced in 1916 had a much smaller body side "Dart" script, which can just been seen in the following original photo:

Dart light delivery car displaying a small "Dart" body side script (1916)  ebay

Heavy duty Dart trucks had a heavy ribbed radiator with a Dart script emblem cast into the radiator tank to, see 1918 Dart sales bulletin illustration shown below:

Heavy duty Dart truck radiator & cast in emblem (c1916)   flp

The Dart truck is believed to have continued to have a radiator emblem cast into the radiator tank top up to the move to Kansas City in 1925, see slightly different heavy radiator with cast in emblem used in 1920:

Heavy duty Dart Model L truck with cast in radiator emblem (1920)    flp

The following photo shows much the same radiator and emblem used on a Dart tractor:

Dart radiator and cast in emblem (c1920)   ms

Dart truck designs and styling changed after the Depression in the early 1930's. The following photo of a Dart truck introduced in 1933 shows new radiator and hood side emblems, which look closely similar:

This is a Dart Model 60 truck displaying new radiator and hood side emblems (1933)    rg

This is believed to be the painted cast metal Dart emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Dart emblem is rare.

This is a Dart radiator and hood side emblem (c1933)   mjs
Size: 325mm wide 73mm high   MM:

The following Dart script was originally plated and was used as a hood side emblem on the Dart standard truck model in 1939. This Dart hood side script is scarce.

This is a Dart hood side script emblem (1939)    mjs
Size: 152mm wide   

The following red painted Dart emblem appears to date from the 1930's but I cannot confirm this. This Dart emblem is also rare.

This is a Dart emblem (c1930's)   mjs
Size: 73mm wide 48mm high   MM: None

The following Dart emblem is believed to be a hood side emblem from the 1940's, although I cannot confirm this date. This Dart hood side emblem is rare.

This is a Dart hood side emblem (c1940's)    lktec
Size: 308mm wide 70mm high    MM: None

Later Dart trucks became progressively heavy capacity and heavy duty, and displayed a new range of Dart radiator emblems, see late 1940's 35-ton Model 35T end dump truck shown below:

This is a 35-ton capacity Dart dump truck with radiator emblem (1940's)   rg

If you can confirm the use and dates of use of any of the Dart emblems shown earlier, please let me know, in order to update this post.

MAYTAG

Maytag-Mason Motor Car Co. (1910-1911)
Waterloo, Iowa

This is a Maytag radiator emblem (c1911)    toc
Size: 64mm diameter    MM: Unknown

In 1909, F. L. Maytag and his son Elmer H. Maytag, manufacturers of washing machines and agricultural machinery, bought a controlling interest in the Des Moines based Mason Automobile Company, which was building the two-cylinder Mason motor car and Mason light delivery vehicles based on the Mason passenger car. 

Early in 1910, the company was reorganized as the Maytag-Mason Motor Car Company and was moved to a factory in Waterloo, Iowa. A new 32/35 hp four-cylinder touring model was introduced as the Maytag, with the 24 hp two-cylinder passenger car and commercial models being continued under the Mason name. For 1911, all cars produced by the company were called Maytag. The 20 hp two-cylinder model was offered in three body styles and the 35 hp four-cylinder model was offered in five body sizes. However, there were serious problems and the Maytags pulled out in January 1912. The company was returned to the control of Edward R. Mason and the cars became the Mason again.

Emblems

Maytag light delivery car brochures for 1910 and 1911 include illustrations of some Maytag commercial vehicle models but none show any emblem, see examples shown below:

Maytag light delivery car from brochure (1910)    ms

Maytag light delivery car illustration from brochure (1911) hemi joel

The "Maytag" name would have been displayed on a small brass maker's serial plate mounted on the dash, see example shown below:

This is a Maytag serial plate (1911)     mjs
Size: 94mm wide 50mm high

A surviving but fairly original 1910 Maytag passenger car also does not show a radiator emblem but does display the "Maytag" name on a brass script mounted on the radiator core, see photo shown below. Original Maytag radiator scripts are very rare.

Maytag passenger car showing radiator script (1910) classiccars

Although I can find no photos or illustrations of Maytag motor vehicles showing a radiator emblem, such an emblem does exist. This is the blue and white enamel Maytag radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post. This Maytag radiator emblem is extremely rare.

The "Maytag" name was also shown on the hubcaps, see example shown below:

This is a Maytag hubcap (1910-1911)     alt