BRONX ELECTRIC

Bronx Electric Vehicle Co. (1911-c1913)
Bronx, New York

Bronx Dash Script (1912)   dpl

Bronx Electric trucks were built in the Bronx, New York by the Bronx Electric Vehicle Company. The first Bronx Electric was a 2-ton capacity truck with a 108-inch wheelbase using a Whitney chain drive and Edison batteries. The truck had a top speed of 9 mph with a 40 mile battery range. The truck was completed on Friday, April 21st, 1911 and was entered in the New York Commercial Vehicle Parade the following day. Publicity photos taken in April 1911 refer to the truck as a 1912 model.

The Bronx Electric Vehicle Company planned a line of electric vehicles ranging in capacity from 1/2-ton to 5-tons. In addition to the 2-ton capacity Bronx Electric truck referred to above, an 800-pound capacity electric van with a 76-inch wheelbase is also known to have been built. This Bronx Electric van offered a top speed of 14 mph with a 50 mile battery range. There is a Bronx Electric brochure page referring to a 1-1/2-ton capacity Bronx Electric truck but the accompanying illustration shows the 2-ton capacity model. 

The Edison Monthly in mid-1912 referred to the Bronx Electric and noted that production had begun in 1911 but serious marketing had only started in 1912. The Bronx Electric Vehicle Company exhibited the Bronx Electric at the New York Commercial Vehicle Show in January 1912. 

The Edison Monthly reported that a 5-ton capacity Bronx Electric truck had been in service at a brewery in New York since May 1912 for the delivery of beer kegs and was covering 40 miles a day on a single battery charge. The Edison Monthly also reported that a 4-ton capacity Bronx Electric truck had more recently been purchased in New York for the delivery of pianos. 

There were several other manufacturers of electric powered vehicles operating in the New York area, so the Bronx Electric Vehicle Company faced a lot of competition. It is likely that relatively few Bronx Electric vehicles were built and mostly for local customers.

In any event, the Bronx Electric did not succeed and it was all over by 1913.

Emblems

There are very few original period photos or illustrations showing the Bronx Electric and less showing the front of the vehicle. It is possible that the Bronx Electric had a small maker's serial plate attached to the body but I cannot confirm this.

Publicity photos of the first 2-ton capacity Bronx Electric truck taken in April 1911 show a large sign on the side of the truck giving the company name and an attempt at a "Bronx" logo. The front of the truck is partly visible but there is no emblem or script on the dash. However, there appears to be a nameplate on the front bumper:

The first Bronx Electric 2-ton truck showing possible front bumper nameplate  (April 1911)    Automobile Topics

This front bumper nameplate may be a license plate but could possibly have displayed the "BRONX" name, similar to the "WALKER" front bumper nameplate used for the Walker Electric truck built at the same time (see Walker Electric), but this cannot be confirmed from the photo.

The following factory photo of what is likely to be the same 2-ton capacity Bronx Electric truck shows more clearly the body side sign. A close-up view of the hubcaps shows no evidence of the Bronx name.

Bronx Electric 2-ton capacity truck showing body side sign (early 1911)    dpl

The following original period photo shows what may be the same 2-ton Bronx Electric truck, as it is labelled "No 1", suggesting this was the first Bronx Electric truck:

Bronx Electric Truck No. 1 available for hire (later 1911)   dpl

This photo was probably taken some time later in 1911, as the body side sign has been changed and now indicates that this particular truck, at least, is available for hire. Also, this time the hubcaps are inscribed "Bronx", see detailed view below:

Bronx Electric truck hubcap (later 1911)

The following original period photo shows two Bronx Electric vehicles, believed to be the 800-pound capacity van and the 2-ton capacity truck, at an unknown trade show in 1912 but likely to be at Madison Square Garden in January 1912. This time, both vehicles carry the same "Bronx" name in large script style on the front of the dash to attract attention and customers:

Bronx Electric trucks at trade show possibly Madison Square Garden  (1912)   dpl

WORLDMOBILE

Service-Relay Motors Corp. (1927-1928)
Lima, Ohio

This is a Worldmobile radiator emblem (c1928)  autopasion
Size: Unknown    MM: Unknown

Service-Relay Motors Corporation was building a range of Relay, Service, Commerce and Garford motor trucks but decided to produce an automobile called the Worldmobile. It was planned that the Worldmobile would be produced by a new company to be called the Worldwide Company but this did not happen.

The Worldmobile was a large six-passenger sedan car powered by a 65 hp eight-cylinder engine. A number of prototypes are reported to have been built and one still survives. The body styling of the Worldmobile was ordinary and very much out of date for its time. The Worldmobile was unlikely to have succeeded in any case, but the Service-Relay Corporation was itself going through changes in its ownership and management. In the event, the Worldmobile did not proceed into production. 

Emblem

The Standard Catalog of American Cars suggests that "the prettiest thing about the Worldmobile was its radiator badge". The metal Worldmobile radiator emblem shown above is ultra rare.

GHENT

Ghent Motor Co.

Chicago, Illinois (1916-1917)

Ottawa, Illinois (1917-1918)

This may be a Ghent emblem (dates unknown)     mjs
Size: 50mm diameter     MM: Unknown

The Ghent Motor Company was established in late 1916 by C. A. Ghent. Prototypes of the Ghent were built in Chicago but production moved to Ottawa, Illinois in 1917.

The Ghent was an assembled car, initially offered as a  five-passenger touring with a choice of a 23 hp four-cylinder or a 22 hp V-8 engine. For 1918, the Ghent was offered as a 23.5 hp six-cylinder model in seven-passenger sedan or touring body styles. However, the Ghent was unsuccessful and it was all over by the end of 1918 after a total production of 187 units.

Emblem

The orange and blue enamel Ghent emblem shown above is believed to be a Ghent car radiator emblem and, if so, would be extremely rare. 

I had initially felt that this emblem might be a souvenir embem for the Belgian City of Ghent but the shield on the emblem does not resemble the coat of arms of the city of Ghent.

If you can confirm the identity of the Ghent emblem shown above, please let me know, in order to update this post.

WALTER TRUCK

Walter Auto Truck Manufacturing Co. (1909-1911)
New York, New York
Walter Motor Truck Co.
New York, New York (1911-1923)
Long Island City, New York (1923-1935)
Ridgewood, New York (1935-1957)
Voorheesville, New York (1957-1980)
Walter Equipment Co. (1980-c1982)
Guilderland, New York

This is a Walter truck radiator emblem (c1930-1939)   moroz

William Walter was a successful manufacturer of confectionary-making machinery in New York who built high-quality automobiles called Walter from 1902 to 1909 (see Walter). Walter began to build trucks in 1909 and in 1911 the first four-wheel drive Walter trucks appeared. Four-wheel drive trucks became the main product of the Walter Motor Truck Company and were initially based on the French Latil truck and built in a range of sizes from 1-1/2-ton to 7-ton capacity. Conventional rear wheel drive and front wheel drive Walter trucks were also built.

By the mid-1920's, Walter trucks had developed a characteristic appearance with the engine projecting ahead of the front axle to improve weight distribution. In 1929, the first Walter Snow Fighter snow plow model appeared. Walter also built special highway tractors of 7-ton, 10-ton and 15-ton capacity. In the 1930's, Walter began to build fire trucks. By the end of the 1930's, Walter were making six four-wheel drive models from 3-ton to 12-ton capacity and were using six-cylinder and diesel engines.

During the Second World War, Walter built artillery tractors and snow removal trucks for the military. After the war four-wheel drive truck production continued and Walter also began to make airfield crash tenders, as well as refuse collection trucks and snowplows. From the 1950's Walter concentrated on airport fire engines, including vehicles for export markets in the 1970's.

In 1980 there was a financial crisis for the Walter Motor Truck Company and a new company called Walter Equipment Company was formed as a subsidiary of the Canadian Walter Truck Company and was relocated to Guilderland, New York. Walter continued to produce four-wheel drive trucks, airport fire engines and other special purpose vehicles but the company was eventually bought by the Kovatch organization and Walter production ceased around 1982.

Emblems

The following original photo of a conventional Walter truck from 1911 appears to show some kind of emblem on the upper part of the radiator core but the detail is unclear.

Walter 3-1/2-ton truck (1911)    facebook

The January 4, 1913 edition of Automobile Topics contains an article about the "new" Latil type Walter trucks and includes the following photo of a 2-1/2-ton front drive Walter truck with the "Walter" name displayed on a large nameplate mounted on the side of the truck: 

Walter Latil type 2-1/2-ton truck showing body side nameplate (1913)   automobile topics

There is no evidence of a Walter emblem on the Renault style radiator and hood, and other Walter Latil type photos do not show the body side nameplate either, see example shown below:

Walter Latil type truck (c1914)    facebook

After the First World War, Walter trucks had a conventional hood and radiator, see the following 1921 Walter truck advertisement showing a 5-ton Walter truck chassis with a heavy ribbed radiator with a likely cast in radiator emblem:

Walter truck ad showing radiator & emblem (1921)  justoldtrucks

The following original photo shows a Walter truck from 1925 with the engine ahead of the front axle. The radiator emblem cannot be seen but the "Walter" name is displayed on the side of the driver's cab:

Walter truck with body side nameplate (1925)   forums.aths 

The following photo shows a surviving 1929 Walter Snow Fighter snow plow with a radiator emblem cast into the ribbed radiator tank top and with a large "Walter Snow Fighter" hood side nameplate:

Walter Snow Fighter showing radiator emblem & hood side nameplate (1929)    facebook

 

This is a Walter Snow Fighter hood side nameplate (c1929)  facebook
Size: Unknown

The following original photo shows a 1930 Walter fire engine tractor with an aluminum radiator and cast in radiator emblem and a hood side nameplate:

Walter fire engine tractor showing radiator emblem & hood side nameplate (1930)   jack lerch

The following photo gives a closer view of the aluminum radiator and cast in emblem:

Walter cast in radiator emblem (c1935)  facebook

This is the cast aluminum radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below:

This is a Walter radiator emblem (c1930-1939)  moroz

The following show examples of Walter truck hood side nameplates. These Walter hood side nameplates are rare.

This is a Walter hood side nameplate (c1930)    mjs
Size: 305mm wide 117mm high

This is a Walter hood side nameplate (c1930)    mjs
Size: 390mm wide 142mm high

Some possibly later Walter Snow Fighter models used a separate painted thin metal radiator emblem, see example shown below:

Walter Snow Fighter with separate radiator painted metal emblem (1930s)   facebook

There were also Walter truck models with steel radiator shells, which displayed the "Walter" name on a small Walter nameplate in the same style as the larger hood side nameplates but mounted on the top of the radiator, see close up example shown below:

This shows a Walter rad nameplate (poss 1940s)  ryan e pedone 

This is the black painted metal Walter radiator nameplate shown below. This Walter radiator nameplate is rare.

This is a Walter radiator nameplate (c1940s)    mjs
Size: 153mm wide 51mm high 

CLINTON

Clinton Motors Corp.
New York, New York (1920-1923)
Reading, Pennsylvania (1923-1934) 

This is a Clinton truck radiator emblem (c1923)    bmhv

Clinton Motors Corporation assembled trucks in a small way in New York from 1920 before taking over the Schwartz Motor Truck Corporation and moving to a factory in Reading, Pennsylvania in 1923. 

A complete line of eight worm drive truck models from 1-1/4-ton to 7-ton capacity was available during the mid-1920's. From 1925 to 1928, bus chassis for 30 and 35-passengers were also offered. After 1929, the Depression seriously affected the Clinton truck business and trucks were built to special order only. All Clinton truck production had ceased by 1934.

Emblems

I have found no information regarding the few Clinton trucks built in New York. However, Clinton trucks built in Reading, Pennsylvania carried a round radiator emblem displaying the letter "C", see the following photo of a surviving Clinton Model 45 truck chassis from about 1923:

Clinton Model 45 truck showing radiator emblem (c1923)  bmhv

The following close up photo shows the originally painted, cast metal Clinton truck radiator emblem. This Clinton truck radiator emblem is extremely rare.

Close up showing Clinton truck radiator emblem

The following original period photo of a Clinton concrete mixer truck from the mid-1920's shows the painted radiator emblem and a hood side Clinton nameplate:

Clinton truck with radiator emblem & hood side nameplate (mid-1920's)   forums.aths

The black painted Clinton truck hood side nameplate shown below is rare:

This is a Clinton truck hood side nameplate (1923-1934)  mjs
Size: 350mm wide 75mm high

VICTOR TRUCK (3)

Victor Motors Inc. (1923-1928)
St. Louis, Missouri

This is a Victor truck emblem (date uncertain poss 1923-1928)  mjs
Size: 49mm wide 40mm high   MM: None

In April 1923, Victor Motors Inc. announced its plans to build three types of commercial vehicles, a speed truck, a heavy duty truck and taxis. However, I can find no evidence that a taxi cab was built.

The first Victor Motors advertisements in 1923 were for the "Lightnin" light delivery speed truck and the "Fifty" heavy duty truck. The first "Lightnin" light delivery truck was delivered in July 1923.

Most American truck references state that Victor Motors built conventional assembled trucks ranging from 1-1/4-ton to 5-ton capacity with a 6-ton capacity truck model offered in 1925 and 1926 only. However, it was announced in September 1923 that Victor Motors had just delivered its first heavy duty 6-ton dump truck and in November 1926, Victor Motors were advertising eight truck models ranging from the 1-3/4-ton Model 25 to the 9-ton capacity Model 90.

The lighter duty Victor trucks were powered by four-cylinder Hercules engines and the 3-1/2-ton and heavier duty Victor trucks used Continental engines. 

In February 1926, Victor Motors announced that they would display their first buses at the St Louis Auto Show offering three series of buses with a range of 28-35 passengers but very few are likely to have been built. Some records say only one 35 passenger bus was built. 

Like many other small and medium sized truck builders, Victor Motors could not compete with the larger truck manufacturing companies. It was all over for the Victor truck in 1928.

Emblems

The first Victor Motors light delivery speed truck is shown in a newspaper advertisement in July 1923, see below:

First Victor truck (July 1923)
St Louis Globe Democrat

This was the so-called Victor "Lightnin" speed truck, which appears to have a conventional radiator carrying a small radiator emblem, see closer view below:

Victor "Lightnin" Speed Truck  

This Victor radiator emblem is believed to be an inverted triangle-shaped emblem, most likely one of the cast metal examples shown below, both of which are extremely rare:

This is a Victor truck radiator emblem (dates uncertain poss 1923-1928) cbc
Size: 50mm wide 45mm high   MM: None

This is a Victor truck radiator emblem (dates uncertain poss 1923-1928) cbc
Size: 50mm wide 45mm high   MM: Fox

Another possibility is the painted brass Victor truck emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Victor truck emblem is very rare.

This is a Victor truck emblem (dates uncertain poss 1923-1928)  mjs
Size: 49mm wide 40mm high    MM: None

It is likely that these inverted triangle emblems were used on the Victor light duty speed trucks and possibly other light duty trucks, as the heavier duty Victor trucks appear to have had a very different radiator emblem.

The following newspaper advertisement from November 1923 features the first Victor heavy duty 6-ton capacity truck, which was sold in September 1923:

Victor 6-ton Truck ad (Nov 1923)
St Louis Globe Democrat

The original photos in this advertisement clearly show that the Victor heavy duty truck still has a conventional radiator but has a very different radiator emblem in the form of the name "VICTOR". The heavy duty Victor truck also displays a "VICTOR" hood side nameplate, see closer views below:

Detail showing radiator emblem & hood side nameplate

Front view showing radiator & emblem

The Victor heavy duty truck radiator emblem may have been pressed into the top of the radiator shell but I cannot confirm this. The Victor hood side nameplate appears to be painted cast metal. Original Victor truck hood side nameplates would be very rare.

The following original photo of a 2-1/2-ton Victor truck shows a similar hood side nameplate:

Victor 2-1/2-ton truck showing hood side nameplate (1923) mroz

The following photo shows a 1923 Victor truck after restoration in New Zealand. The radiator and emblem were both made specially for the restoration, so the larger size "VICTOR" radiator emblem is believed to be incorrect:

Restored 1923 Victor truck    ms (source unknown)

If you have any further details of the radiator emblems and hood side nameplates used on the Victor truck built in St Louis, please let me know in order to update this post.

RUSH

Rush Delivery Car Co. (1915-1916)

Rush Motor Truck Co. (1916-1918)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This is a Rush radiator emblem (1915-1918)    sam
Size: 100mm wide 63mm high     MM: Unknown

The Rush was an assembled 1/2-ton capacity delivery van or light truck powered by a 17 hp four-cylinder engine. The Rush began life in 1915 but wartime shortages led to progressively higher prices and the demise of the company by 1918.

Emblem

The black and white enamel Rush radiator emblem shown above is very rare. 

This Rush radiator emblem is shown on the following Rush Truck advertisement from 1917:

This is a Rush truck ad showing the rad emblem (1917)  ms

A small enamel version of this emblem was used on the Rush hub emblem, see example below. This Rush hub emblem is also very rare.

This is a Rush hubcap with enamel hub emblem (1915-1918)  dkc
Size: 44mm diameter (hub disc)  38mm wide 25mm high (hub emblem)

Some Rush earlier delivery car models used a plain brass Rush hubcap, see example below:

 

This is a Rush delivery car hubcap (1915-1916)   moroz

The same Rush logo design is shown on the Rush Delivery Car Company serial plate shown below, which was used from 1915 to 1916. This Rush serial plate is rare. 

This is a Rush Delivery Car Co. serial plate showing Rush logo (1915-1916)    mjs
Size: 102mm wide 54mm high