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

JENNIS

P. Jenness (1903-1905)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This is a Jennis radiator script (c1905)      dragone

Peter Jenness was a blacksmith who started to build cars in 1902. He secured financing from a wealthy Philadelphia businessman and built two fabulous prototype Jennis cars. The Jennis was a fine, well engineered and well built 48 hp four-cylinder five-passenger touring car. The cars were completed in 1903 and were beautifully finished with coachwork by Quinby in 1905.

Unfortunately, the Jennis financier died before the Jennis Company had been established and production of the Jennis did not proceed. One of the two Jennis cars still exists.

Emblem

The original Jennis cars built in 1903 would not have carried an emblem and the extant Jennis shows that there was no Jennis maker's nameplate. However, when the final coachwork was completed in 1905, a Quinby nameplate was attached to the body, see below: 

This is a Quinby coachbuilders nameplate (1905)     dragone

The extant Jennis automobile carries a brass Jennis script attached to the radiator core, see above at the top of this post. This Jennis script may have been attached when the coachwork was completed in 1905 but is more likely to have been added at a later date.

The Jennis had a Kells radiator and a Kells maker's nameplate is attached at the top of rhe radiator, see below:

This is a Kells radiator maker's nameplate (1903)     dragone

JACQUET FLYER

Jacquet Motor Corp. (1920)

Belding, Michigan

This is a Jacquet Flyer radiator emblem (1920)   sam
Size: 60mm wide 30mm high     MM: Unknown

The Jacquet Motor Corporation was established in January 1920 with a plan to produce a high performance, very fast sport-roadster. The car was designed by Alfred J. Jackson, who was the company presdent with Charles Marquet in charge of experimental work and production. Between them, these two executives provided the "Jacquet" name.

The Jacquet Flyer was an 82 hp four-cylinder two-seat car with an aluminum body and wire wheels.

Financial support was found in Belding, Michigan but there were problems, probably with finance and the management. Alfred Jackson was voted out of the company and the first Jacquet Flyer was not built until September 1920 with four other cars reported to be in "various stages of construction". The company requested further finance to commence production but this was not found and by the end of 1920 production of the Jacquet Flyer was put on hold with only one Jacquet Flyer known to have been built.

Emblem

The Jacquet Motors Corporation letterhead included a Jacquet logo, which was the basis for the Jacquet radiator emblem, see below:

Jacquet Motor Corporation letterhead (1920)   ms

The all metal Jacquet Flyer emblem shown above at the top of this post is believed to be original and, if so, would be ultra rare.

AUTOETTE

Autoette Electric Car Co. Inc. (1948-c1970)

Long Beach, California

This is an Autoette emblem (c1950)    flickr
Size: 88mm wide 51mm high   MM: None

The Autoette was a two-seat three-wheel electric microcar, which was manufactured by the Autoette Electric Car Company from 1948 to about 1970. Models of the Autoette included the CruiseAbout, Golfmobile and Electric Truck. The Autoette was also offered as an electric wheelchair or invalid car.

Emblem

The Autoette displayed the "Autoette" name on a painted, oval shaped metal emblem mounted on the body of the microcar, see CruiseAbout example shown below, which also displays a chrome "CruiseAbout" script on the front panel:

Autoette CruiseAbout with emblem & script (c1950)    flickr

The Autoette emblem shown above at the top of this post is rare.

TRIBUNE

Tribune Motor Co. (1913)

Detroit, Michigan

This is a Tribune radiator emblem (1913)     sam
Size: 75mm wide 55mm high    MM: Unknown

The Tribune Motor Company was organised by Louis G. Hupp, the brother of Robert C. Hupp, in early 1913 with H.C. Lueback as chief engineer.

The new Tribune was announced in March 1913 as a 35 hp four-cylinder five-passenger touring car with left side drive, long stroke motor and electric lights. The Tribune achieved its first full test run in May 1913.

The car was advertised but the Tribune Motor Company was under capitalized and, although at least one prototype Tribune touring car was built, production of the Tribune did not go ahead. It was announced in November 1913 that Louis G. Hupp had relinquished the Tribune factory to the Mercury Cycle Car Company.

Emblem

The following original newspaper photo shows Louis G. Hupp in a Tribune touring car:

Louis G. Hupp in a Tribune Touring Car (March 1913)
Detroit Free Press

I can find no photos showing the Tribune radiator but a Tribune radiator emblem was made. This is the blue and white enamel Tribune radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post. This Tribune radiator emblem is extremely rare.

OMAHA

Omaha Motor Car Co. (1912-1913)
Omaha, Nebraska

This is an Omaha radiator script (1912-1913)   mjs
Size: 302mm wide

David W. Henry was the designer of the Omaha motor car. He had wide experience in the automobile industry having worked with the Columbia Automobile Company for more than ten years and more recently with the Colby Motor Car Company. He had also designed his own Henry automobile in Muskegon in Michigan two years earlier.

Henry managed to secure the financial support of Omaha businessmen and established the Omaha Motor Car Company in February 1912. Production of the Omaha began in April 1912 in the Stroud Machine Company workshop, where a space was rented until the Omaha Motor Car Company factory was ready in 1913.

The Omaha 30 was a 30 hp four-cylinder five-passenger touring car with shaft drive and an underslung frame and was offered for sale at $1250. Henry had planned to build 1,000 cars in the first year but the reality was much lower and only a very few Omaha cars were actually built. 

By July 1912, there was trouble between Henry and members of the Board of Directors. Then in March 1913, a tornado swept through Omaha causing much devastation, which resulted in damage to the economies of Nebraska and Iowa, which is likely to have impacted badly on sales of the Omaha 30. The Omaha Motor Car Company declared bankruptcy in October 1913. The assets of the company included six finished Omaha cars and several unfinished cars.

Emblem

The only photos of the Omaha 30 that I have seen are from Omaha Motor Car Company advertisements. These advertising photos do not show a frontal view of the radiator but it appears that the Omaha 30 did not carry an emblem on the top of the radiator, see example shown below:

Omaha 30 advertisement (1913)   ma

Omaha 30 close up showing no radiator emblem (1913)

However, the Omaha 30 apparently displayed the "Omaha" name on a metal script attached to the radiator core, see example shown above at the top of this post. Original Omaha radiator scripts are very rare.

If you have more details of Omaha motor car emblems, please let me know in order to update this post.