DEERING MAGNETIC

Magnetic Motors Corp. (1918-1919)

Chicago, Illinois

St Louis, Missouri

This is a Deering Magnetic radiator emblem (1918-1919)    sam
Size: 57mm diameter    MM: Unknown

The Deering Magnetic was a luxury styled 38 hp six-cylinder car with an Entz transmission system, which was also being used on the Owen Magnetic. The Deering was introduced at the Automobile Salon in Chicago in January 1918 and offered as a seven-passenger touring or a five-passenger town car. A wider range of body styles was offered for the 1919 model year but it is unlikely that many were actually sold.

The Deering had been well designed by Karl H. Martin and was well built by the Dorris Motor Car Company in St Louis and used a Dorris engine. It should all have gone well for the Deering Magnetic but there were serious problems with material supplies, because of the First World War and probably with financing, and production of the Deering Magnetic was brought to an end in late 1918. 

Emblem

The black and white enamel Deering Magnetic radiator emblem shown above is extremely rare.

VICTOR

Victor Automobile Manufacturing Co. (1905-1910)

Victor Motor Car Co. (1911)

St. Louis, Missouri

This is a Victor automobile radiator script (c1911)   cbc
Size: 231mm wide 71mm high

The first Victor automobiles were high-wheeler motor buggies powered by a 6 hp single-cylinder water cooled engine. In 1909, the Victor was offered as a series of 14/20 hp two-cylinder air-cooled models in runabout, touring and light delivery body styles with the option of solid or pneumatic tires.

By 1911, the company had been reorganized as the Victor Motor Car Company and the Victor had grown to a 40 hp four-cylinder model offered in runabout and touring body styles. However, the company failed later in 1911.

Emblem

The early Victor high-wheeler buggy models did not have a radiator on which to carry an emblem but they did display the Victor name on a  small combined maker's nameplate/serial plate attached to the body or under the driver's seat, see example shown below. This Victor nameplate is very rare.

This is a Victor nameplate/serial plate (c1906)    jtc
Size:78mm wide 20mm high

The air-cooled Victor models introduced in 1908 had a hood and a false radiator and displayed a large brass "Victor" radiator script attached to the radiator grille, as seen in the following original photo of a 1909 Model C Runabout:

Victor Model C Runabout showing radiator script (1909)   william l bailey

The following rare, surviving 14/20 hp air-cooled two-cylinder Victor Model C Runabout also from 1909 on display at the Northeast Classic Car Museum carries a large brass "Victor" script mounted on the radiator:

Victor Model C Runabout with radiator script (1909)  albert mach

This Victor Runabout has been restored, so I cannot confirm if the radiator script is original but it is clearly closely similar to the script seen in the original 1909 photo. Original "Victor" radiator scripts with this design would be extremely rare.

The brass "Victor" radiator script, shown above at the top of this post and again below, is certainly original and is quite different from the radiator script on the 1909 Model C Runabout shown above. It is inscribed "St. Louis" and is clearly intended for the St. Louis built Victor motor car. 

This is a Victor automobile radiator script (poss 1911)   cbc
Size: 231mm wide 71mm high

Close-up showing the "St. Louis" mark 

This Victor radiator script may be from the 1911 Victor Model 4-40 but I cannot confirm this. This Victor radiator script is very rare.

VAN

Van Automobile Co. (1905-1906)
St. Louis, Missouri

This is a Van maker's serial plate (c1906)    mjs
Size: 89mm wide 28mm high

The Van Automobile Company was organized in St. Louis in 1905 for the manufacture of motor cars but details of the Van automobile are not available. The Standard Catalog of American cars doubts that any automobiles were actually built.

Emblem

There is no evidence of a Van emblem, although this is not surprising for 1905-1906, when cars of this period often only displayed the company name on a small maker's nameplate.

The small cast metal Van nameplate/serial plate shown above at the top of this post indicates some activity by the Van Automobile Company. This Van nameplate/serial plate is very rare. 

However, it appears that by 1907 the Van Automobile Company was acting as a dealership, see Cleveland car advertisement shown below: 

Cleveland car ad by Van Automobile Co.(1907)  st louis post-dispatch

Whether the Van Automobile Company built a Van prototype before deciding to become a motor car dealership may never be known.

STANWOOD

Stanwood Motor Car Co. (1920-1922)

St. Louis, Missouri

This is a Stanwood radiator emblem (1920-1922)      sam
Size: 63mm wide 45mm high    MM: Unknown (some None)

The Stanwood was an assembled car powered by a 55 hp six-cylinder engine and was built using standard components. The Stanwood was offered as a five-passenger touring with a three-passenger roadster and a four-passenger sedan also available for 1922.

The Stanwood was out of business during 1922 after a total production of 642 cars.

Emblem

The following Stanwood Six advertisement appearing in August 1920, includes an illustration of a Stanwood emblem:

Stanwood ad (1920)  ma

This is the red, white and blue enamel Stanwood radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post. This Stanwood radiator emblem is very rare.

The following metal only Stanwood emblem may be a hub emblem and is also very rare:

This is a metal Stanwood emblem (1920-1922)     mjs
Size: 50mm wide 37mm high     MM: Unknown

GLEASON

Kansas City Vehicle Co. (1909-1913)

Kansas City, Missouri

This is a Gleason radiator script (1909-1913)     sam
Size: 161mm wide

The Gleason was a 20 hp two-cylinder highwheeler buggy with a brass radiator and was also available in runabout and baby tonneau body styles. The first Gleason appeared in 1909 and remained unchanged until production ended in 1913.

Emblem

The Gleason did not carry a radiator emblem but displayed a brass script attached to the radiator core, see the following Gleason catalog illustration:

Gleason catalog illustration showing radiator script (1910) forums aaca

This is the brass Gleason radiator script shown above at the top of this post. Original Gleason radiator scripts are very rare. 

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.

GARDNER

Gardner Motor Co. (1919-1932)
St. Louis, Missouri

This is a Gardner radiator emblem (1919-1920)     mjs
Size: 96mm wide 44mm high     MM: None

Russell E. Gardner started to build Banner buggies and then assembled Chevrolet cars in St. Louis. Russell Gardner eventually controlled all Chevrolet trade in the Mississippi River states and made a fortune. After the First World War, Russell Gardner and his sons established the Gardner Motor Company to build the Gardner motor car. The first Gardner was introduced in late 1919 as a 1920 model and was an assembled 35 hp four-cylinder model offered in touring, roadster and sedan body styles.

The Gardner was a good car and sold well from the start. In February 1924, Cannon Ball Baker drove a Gardner from New York to Los Angeles in a new record time. In 1925, six-cylinder and eight-cylinder models joined the Gardner line and the four-cylinder model was dropped early in 1925 with eight-cylinder models only offered in 1928 and 1929.

But Gardner had been losing money since 1928 and the stock market crash in 1929 hit the Gardner business. Sales fell and Garner replaced the light eight with a lower priced six-cylinder model and continued the mid-size eight and large eight. Gardner had entered the commercial vehicle market in 1927 and built ambulances and funeral cars. Gardner passenger car production ceased in 1931. The final Gardner was a funeral car built in 1932 and then it was all over. 

Emblems

Advertisements for the first Gardner cars produced in late 1919 for the 1920 model year showed a representation of a radiator emblem, see example shown below:

Gardner ad showing rad emblem (1919) ma

This is the red and white enamel Gardner radiator shown above at the top of this post. This Gardner radiator emblem is scarce.

This first Gardner radiator emblem is found in two slightly different varieties, seen in the size of the "Gardner" letters, apparently resulting from the use of two different emblem dies, most likely produced by two separate emblem makers, see examples shown below:

Two varieties of the first Gardner radiator emblem (1919-1920) cbc

The thicker sized letter variety has a stamped back side, the thinner letter size variety has a flat back side.

The following red and white enamel Gardner radiator emblem was the second Gardner radiator emblem used from 1921 to 1923. This Gardner radiator emblem is scarce.

This is a Gardner radiator emblem (1921-1923)    mjs
Size: 96mm wide 44mm high    MM: None

As for the first Gardner radiator emblem, there are two varieties of lettering on this second Gardner radiator emblem, again resulting from the use of different emblem dies, see examples shown below:

Two varieties of the 2nd Gardner radiator emblem (1921-1923) cbc

For this emblem, each letter size variety can be found with both stamped backs and flat back. This fact suggests that the letter size may have been requested by Gardner rather than simply be the result of different emblem maker's dies.

The following black and white enamel Gardner radiator emblem was used from sometime in 1923 to 1925. This Gardner radiator emblem is scarce.

This is a Gardner radiator emblem (1923-1925)    mjs
Size: 96mm wide 44mm high    MM: Unknown

The following blue and white enamel Gardner radiator appears to have been used on Gardner Radio Special models briefly in late 1923 or 1924. This Gardner radiator emblem is very rare.

This is a Gardner radiator emblem (c1924)     mjs
Size: 96mm wide 44mm high     MM: Unknown

There was a change in Gardner radiator emblem design from 1925 to a large letter "G" incorporating a coat of arms with standing griffin bearers and a shield with a chevron design, see black Gardner radiator emblem shown below. This Gardner radiator emblem was used on the 1925, 1926 and early 1927 six and eight-cylinder models. A griffin ornament also sat on the radiator cap.

This is a Gardner radiator emblem (1925-1927)     mjs
Size: 45mm wide 45mm high    MM: Unknown

There was a change in the Gardner radiator design in 1927 to a round emblem containing the same details as the previous radiator emblem, see gold finished black enamel Gardner radiator emblem shown below:

This is a Gardner radiator emblem (1927-1928)    mjs
Size: 48mm diameter    MM: Unknown

The following shows this radiator emblem and the griffin ornament on the radiator cap on the radiator of a 1929 Gardner Model 8-80:

Gardner Model 8-80 rad emblem & cap ornament (1928) rmsothebys

There was a similar black emblem on the hubcaps, see examples shown below:

This shows the Gardner hubcap (1929)   conceptcarz

This is a Gardner hub emblem (1927-1931)    mjs
Size: 43mm diameter    MM: None

Gardner began using the Fedco serial numbering security system in 1927, using a horizontal Fedco security plate showing the serial number mounted on the dashboard, see example shown below. The horizontal Fedco security dashboard plate was also used on the light eight model in 1928.

This is a Gardner Fedco security dashboard plate (1927) rgc 

The Fedco security dashboard plate was changed to a vertical plate for 1928 to 1931, see example shown below:

This shows the vertical Fedco security dashboard plate (1928-1931)  conceptcarz

The Gardner name and griffin logo also appeared on the lavish dashboard instrument panel on the mid-eight and big-eight models from 1928 to 1930, see example shown below:

Gardner Model 85 Sport Roadster dashboard instrument panel (1928)   rgc 

The Gardner name and griffin logo also appeared on the sill plates as shown below for 1928-1929:

Gardner sill plate (1928-1929)   rgc

The Gardner sill plates for 1930-1931 were the same as the above but without the "Eight In Line" inscription.

The Gardner radiator emblem received some color in the center shield in 1929, see the following gold finished, black and red enamel Gardner radiator emblem shown below. This gold finished Garner radiator emblem is rare.

This is a Gardner radiator emblem (1929-1930)    sam
Size: 48mm diameter    MM: Unknown

The majority of examples of this black and red Gardner radiator emblem design had a silver color finish, see example shown below.  This Gardner radiator emblem was used on all models from 1930 to 1931, except for 1930 front drive prototype models, which appear not to have had an emblem:

This is a Gardner radiator emblem (1929-1931)    mjs
Size: 48mm diameter    MM: Unknown

The following photo shows a Gardner tail light bracket emblem used in 1929:

This shows a Gardner tail light bracket emblem (1929)   conceptcarz

The following photo shows the Gardner tail light bracket emblem used in 1930:

This shows a Gardner tail light bracket emblem (1930)  classicdriver

This is a Gardner tail light bracket emblem (1930)   mjs
Size: 152mm wide 22mm high   MM: None

The following photo shows a Gardner crank hole cover emblem mounted on eight-cylinder Gardner models for 1930:

This shows the Gardner Eight crank hole cover emblem (1930) classicdriver 

The following photos show the Gardner crank hole cover emblems used for six and eight-cylinder models for 1931:

This is a Gardner Six crank hole cover emblem (1931) rgc

This is a Gardner Eight crank hole cover emblem (1931) rgc

Gardner cars from 1930 had an external horn mounted on the center of the headlight bar, with a chrome cover incorporating a griffin motif, see example shown below:

This shows the Gardner external horn cover (1930-1931) conceptcarz

The following metal Gardner Eight emblem is interesting. It shows a clock with the hands at about 3.40pm and inscribed around the border "The Car of the Hour" and "Sperl Square Los Angeles". This Gardner emblem appears to be a hub emblem and was used by a Los Angeles Gardner agency for a sales event in 1928.

This appears to be a Gardner hub emblem (1928)  eBay
Size: Unknown

I am grateful to Bob Gardner, president of the Gardner Car Club (www.gardnermotorcars.com) for his helpful advice. Any error in my interpretation of Bob's advice is entirely down to me,