WILCOX

H. E. Wilcox Motor Car Co. (1909-unknown)
H. E. Wilcox Motor Co. (unknown-1920)
Wilcox Trux, Inc. (1921-1927)
Minneapolis, Minnesota

This is a Wilcox Trux nameplate (late 1920s)   lktec
Size: 493mm wide 78mm high

The H. E. Wilcox Motor Car Company was established in Minneapolis in late 1906 by the brothers H. E. and John F. Wilcox and Maurice Wolfe initially to produce the four-cylinder Wolfe motor car. In 1909 the name of the car was changed to Wilcox. 

The Wilcox was a 30/40 hp four-cylinder water-cooled motor car offered in touring, tonneau and roadster body styles in 1909 and 1910 and was advertised as "The Only Real Automobile with a 16-inch Clearance". Wilcox also produced some motor trucks and by the end of 1910, after building 306 motor cars, Wilcox production was turned over to motor trucks only. The Wilcox truck logo was "Wilcox-Trux".

In 1910, Wilcox commercial vehicles included 1-ton, 1-1/2-ton and 3-ton capacity trucks, a 15-passenger bus and a hotel bus. The larger capacity trucks were cab-over-engine models. By 1918, the Wilcox truck range had increased to six models, from 3/4-ton to 5-tons capacity. 

From 1922, Wilcox also produced purpose-built bus chassis. Wilcox buses had Eckland bodies for up to 29-passengers and were powered by six-cylinder engines. Motor truck production continued but buses became the main part of Wilcox production and in March 1927 the Wilcox business was sold to Motor Transit Corporation, a holding company for bus lines operated under the Greyhound name. These buses became known as Will buses.

Emblems

There are very few original period photos of Wilcox passenger cars clearly showing the radiator and non appear to show an emblem. However, it is possible that some 1909-1910 Wicox motor cars did display the Wilcox name using a brass radiator script but I cannot confirm this. 

Most original period photos of Wilcox trucks showing the radiator also do not display a radiator emblem or radiator script, see examples shown below from a 1910 Wilcox catalog:

Wilcox Model I one-ton truck (1910) 
minnesota digital library 

Wilcox Model H one & half-ton truck (1910)
minnesota digital library

(Note that what might seem to be a radiator emblem at the top of the radiator on the Wolcox Model H truck shown above is,in fact, the radiator filler cap).

All Wilcox automobiles and trucks would have displayed the Wilcox name on small nameplates or serial plates attached to the body, see example below with maker's nameplate shown attached to the body by the driver's cab:

Wilcox Model I one-ton truck showing body side nameplate (1910)
minnesota digital library

Some early Wilcox trucks did display the "Wilcox" name using a small brass script mounted on the radiator core, see example below of a 1910 Wilcox Model G 3-ton truck with a "Wilcox" radiator script, although the detailed design is unclear:

Wilcox Model G 3-ton truck (1910) 
minnesota digital library

Wilcox Model G 3-ton truck with radiator script (1910)

The vehicles illustrated above are taken from a Wilcox catalog for 1910 models, which were presumably built in late 1909 before the decision to concentrate production on commercial vehicles only and, although the detailed design of the radiator script on the Wilcox Model G truck is unclear, it appears to be the "Wilcox" name rather than the "Wilcox-Trux" logo that was introduced in 1910, see the Wilcox truck advertisement below:

Wilcox truck ad with the Wilcox-Trux logo (1910) 
everybody's magazine

It is reasonable to assume that any radiator scripts, emblems and nameplates used from 1910 used the "Wilcox-Trux" logo design, although most original period photos or illustrations of Wilcox trucks even after 1910 do not show any emblems or nameplates. However, the Wilcox truck illustration shown below from a 1911 Wilcox truck advertisement is an exception in that is shows the "Wilcox" name rather than the "Wilcox-Trux" logo on a roof panel over the driver's cab. 

Wilcox truck ad with roof nameplate (1911)
worthpoint

Detail showing roof nameplate (1911)

The earliest original period photo I can find showing the "Wilcox-Trux" logo is the following photo of a 1913 Wilcox 2-ton truck, which has the "Wilcox-Trux" logo on a front bumper nameplate. The same nameplate may have been displayed at the rear of the truck.

Wilcox-Trux 2-ton truck with bumper nameplate (1913)
Society of Automotive Historians in Britain

The following restored 1916 Wilcox Model R truck displays the "Wilcox-Trux" logo on body side nameplates mounted on the sides of the driver's cab, on the front bumper and at the rear of the truck:

Wilcox Model R with side and bumper nameplates (1916) barnfinds

Wilcox Model R showing rear nameplate (1916) barnfinds

The "Wilcox-Trux" logo is also seen on the foot rest panel in the driver's cab, see below:

Detail showing foot rest logo (1916)  barnfinds

The following blue print drawing of a 1920 Wilcox Model W 5-ton truck also shows the driver's foot rest logo:

Wilcox Model W truck drawing showing foot rest logo (1920)  fandom

The following heavy duty Wilcox truck chassis from 1919 has a ribbed, probably cast iron radiator with a "Wilcox-Trux" radiator emblem:

Heavy duty Wilcox truck chassis with rad emblem (1919)  hatm

The following poor quality photo show a 1922 Wilcox 29-passenger bus, which had a cast aluminum radiator and an emblem on the radiator tank top, which is likely also to be a "Wilcox-Trux" radiator emblem, although the design detail cannot be seen in this photo:

Wilcox bus showing radiator emblem (1922) 
motor bus society philadelphia

The restored Wilcox-Trux Model H6 1-1/2-ton truck shown below has a heavy brass radiator, which carries a cast brass "Wilcox-Trux" radiator emblem. The same emblem is mounted on the hood sides and there is a painted cast metal "Wilcox-Trux" nameplate at the rear of the truck.

Wilcox Md HS 1-1/2-ton truck with rad & hood side emblems (1925) 
thevaultms

Wilcox-Trux Model H6 truck radiator (1925)  thevaultms

This is a Wilcox truck radiator emblem (1925)  thevaultms
Size: Unknown   MM: Unknown

This cast brass Wilcox radiator emblem is extremely rare.

Wilcox-Trux Model H6 rear nameplate (1925)  thevaultms

Wilcox-Trux Model H6 maker's nameplate (1925)  thevaultms

The painted metal Wilcox-Trux nameplate shown above at the top of this post and again below is believed to be a body side or rear mounted nameplate from the late 1920s and is very rare:

This is a Wilcox-Trux nameplate (late 1920s)   lktec
Size: 493mm wide 78mm high 

DUPLEX

Duplex Power Car Co. (1908-1916)
Charlotte, Michigan
Duplex Truck Co. (1916-1955)
Duplex Div. Warner & Swasey Co. (1955-1975)
Lansing, Michigan
Badger & Crane Div. Warner & Swasey Co. (1975-1977)
Winona, Minnesota
Nolan Co. (1977-c1986)
Midvale, Ohio

This is a Duplex radiator emblem (1919)    gcm

The first Duplex vehicle appeared in 1908 and was a 3/4-ton capacity four-wheel-drive delivery wagon powered by a 14 hp two-cylinder engine under the driver's seat. The first production model was called the Model B, which sold well and was the only model built until 1916, when a 3-1/2-ton capacity four-wheel-drive model and a 1-1/2-ton rear drive truck were added. By 1917, the Duplex truck range was four-wheel-drive only, in 2-ton, 3-ton and 3-1/2-ton capacity sizes. During the First World War, Duplex built trucks for the military. After the War, Duplex re-entered the commercial market with a new 2-ton capacity two-wheel-drive truck called the "Limited", which pneumatic tires and was intended for higher speeds.

In the 1920's, both two- and four-wheel-drive trucks were produced. Duplex trucks Duplex trucks were also used in the logging industry and as fire engines. By 1929, the only four-wheel-drive model was the 3-1/2-ton model. The other Duplex trucks ranged from 1-1/2-tons to 5/7-tons. During the 1930's the range of Duplex trucks included models from 2-ton to 7-ton capacity, with a 9/10-ton capacity truck added from 1938 to 1940.

During the Second World War, Duplex built specialist trucks to carry searchlights. After the War, Duplex resumed production of conventional trucks. From the 1950's, crane carriers became an increasingly important part of the Duplex output. In the 1960's, Duplex suffered a serious labour strike, which resulted in a loss of some major customers. Duplex continued to build conventional trucks but put more effort into specialist equipment, including dump trucks, earth-moving machinery, road/rail maintenance units, snowplows and fire trucks. A further labor strike in the 1970's resulted in the decision to stop truck manufacturing but the fire engine chassis line continued.

In 1977, the remaining assets of Duplex were bought by the Nolan Company and Duplex fire trucks continued to be made on a limited basis at a plant in Midvale, Ohio. During the 1980's, Duplex fire truck production increased and an airport crash and rescue vehicle was also produced but it was all over for Duplex by about 1986.

Emblems

Original period photos of the first Duplex Model B truck do not show any Duplex emblem or nameplate. However, it is possible that the production models displayed the "Duplex" name on a rear mounted nameplate, but I cannot confirm this. 

The 3-1/2-ton four-wheel-drive Duplex that appeared in 1916 did carry a radiator emblem in the form of the "Duplex" name cast into or embossed on the top front of the radiator and "Duplex 4 Wheel Drive" was also displayed on the sides of the truck under the driver's seat, probably using a stencil, see Duplex advertisement shown below:

Duplex truck ad (1916)   eBay

Close up showing Duplex radiator emblem & body side nameplate (1916)   eBay

The following photo shows a surviving Duplex 3-1/2-ton truck from 1917 showing the radiator emblem embossed on the front of the radiator. Another example of this Duplex radiator emblem is shown at the top of this post. This embossed Duplex radiator emblem was certainly used through the 1920's and may have continued into the 1930's, although I cannot confirm this.

Duplex 3-1/2-ton truck showing radiator emblem (1917)  dbc

Close up showing Duplex radiator emblem (1917)

The following shows an example of the Duplex body side nameplate on a surviving 1918 Duplex truck:

Duplex truck with body side nameplate (1918)  fountainheadauto

The following photo clearly shows the Duplex truck radiator and emblem used until the late 1920's:

This is a Duplex truck radiator & emblem (1919)  gcm

I have not seen the following painted brass Duplex nameplate on any illustrations of Duplex trucks. It is possible that this was used as a rear mounted nameplate on some Duplex models.

This is a Duplex truck nameplate (date unknown)   mjs
Size: 204mm wide 33mm high

The following illustration from a Duplex motor show flyer is dated 1928-1929 and shows a different style of radiator and Duplex emblem. This may be the lighter duty 1-1/2-ton Duplex truck but I cannot confirm this. If you can identify this Duplex truck, please let me know, in order to update this post.

Duplex truck radiator & emblem (c1928-1929) ebay

Heavy duty Duplex trucks used a cast radiator with the "DUPLEX" name cast into the radiator tank top from the 1920's and into the 1940's, see surviving example shown below:

Duplex truck showing cast in radiator emblem & hood side nameplate (c1946)  facebook

Cast-in Duplex radiator emblem (c1946)   facebook

The surviving Duplex truck shown above also displays the "Duplex" name on hood side nameplate, see example shown below. This Duplex hood side nameplate is scarce.

This is a Duplex hood side nameplate (c1945-1960)    mjs
Size: 300mm wide 50mm high   MM: None

A new style of heavy duty Duplex radiator and emblem appeared in 1948, see heavy duty Duplex truck brochure cover and factory photo shown below:

Duplex truck brochure cover (1948)   

Duplex Model L truck showing rad emblem & hood side nameplate (c1950)   facebook

BULL DOG

Bull Dog Motor Truck Co. (1924-1925)

Minneapolis, Minnisota

This is a Bull Dog truck side panel emblem (1924-1925)     ms
Size: Unknown

The Bull Dog was a 30 hp four-cylinder conventional assembled truck with a capacity of 2-tons using solid rubber tires and double chain drive.

Very little is known about the Bull Dog truck. Bull Dog Motor Truck Company advertisements show a 2-ton truck and give the company address as Minneapolis, Minnesota but some truck references refer to Galena, Illinois. It is possible that the company headquarters was in Minnesota with manufacture taking place in Galena.

Emblem

The Bull Dog emblem shown above was identical to the company trade mark, see the trademark illustrated on the following Bull Dog Motor Truck stock certificate:

Bull Dog Motor Truck Company stock certificate showing trademark

Bull Dog Motor Truck Co. trademark

I have only seen a photo of the emblem, an original of which would be extremely rare. The cast emblem was attached to the side panels under the driver's seat, see the Bull Dog Motor Truck Company illustration shown below:

This is a 2-ton Bull Dog truck showing the side panel emblem   ms

This is a close-up view showing the Bull Dog side panel emblem   ms

I have not found a photo or an illustration showing the front of the Bull Dog radiator, so I have no idea about the existence of a radiator emblem or script. If you have details of the front of the Bull Dog radiator, please let me know, in order to update this post.

  

PAN

Pan Motor Co. (1919-1921)
St. Cloud, Minnesota 

This is a Pan radiator emblem (c1919-1921)     mjs
Size: 66mm high 58mm wide  MM: None

Sam Pandolfo was a teacher, who became an insurance agent. Pandolfo later decided to enter the automobile business based on his experience of driving many different motor cars in his days as a travelling insurance agent. He designed a car of his own, later to be called the Pan, which he believed better suited the needs of a traveler than other cars on the market. The Pan car design had fold-down seats for sleeping, a compartment for tools and extra gasoline, a place for food and drink, and clearance under the car for improved driving on badly made and bumpy roads, as well as other home comforts.

Pandolfo was a great salesman and having printed a lavish catalog, he travelled widely convincing business people and others to invest in his company by buying stock, which they did to the tune of $9,500,000. He had some of his cars built using available parts by the Wayne Motor Works to demonstrate his design ahead of going into production. He came to St. Cloud, Minnesota in 1917, set up his Pan Motor Company and started to build a factory. Pandolfo also used part of the cash he raised to build a small, pleasant township for his factory workers, known as Pan Town, with architect designed houses, running water and sewerage disposal lines.

The Pan factory was ready in 1919 but before production began Sam Pandolfo and other Pan officials were indicted by the Federal Government for fraud and found guilty. Pandolfo appealed his conviction while Pan production proceeded at a reduced pace due to lack of funds. The Pan officials were acquitted but Pandolfo got a ten year prison term, although he was released after serving just two and a half years. 

Production of the Pan had continued for a while in order to help pay the company debts but the bad publicity had killed the Pan and the company was in receivership by 1922 after building only 737 cars. 

Even though the affair was a great scandal, Sam Pandolfo was so well liked in St. Cloud that he received a hero’s welcome after his release from prison. 

Emblems

The pre-production Pan cars were displayed at auto shows and other publicity events to help create interest and find investors, see the following advertisement showing a Pan radiator with an emblem and a motometer:

Advertisement for the Pan car (1918) pantowners

The Pan radiator emblem and the Pandolfo motometer are more clearly seen on Pan stock certificates, see 1919 example shown below:

Pan stock certificate showing emblem & motometer (1919) pinterest

The Pan radiator emblem shown on the 1918 advertisement and the stock certificates is in the form of a cooking pan with a Pan car mounted above, see detail shown below. This Pan radiator emblem design was no doubt used for the pre-production demonstration cars.

Representation of Pan radiator emblem (1918-1919)

This is the blue, white and red enamel Pan radiator emblem shown below. This Pan radiator emblem is extremely rare.

This is a Pan radiator emblem (1918-1919)   sam
Size: 69mm high 64mm wide    MM: Unknown

The same Pan radiator emblem is also found in different colored enamels, see examples shown below. These Pan radiator emblems are also extremely rare. It is likely that these Pan radiator emblems are early trial emblems.

This is a Pan radiator emblem (c1919)    sam
Size: 69mm high 64mm wide    MM: Unknown

This is a Pan radiator emblem (c1919)   sac
Size: Unknown    MM: Unknown

By the time of full production, the Pan carried a smaller radiator emblem, which had a different Pan car at the top of the emblem and used a slightly different style of the lettering, see example shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Pan radiator emblem is also extremely rare.

This is a Pan radiator emblem (c1919-1921)    mjs
Size: 66mm high 58mm wide   MM: None

Emblem collectors should beware as there is a larger and slightly more crudely made Pan emblem, which has often been referred to as a reproduction Pan radiator emblem. This may be correct but I believe it is more likely to be the emblem for a Pan tractor, see original photo of a Pan tractor shown below:

This is a Pan tractor on display at a trade fair (c1919)  minnpost

This is the blue, red and white painted Pan emblem shown below, which is in the same style as the pre-production Pan radiator emblem shown earlier above:

This is believed to be a Pan tractor emblem (c1919)   dkc
Size: 73mm high 67mm wide      MM: None

The following Pan emblem is a mystery. I have no information about this emblem, other than this photo. If you have details about this emblem, please let me know, in order to update this post.

This appears to be a Pan emblem (dates unknown)   kmc
Size: Unknown   MM: Unknown

The motometer on the 1918 advertisement and the Pan stock certificates shown earlier above has an unusual design and is inscribed with the "Pandolfo" name rather than "Pan". This Pandolfo motometer illustration is shown below:

Pan motometer illustration (1918-1919)

The Pandolfo motometer is also seen on illustrations of the first Pan cars in Pan brochures, see example shown below:

Pan Tourist Sleeper Model brochure illustration (c1918)   pcc

Close up showing the Pan radiator emblem & Pandolfo motometer

An example of the Pandolfo motometer is seen below on a restored 1919 Pan Model A:

Pandolfo Motometer     twoguysandaride

The same Pandolfo design is seen on the following most interesting blue, black and red enamel Pandolfo emblem:

This is a Pandolfo emblem (date unknown)     sam
Size: 80mm high 80mm wide (globe 40mm diameter) MM: Unknown

It is not known where this emblem was mounted or, as seems likely, if this Pandolfo emblem was a prototype radiator emblem made before the decision to use the cooking pan radiator emblem shown earlier and call the car the Pan rather than the Pandolfo. I have never seen another Pandolfo emblem making this an ultra rare emblem. If you have further details of the use of this Pandolfo emblem, please let me know, in order to update this post.