LUXOR

Luxor Cab Manufacturing Co.

Hagerstown, Maryland (1924)

Framingham, Massachusetts (1924-1927)

This is a Luxor taxicab radiator emblem (1924-1927)     mjs
Size: 63mm diameter    MM: Unknown (some Robbins)

The Luxor was planned as a smart taxicab by some New York City business men, who asked M.P.Moller, who was producing the Dagmar motor car, to build the Luxor taxicab.

A few Luxor cabs were built in Hagerstown, Maryland before operations moved to Framingham, Massachusetts, where the Luxor was produced alongside the Bay State car in the R. H. Long factory (see Bay State).

The Luxor was a standard, assembled four-cylinder vehicle but was fitted with leather-upholstered interiors and had a distinctive body color scheme in cream, yellow and black with red striping.

When the R. H. Long business failed in 1925, Luxor bought the Framingham factory to continue production. However, Luxor was in receivership by 1926 and production of the Luxor stopped in 1927. Luxor also built a private passenger car called the Standish between 1924 and 1925 (see Standish).

Emblem

The blue, white and red enamel Luxor taxicab radiator emblem shown above is very rare.

ELYSEE

M. P. Moller Car Co. (1927-1930)
Hagerstown, Maryland 

This is an Elysee radiator emblem (1927-1930)   mjs
Size: 64mm diameter   MM: Robbins

The Moller Car Company stopped making passenger cars in 1926 and then concentrated exclusively on taxicabs and delivery trucks. The Elysee delivery trucks were built to serve the well-to-do, especially for goods delivery to wealthy homes. Elysee trucks were 3/4-ton and 1-1/2-ton capacity, powered by four- and six-cylinder engines. The Elysee had bodywork that was stylishly custom in appearance with a pointed radiator, which had been used for another Moller motor vehicle, the Standish luxury car (see Standish).

Elysee truck production began in 1927 but with limited success. Some New York department stores had small fleets of Elysee delivery vans. However, the business suffered badly with the on-set of the Depression in late 1929 and production had ceased by early 1930, when Elysee trucks were being offered at much reduced prices to clear stock. Unsold Elysee trucks were offered for a few years. Total Elysee production between 1927 and 1930 is reported to have been 75 and 100 delivery trucks.

Emblems

The dark and light blue enamel Elysee delivery truck radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post is very rare.

The following is an Elysee truck hubcap and hub emblem. Elysee hub emblems are rare.

This is an Elysee truck hubcap (1927-1930)   dkc

This is an Elysee hub emblem (1927-1930)    sam
Size: 54mm diameter

The following is an Elysee truck maker's nameplate showing the 1927 patent date:

This is an Elysee maker's/patent nameplate (1927-1930)  sam
Size: 89mm wide 30mm high

POPE-TRIBUNE

Pope Manufacturing Co. (1904-1908)
Hagerstown, Maryland

This is a Pope-Tribune radiator script (1906-1908)  conceptcarz

The Pope-Tribune was introduced in 1904 at the same time as the Pope-Hartford (see Pope-Hartford) and was the smallest and lowest-priced of the Pope motorcars. 

The first Pope-Tribune was a 6 hp single-cylinder runabout. A 12 hp two-cylinder model was added in 1905 and a 16/20 hp four-cylinder model followed in 1907. Prices increased each year but by 1908 Pope-Tribune sales fell and the Pope organization was in disarray. It was all over for the Pope-Tribune by November 1908.

Emblems

The first Pope-Tribune cars did not carry an emblem, see the following illustration from a 1904 Pope-Tribune brochure, but would have had the Pope-Tribune name displayed on a small brass maker's nameplate usually attached to the rear of the car or on the dashboard:

Pope-Tribune brochure illustration showing no emblem (1904)  ebay

The following shows the Pope-Tribune nameplate on the dashboard of a surviving 1904 Pope-Tribune Model II:

Pope-Tribune Model II dashboard (1904)  bonhams

Pope-Tribune Model II nameplate (1904)   bonhams 

This is the painted Pope-Tribune nameplate shown below. This Pope-Tribune nameplate is rare.

This is a Pope-Tribune nameplate (1904-c1906)   mjs
Size: 77mm wide 39mm high

The "Pope-Tribune" name was also displayed on the hubcaps, see example shown below:

This is a Pope-Tribune hubcap (1904)   bonhams

The following original period photo shows a Pope-Tribune Model IV from 1905 and appears to display a small rectangular nameplate on the top of the radiator, although the detail is unclear.

Pope-Tribune Model IV taking part in the Glidden Tour (1905)  dpl

This small nameplate may be the radiator maker's nameplate but the following illustration from a 1906 advertisement showing the Pope-Tribune Model V/VI includes a radiator nameplate, which may well be a small brass Pope-Tribune nameplate:

Pope-Tribune ad showing radiator nameplate (1906)  gracesguide

This radiator nameplate may be the same small brass Pope-Tribune radiator nameplate shown earlier above or, possibly, the following Pope-Tribune nameplate, which is believed to have been used from about 1906, although I cannot confirm this date. This Pope-Tribune nameplate is rare.

This is a Pope-Tribune nameplate (c1906-1908)   mjs
Size: 77mm wide 38mm high

The following shows a different Pope-Tribune hubcap:

This is a Pope-Tribune hubcap (c1906)    ms

Most surviving but restored Pope-Tribune cars display a "Pope-Tribune" script, similar to the script shown at the top of this post, mounted on the radiator core even on some 1904 models. But, as noted above, early Pope-Tribune cars had no emblem or script. 

This Pope-Tribune radiator script was certainly used on some, but not all, Pope-Tribune cars from 1907, and possibly from 1906, see original 1907 Pope-Tribune Model X photo shown below. However, most Pope-Tribune radiator scripts mounted on restored cars are reproductions. Original Pope-Tribune radiator scripts are rare.

Pope-Tribune Model X showing a radiator script (1907)  hac

SPOERER

Carl Spoerer's Sons Co. (1908-1914)
Baltimore, Maryland

This is a Spoerer radiator script (c1908-1914)    mjs
Size: 393mm wide  

The first Spoerer car was built in 1907 and was introduced at the Baltimore Automobile Show in 1908. Full scale production of the Spoerer began in late 1909 for the 1910 model year. A Spoerer took part in the 1909 Munsey Reliability Run and finished seventh out of a field of forty entrants.

The Spoerer was a big car and was initially offered in a variety of 40 hp four-cylinder models with a smaller 25/27 hp companion model available from 1911. A delivery wagon model was introduced in 1912.

Advertising by Carl Spoerer Sons Company peaked in 1910 and then fell sharply. Advertising after 1911 was mainly for tires and other accessories. There were financial problems and the Spoerer car was finished by 1914.

 Emblem

The "Spoerer" name was displayed by a brass script attached across the radiator core, certainly from 1909, see original Munsey Reliability Run photo shown below, and most likely from the outset in 1908.

Spoerer car in the Munsey Reliability Run with rad script (1909) dpl

This is the brass Spoerer radiator script shown above at the top of this post. This Spoerer radiator script is extremely rare. 

There are very few photos or illustrations showing the front of Spoerer cars after 1909, but those that do exist do not show any radiator emblem and advertisements only show the "Spoerer" radiator script, see examples shown below:

Spoerer ad showing rad script (1910)  the washington times

Spoerer Model 40C chassis with no emblem (1911)  digitalmaryland

There appears to be an emphasis on the local market in later Spoerer advertising, see example below: 

Spoerer ad showing script (1911) the evening sun

It is most likely that the Spoerer did not sell well outside the local Baltimore area and the Spoerer car remained essentially unchanged from 1911/1912 to the end in 1914. 

It appears most likely that the Spoerer did not carry an emblem but retained the "Spoerer" radiator script throughout.

  

PARAMOUNT

M P Moller Motor Car Co. (1927-1931)

Hagerstown, Maryland

This is a Paramount taxicab radiator emblem (1927-1931)     mjs
Size: 63mm diameter     MM: Robbins

The Paramount was a smart taxi cab built by the M P Moller Motor Car Company in Hagerstown, makers of the Dagmar motor car (see Dagmar), and marketed by the Paramount Cab Manufacturing Company of New York City. 

The Paramount was a six-cylinder model with a small rear window to provide privacy for the passengers and carried the slogan "The Cab Beautiful". Advertisements proclaimed that the new Paramount was "the ultimate in smart, luxurious transportation". A super luxury version was also available as the Super Paramount.

Emblem

The black and red enamel Paramount taxicab radiator emblem shown above is very rare.

MOLLER (2)

M. P. Moller Motor Co. (1927-1931)

Hagerstown, Maryland

This is a Moller taxicab radiator emblem (1927-1931)    sam
Size: 122 wide  65mm high    MM: Unknown

The Moller was one of several makes of taxicab produced by the M. P. Moller Motor Company, builders of the Dagmar automobile in Hagerstown, Maryland (see Dagmar).

The Moller was a four-cylinder model and had an aluminum radiator. Production of the Moller ceased in 1931 but the Moller factory continued to make Moller taxicabs using Ford Model T chassis up to 1933 and then using Ford V-8 chassis and engines until 1936.

Emblem

The cast aluminum Moller taxicab radiator emblem shown above is rare.

The following thin, black painted Moller nameplate may have been displayed inside the taxicab but I cannot confirm this. This Moller emblem is rare.

This is a Moller nameplate (1927-1931)     alt
Size: Unknown

ASTOR

M. P. Moller Motor Co. (1925-1927)

Hagerstown, Maryland

This is an Astor radiator emblem (1925-1927)      mjs
Size: 114mm wide  62mm high    MM: None

The four-cylinder Buda engined Astor, built between 1925 and 1927, was one of several taxicab makes produced by Moller, makers of the Dagmar (see Dagmar).

The Astor had a distinctive vee-shaped aluminum radiator and an unusual body color scheme comprising a beige lower body with black top, running-boards and fenders, and with a bright orange belt line and disc wheels. The Astor was marketed by the Astor Cab Company of New York City, but most Astor sales were in Philadelphia.

Emblem

The following photo of a surviving Astor taxicab shows a metal radiator emblem attached to the vee-shaped radiator:

Astor taxicab showing radiator emblem (c1925)  washcohistory

This is the cast aluminum Astor radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post. This Astor taxicab radiator emblem is rare.

CRAWFORD

Crawford Automobile Co. (1904-1923)

Hagerstown, Maryland

This is a Crawford radiator emblem (c1920-1923)     mjs
Size: 58mm diameter   MM: Fox

The Crawford Automobile Company was formed in 1904 by pipe organ maker, Mathias Peter Moller, bicycle builder, Robert S. Crawford and another Hagerstown business man. A small number of 10 hp two-cylinder runabouts were built in 1904 and 1905. A 24/28 hp four-cylinder touring car was introduced in 1906 and the two-cylinder model was dropped at the end of that year. A 45 hp six-cylinder car appeared in 1913. From 1916 all Crawford cars were six-cylinder models.

The annual production of Crawford cars was never very large and, perhaps because of this, the company managed to survive through the material shortages following the First World War. The Crawford Automobile Company also produced a few trucks between 1911 and 1917.

In 1921, Moller became the sole owner of the company and in 1922 he introduced a new car called the Dagmar, named for his daughter (see Dagmar). Only 54 Crawford cars were built in 1922 and the last Crawford cars were assembled in 1923.

Emblems

Early Crawford cars did not carry an emblem but did display a Crawford maker's nameplate, see example shown below. This Crawford maker's nameplate is very rare.

This is a Crawford maker's nameplate (c1904)      mjs
Size: 78mm wide 37mm high

Original period photos from 1907 of Crawford cars at a trade show, show a small plate mounted at the top of the radiator, see example shown below. This plate may be a Crawford nameplate but it is not the same shape as the nameplate shown above.

Crawford car at trade show (1907)   dpl

The fact that the cars at this 1907 trade show display a temporary "Crawford" sign suggests that a "Crawford" radiator script did not exist at that time, which seems to be confirmed by the lack of a "Crawford" script or logo in Crawford advertisements for 1907 and earlier, see example shown below:

Crawford advertisement (1907)   ebay

However, the following period photo dated "c1907" shows a Crawford race car with a large radiator script suggesting that the "Crawford" radiator script appeared in late 1907 or in 1908. 

Crawford race car showing radiator script (c1907)   dpl

This large Crawford radiator script continued in use until at least 1909, see original period photo shown below. Original Crawford radiator scripts are rare.

Crawford car showing nameplate & radiator script (c1909)  dpl

By 1910, the Crawford script had reduced in size, see the original Munsey Historic Tour photo below which has a small "Crawford" script in the top left corner of the radiator:

Crawford car on Munsey Historic Tour with small radiator script (1910)  dpl

By 1911, an even smaller Crawford script was mounted on the front of the radiator tank top, see the following original period photo of Crawford cars at a trade show:

Crawford cars at trade show with script radiator emblem (1911)  dpl

The following blue, white and red enamel, oval-shaped Crawford radiator emblem is believed to be the first Crawford radiator emblem and is very rare. This Crawford radiator emblem may have been first used on the six-cylinder touring car introduced in 1913 but I cannot confirm this absolutely.   

This is a Crawford radiator emblem (c1913-1919)     mjs
Size: 78mm wide 47mm high    MM: Unknown (some Childs)

The following black painted Crawford radiator emblem may have been used on some of the few Crawford trucks produced between 1913 and 1917 but I cannot confirm this. This Crawford radiator emblem is also very rare.

This may be a Crawford truck radiator emblem (1911-1917)     mjs
Size: 89mm wide 54mm high    MM: None

In about 1920, the Crawford radiator emblem was changed to the brightly colored enamel circular emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Crawford radiator emblem is very rare.

This is a Crawford radiator emblem (c1920-1923)   mjs
Size: 58mm diameter   MM: Fox

Emblem collectors should beware as there are reproduction copies of this Crawford radiator emblem, which are poorer quality and have shiny backs with no maker's mark. 

If you can help by confirming the dates of use of any of the Crawford emblems shown above, please let me know, in order to update this post.

ARIEL

Ariel Motor Co.

Boston, Massachusetts (1905)

Nutley, New Jersey (1906)

Bridgeport, Connecticut (1906)

Baltimore, Maryland (1906-1907)

This is an Ariel combined nameplate/serial plate (1905)      mjs
Size: 63mm wide 32mm high

The Ariel was an advanced motorcar with a distinctive curved dash and an oval shaped radiator. Production of the Ariel began in Boston and was available as a 15 hp three-cylinder runabout and a 25 hp four-cylinder touring by the time of the Boston Automobile Show in March 1905. From 1906 the Ariel had become a 30 hp four-cylinder touring model only. The slogan used to promote the Ariel was "Look for the Oval Front".

The Ariel manufacturing plant moved to Nutley in New Jersey in January 1906 and then moved to Bridgeport in Connecticut and then to Baltimore in Maryland. By early in 1907 the car had been renamed the Maryland. It appears that the Company could not pay the rent on its plants and kept moving to new locations. 

Production figures are not known but are likely to have been low.

Emblem

The Ariel did not carry a radiator emblem. It may have displayed a brass radiator script but I cannot confirm this. 

The first Ariel logo was a script version of the "Ariel" name, see the early Ariel advertisement below:

This is an early Ariel ad showing an "Ariel" script logo 

A similar "Ariel" logo appeared on the first Ariel nameplate/serial plate in 1905, see example above at the top of this post. This Ariel nameplate/serial plate is very rare.

The Ariel logo was changed later in 1905, as shown on the Ariel advertisement below:

This shows the new Ariel logo (1905)  

A variation of this logo showing the oval Ariel radiator and curved dash was used on subsequent Ariel nameplate/serial plates, see unused example below from when the Ariel moved to Nutley, New Jersey in early 1906. Original used examples of this nameplate are rare, as very few Ariel cars were built in Nutley before production moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut.

This is a Nutley Ariel nameplate/serial plate (1906)     sam
Size: 125mm wide 58mm high

The same style of nameplate continued after the move to Bridgeport, see example shown below. This Ariel nameplate is rare.

This is a Bridgeport Ariel nameplate/serial plate (1906)    khc
Size: 125mm wide 58mm high

Somewhere there will be a nameplate for Ariel cars built in Baltimore. Please send me a photo. if you have it and I will update this post.

DAGMAR

Crawford Automobile Co. (1922-1924)

M. P. Moller Motor Car Co. (1924-1926)

Hagerstown, Maryland

This is a Dagmar coat of arms radiator emblem (1922-1924)     mjs
Size: 63mm diameter     MM: Whitehead & Hoag

The Dagmar was introduced by Mathias P. Moller, who owned the Crawford Automobile Company, as a sporting companion car to the Crawford motor car. He named his new car after his daughter, Dagmar, who had been named after Queen Dagmar of Bohemia. 

The first Dagmar automobile appeared in 1922 and was the Dagmar 6-70, a 70hp six-cylinder sport victoria model. A wider range of body styles was available for 1923 and 1924. By early 1924 Moller had reorganized the company into M. P. Moller Motor Car Company and had dropped the name Crawford. All cars produced were now called Dagmar.

The first Dagmar cars were produced in brass trim all over and had a radiator emblem with the royal Danish coat of arms, which was discontinued in 1924 after the Danish embassy objected and replaced by a pipe organ logo. Moller already had a successful organ manufacturing company and he was known as the pipe-organ king. 

In 1924, the new Dagmar 6-80 was offered in a choice of brass or nickel plated finish and from late 1924, for the 1925 model year, the Dagmar 6-60 was only available with a nickel plated finish.

Dagmar cars were essentially hand built to order and were relatively expensive. Even so, the Dagmar business was not profitable and few were built by the time that Moller stopped production of the Dagmar in 1926. The main reason for stopping the Dagmar was a important contract in 1924 to build taxicabs. Moller went on to make a new fortune in the taxicab business, which included the Moller (see Moller), Paramount (see Paramount) and Astor (see Astor), among several other makes.

Total lifetime production of the Dagmar is reported by Kimes and Clark as 417 units. 

Emblems

The first Dagmar cars were finished in brass and the radiator emblem was a multicolored enamel emblem displaying the royal Danish coat of arms and had a polished metal finish, see the example shown above at the top of this post. This Dagmar radiator emblem is scarce.

Part way through 1924, the Dagmar began to use a nickel plated finish to the body work and the Dagmar radiator emblem was also finished in nickel, see example below. This Dagmar radiator emblem is rare.

This is a Dagmar coat of arms radiator emblem (1924)    mjs
Size: 63mm diameter     MM: Whitehead & Hoag

The Dagmar radiator emblem design was changed later in 1924 to show a pipe organ logo in place of the royal Danish coat of arms, see example below. This Dagmar radiator emblem is scarce.

This is a Dagmar pipe organ radiator emblem (1924-1926)     mjs
Size: 63mm diameter    MM: None

The level of rarity of Dagmar radiator emblems is interesting. In the 1990's, it was fairly easy to find the brass coat of arms Dagmar emblem and the nickel plated pipe organ Dagmar emblem. They were New Old Stock emblems and most likely a large batch of unused Dagmar emblems had been discovered around that time. These Dagmar emblems have since been placed in many individual emblem collections, so that today Dagmar emblems are hard to find. Nevertheless, large numbers of these emblems do still exist.

The Dagmar emblem shown below is a brass finished Dagmar sill plate and is rare. The Dagmar sill plate can also be found finished in nickel plate and is also rare.

This is a Dagmar sill plate (1922-1924)    sam
Size: 130mm wide

Some Dagmar cars displayed a brass or nickel plated Dagmar radiator script using the same style of the name "Dagmar" in the sill plate shown above.

The following red painted Dagmar emblem can also be found in brass and nickel plate. It has been reported as being a motometer emblem but is, in fact, a ring from a Dagmar hub cap, see examples below. These hub rings are rare.

This is a brass finished Dagmar hub disc (1922-1924)    mjs
Size: 114mm outside diameter

This is a nickel plated Dagmar hub cap showing the Dagmar ring (1924-1926)    dkc