LONE STAR

Lone Star Motor Truck and Tractor Association (1918-1922)

San Antonio, Texas

This is a Lone Star radiator emblem (1919-1922)   hugh hemphill
Size: Unknown    MM: Unknown  

The Lone Star Motor Truck and Tractor Association was established in San Antonio, Texas. Lone Star promoted itself as a totally Texas based motor vehicle manufacturing company but this was not true. The Lone Star was a completely "badge-engineered" product built in Virginia by the Piedmont Motor Car Company (see Piedmont).

The Lone Star looked the same as other cars of the same model made by Piedmont, except for the Lone Star emblem. Lone Star used a permanent hard roof on some of its models but not all and the engines used to power the Lone Star had higher ratings than most other Piedmont vehicles.

From 1919 through 1921, Lone Star offered two touring models, the 35 hp Beauty Four and the 57 hp Beauty Six. The 35 hp four-cylinder touring model was the only Lone Star available in 1922.

Lone Star also sold 1-1/2-ton trucks and agricultural tractors under the Lone Star name, again built by Piedmont.

Unfortunately for the Lone Star, Piedmont was the only company contracted to supply their vehicles, so when the Piedmont Motor Car Company ceased trading in 1922, it was all over for Lone Star also. One Lone Star motor car is known to have survived.

Emblem

The Lone Star was nothing special but it carried an elaborate radiator emblem, see the 1920 Lone Star advertisement and surviving Lone Star shown below:

Lone Star motor car ad showing emblem (1920)  ma 

Surviving Lone Star car showing radiator emblem

Lone Star radiator emblem close up

This is the blue, red and white enamel Lone Star radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Lone Star radiator emblem is extremely rare.

This is a Lone Star radiator emblem (1919-1922)  hugh hemphill
Size: Unknown    MM: Unknown

The Lone Star emblem was also displayed on the serial plate, see example shown below:

This is Lone Star serial plate (c1920)    ccc

The Lone Star 1-1/2-ton capacity truck was first built in 1918, see original photo shown below:

This shows a Lone Star truck (1918)   ms

The Lone Star 1-1/2-ton capacity truck was announced in the Automobile Trade Journal with the following photo of the truck:

This is a 1-1/2-ton Lone Star truck (c1920)   atj

The photo appears to show the "Lone Star" name cast into the top of the heavy cast radiator, although the detail is unclear. If you have a better photo of the Lone Star truck radiator emblem, please let me know, in order to update this post.

 

CLARK-NORWALK

Clark-Norwalk (1910-1911)
Cleveland, Ohio

This is a Clark-Norwalk radiator emblem (1910-1911)  sam
Size: 64mm high 64mm wide   MM: Unknown

The Clark related to this motor car was the name of a motor car sales agency in Cleveland, Ohio that sold the four-cylinder Norwalk motor car built in Norwalk, Ohio in 1910 to 1911 (see Norwalk).

However, the Clark-Norwalk was an entirely badge-engineered motor car. It was in fact the Norwalk motor car but with a Clark emblem. This business arrangement was short-lived, as the Norwalk business in Norwalk, Ohio was bankrupt by early 1911.

The Norwalk also offered similar badge-engineered services to other motor car manufacturing companies and continued to to do so after the Norwalk moved to Martinsburg, West Virginia in 1912.  

Emblems

The Standard Catalog of American Cars says the Clark-Norwalk carried a brass Clark script on the radiator core. I have not seen any original period photos or illustrations showing a Clark-Norwalk with a radiator script but this may have been correct at the start of this business arrangement in early 1910. 

The Clark-Norwalk is known to have been shown at the Cleveland Armory Automobile Show in late 1910. The following original period photo shows some Clark-Norwalk completed cars and chassis displayed at an automobile trade show referenced to be in 1911 but there is no sign of a Clark radiator script:

A group of Clark-Norwalk cars at a trade show (1911)    dpl

However, a closer look at the completed cars in the photo show a cross-shaped emblem mounted on the radiator core:

Close up showing Clark-Norwalk cars with emblems mounted on the radiator core

These cross-shaped Clark-Norwalk radiator core emblems are shining brightly due to reflection of the trade show lights on the light colored enamel finish of the emblem. 

This is the yellow enamel Clark-Norwalk radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Clark-Norwalk radiator emblem is extremely rare and possibly ultra rare.

This is a Clark-Norwalk radiator emblem (1910-1911)  sam
Size: 64mm high 64mm wide     MM: Unknown

DETROIT MOTOR WAGON

Motor Wagon Co. (1912-1913)
Detroit, Michigan

This is a Detroit Motor Wagon radiator emblem (1912)  hatm

The Motor Wagon Company of Detroit, Michigan built a range of 800 lb to 1000 lb capacity open express light trucks from 1912 to 1913. 

The first Motor Wagon trucks were powered by 16 hp two-cylinder engines, with later trucks offered with four-cylinder engines. All Motor Wagon trucks were chain driven and used pneumatic tires. The Motor Wagon was also called the Detroit Motor Wagon.

The Motor Wagon was also offered as a passenger car.

Emblem

The following 1911 Motor Wagon advertisement offers a passenger car version of the wagon:

Motor Wagon ad showing passenger car (1911)  eBay

Detail showing passenger car 

This photo of the passenger car version of the Motor Wagon shows the radiator with an emblem on the radiator tank top but the detail is unclear.

The following photo of a restored surviving 1912 example shows the Detroit Wagon name stamped into the top of the radiator:

Detroit Motor Wagon showing radiator emblem (1912)  hatm

COLEMAN

American Coleman Co. (1925-1986)

Littleton, Colorado

This is a Coleman truck emblem (dates unknown)   mjs
Size: 142mm wide 86mm high     MM: None

Coleman began in Omaha, Nebraska in 1923 as the Coleman Motors Corporation but production did not start until 1925, when the company moved to Littleton, Colorado and was reorganized as the American Coleman Company. Harley Holmes, who had previously invented a gear-type steerable axle for use on four-wheel drive applications, was the American Coleman design engineer.

The first Coleman trucks were four-cylinder 4x4 and 6x6 load carriers and truck tractors, used mainly for off road highway construction but were also used as log haulers and snow plows. A fire engine was also offered to smaller fire services. In 1928 a 7-1/2-ton truck was introduced for the logging and oil industries. 

By 1936, Coleman offered eight models ranging from 2-tons to 10-tons capacity but a 6-ton capacity model was the only truck offered in 1941.  Coleman produced crane carriers for the US Army in World War Two. After the War, Coleman 4x4 trucks continued in production but a serious labour dispute kept the factory closed in 1949 and 1950, which lost the company business. Coleman made a comeback in 1952 with a large contract to build towing tractors for the U. S. Air Force. Vehicle development and production continued until 1986.

Emblems

The following Coleman trucks advertisement from 1928 demonstrates the strength and durability of  Coleman trucks and includes an illustration of a 4WD Coleman dump truck with a hood side nameplate:  

Coleman truck advertisement showing hood side nameplate (1928)  american ikons

Early Coleman trucks displayed the "Coleman" name cast into the radiator tank top but the following example appears to have the "COLEMAN" name embossed or pressed into the top of the radiator, possibly on a light duty model:

This is a Coleman radiator showing rad emblem (c1929) moroz

The following example shows a restored 1929 Coleman 5-ton capacity truck with a cast-in radiator emblem and additional "Coleman" nameplates and a maker's nameplate on the side of the truck but I cannot confirm that the restored "Coleman" nameplates are authentic.

Coleman truck with cast rad emblem & nameplates (1929) craig h trout

Front view showing radiator emblem (1929)  rpm canada

The following photo shows a close-up of the Coleman maker's nameplate. This nameplate appears to be in the form of a sticker and was most likely attached during restoration. I cannot confirm if this sticker accurately reproduces the original maker's nameplate.

Coleman reproduction maker's nameplate (1929)  rpm canada

The following example shows the same type of cast in radiator emblem:

Coleman G-55A truck (c1930)      oldcarsweekly

The painted, cast aluminum Coleman maker's emblem/nameplate shown above at the top of this post and again below is original but I cannot confirm the dates of use. This Coleman emblem is rare.

This is a Coleman emblem (dates unknown)    mjs
Size: 142mm wide 86mm high    MM: None

If you have better details about this Coleman emblem, please let me know, in order to update this post.

The following c1936 Coleman G-55A truck carries a Quick Way Model E shovel and has a hood side nameplate similar to the hood side nameplate on the 1928 Coleman advertisement shown earlier above:

This Coleman truck displays a hood side nameplate (c1936)   aths

From about 1946, Coleman trucks displayed the "Coleman" name in the form of a curved base script on the top of the radiator shell, see examples shown below:

Coleman G55 truck with radiator script (1949)   craig h trout

Close-up showing Coleman radiator script (1949)  craig h trout

This same Coleman script has also been used as a hood side nameplate. This Coleman script is scarce.

The "Coleman" name was also displayed on the hub caps, see example shown below:

Coleman G55 truck hubcap (1949)   craig h trout

The following photo shows a Coleman 4WD G55 dump truck displaying the curved base script style radiator emblem:

"C

Coleman G55 dump truck with script style rad emblem (1950)  ebay

The 1955 Coleman aircraft tow truck shown below displays a flat base "Coleman" script radiator emblem and hood side nameplate:

Coleman tow truck with flat base rad emblem & side nameplate (1955)
flickr

This is a closer view of the Coleman truck radiator with the flat base "Coleman" script style radiator emblem:

This is a Coleman radiator with flat base script emblem (1950's)
moroz

 

FITZJOHN

FitzJohn Body Co. (1938-1939)
FitzJohn Coach Co. (1939-1958)
Muskegon, Michigan 

Fitzjohn Coach of Canada Ltd. (1949-1958)

Brantford, Ontario

This is a Fitzjohn emblem (date uncertain)    mjs
Size: 360mm wide 47mm high    MM: Unknown

FitzJohn started business in Muskegon in 1919 as a builder of truck and bus bodies. The company grew and specialized in bus bodies, including a line of standard bus bodies for Reo chassis. 

In 1938 FitzJohn began the production of complete buses, initially for urban transit services but then for intercity duties. A Canadian factory was opened in 1949 to build the FitzJohn Cityliner coach. FitzJohn produced more than 2600 complete buses before it ceased trading in 1958.

Emblems

In the early years of Fitzjohn as bus body builders, the company used a "Fitzjohn" signature script as a logo or trademark, see below:

This is the Fitzjohn signature script logo (1920's)  wiki

Fitzjohn bus body ad with signature logo (1927)  coachbuilt

There were a variety of Fitzjohn nameplates used over the years when Fitzjohn built complete bus units but there are very few original period photos or advertisement illustrations that clearly show the nameplates.

The Fitzjohn nameplate shown above at the top of this post is believed to date from the late 1930's or early 1940's but I cannot confirm this. This painted cast metal Fitzjohn nameplate is rare.

Fitzjohn Cityliner buses built from about 1939 through to about 1943 displayed a very large Fitzjohn emblem with side wings mounted on the top front of the radiator, see photos of early Fitzjohn buses shown below:

Fitzjohn Cityliner bus showing large radiator emblem (1940)
dosmo.forums.aaca

Fitzjohn Cityliner bus with large radiator emblem (c1940) 
forums.aaca

Fitzjohn Cityliner bus with large radiator emblem (1943)  moroz

This is the large painted metal Fitzjohn radiator emblem. Original examples of this Fitzjohn bus radiator emblem in good condition would be very rare.

This is a Fitzjohn bus radiator emblem (c1939-1943)  ms
Size: Unknown   MM: Unknown

If you have further details about this Fitzjohn radiator emblem, please let me know in order to update this post.

The center part of this Fitzjohn radiator emblem was used without the side wings as the radiator emblem for at least some early Fitzjohn Falcon bus models, see examples shown below:

Fitzjohn Falcon showing radiator emblem (1940's)   desoto58

Fitzjohn Falcon bus showing radiator emblem (1946)   desoto58

Fitzjohn Falcon bus rad emblem (1940's) moroz

This is the painted metal Fitzjohn Falcon bus radiator emblem. Original examples of this Fitzjohn radiator emblem would be very rare.

This is a Fitzjohn radiator emblem (1944)  moroz
Size: Unknown   MM: Unknown

The following original period photo shows a different Fitzjohn Falcon bus with a vertical radiator emblem but this time with extremely wide side wings. If you have a closer view of this radiator emblem, please let me know, in order to update this post.

Fitzjohn Falcon bus with radiator emblem (1942)   mytransportblog

The "Fitzjohn" name was also displayed on a large painted serial plate mounted inside the bus, see example below:

This is a Fitzjohn bus serial plate (1940's)   mjs
Size: 187mm wide 83mm high

By the later 1940's, Fitzjohn Cityliner buses displayed the "Fitzjohn" name as a simple metal script nameplate mounted directly below the front windscreen, see advertisement illustration below

Fitzjohn Cityliner transit bus ad showing nameplate (1948-1949)  mytransportblog

By about 1950, the Fitzjohn Cityliner buses displayed a new metal script emblem on the front of the bus, see example shown below:

Fitzjohn Cityliner bus displaying front panel emblem (1951)  ms
aaca museum

Fitzjohn Cityliner nameplate (c1950-1955)   ms

The following advertisement shows part of the "Fitzjohn" name inscribed in a large chrome panel above the radiator of a Fitzjohn Duraliner bus from the mid-1950's:

Fitzjohn Duraliner bus showing radiator nameplate (1954)
mytransportblog

Detail showing Fitzjohn Duraliner radiator nameplate

The following photo shows a Fitzjohn Roadrunner bus from the mid-1950's with a wide Fitzjohn nameplate below the windscreen which may have continued in use up to the end of production:

Fitzjohn FID Roadrunner showing front nameplate (1955)    mytransportblog