PACIFIC SPECIAL

California Motor Car Co. (1911-1913)

Cole California Car Co. (1913)

Oakland, California

This is a Pacific Special radiator emblem (1911-1913)     sam
Size: 100mm wide 55mm high     MM: Unknown

The California Motor Car Company leased a factory in 1911 in Fruitvale, a suburb of Oakland in California, to build a motor car called the Pacific Special.

The Pacific Special was initially a four-cylinder assembled touring car, designed by Andrew K. Schram. The Standard Catalog records that the first Pacific Special prototypes were built in late 1911 and the first batch of twelve cars were delivered in the summer of 1912. Little more was heard of the Pacific Special until 1913, by which time Andrew Schram had departed and the company, now renamed the Cole California Car Company was in the hands of Frederick W. Cole of San Francisco. 

There were plans for a new four-cylinder model and/or a six-cylinder model but these did not materialise and it was all over by 1914. 

Total production figures for the Pacific Special are not known, although it is recorded that both touring and roadster models had been produced.

Emblem

The blue and black enamel Pacific Special radiator emblem shown above depicts the sun, in the style of a wheel, sinking into the Pacific Ocean behind the Golden Gate. This Pacific Special radiator emblem is extremely rare.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC

Automatic Transportation Co. (1921-1922)
Buffalo, New York

This is an Automatic Electric Emblem (1921)   btpam
Size: 60mm wide 40mm high    MM: Unknown

The Automatic Electric built in Buffalo, New York was a small but very well made two-seater runabout, which measured just 95 inches overall and could be parked in a four-by-eight-foot space. It had a top speed of 18 mph and a range of up to 60 miles was promised between charges. However, the sale price of $1200 was too high for the market and few Automatic Electric vehicles were sold.

The Automatic Electric was advertised widely in the summer of 1921, including photographs of a group of about a dozen Automatic Electric passenger cars at what appears to be a publicity event. I can find no Automatic Electric advertisements after 1921, although the Automatic Electric did sell into the 1922 model year.

Automatic Electric also built a small 1/4-ton delivery truck with an overall length of 102 inches.

It is reported that the Automatic Transportation Company was acquired by the Walker Vehicle Company in 1922. 

Emblem

Original period photos of the Automatic Electric include a model that does not carry an emblem, see below:

Automatic Electric with large central headlight but no emblem (1921)
Buffalo Transportation Pierce Arrow Museum (btpam)

However, other original period photos seen in advertisements from 1921 clearly show an emblem on the false radiator, see example below:

Automatic Electric showing radiator emblem (1921)
The Buffalo News

The emblem is more clearly seen on the following original period photo of the same car:

Automatic Electric (1921)    dpl

A few surviving Automatic Electric passenger cars also carry an emblem, see example below displayed at the Buffalo Transportation Pierce Arrow Museum:

Automatic Electric with emblem (1922)  btpam

This emblem is the blue and white enamel Automatic Electric emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Automatic Electric emblem is extremely rare.

This is an Automatic Electric emblem (1921-1922)   btpam
Size: 60mm wide 40mm high    MM: Unknown

It is very likely that the same emblem was used on the 1/4-ton Automatic Electric Delivery Truck shown below but I cannot confirm this:

Automatic Electric Delivery Truck (1921)    dpl

GREGORY

Gregory-Craun Motor Co. (1920-1922)

Front Drive Motor Co. (1920)

Gregory (1947;1954)

Kansas City, Missouri

This is a rendition of a possible Gregory radiator emblem (c1922)   ms

Ben F Gregory built an experimental front-wheel drive car in 1920 and a front-wheel drive Gregory touring car was shown at the Kansas City Automobile Show in 1921. A few Gregory cars were built in 1922 but the total production is believed to have been only about 10 cars, which were built by the O. E. Szekely Company of Moline, Illinois.

Gregory returned with new front-wheel drive car designs in 1947 and again in 1954 but he did not form a company and, apart from one-off prototypes, production did not follow.

Emblem

The following is the only original period photo of a Gregory two-passenger front drive roadster that I have seen. The brass "KCFD" script on the radiator is likely to be a Kansas City Fire Department script, so perhaps this Gregory was to be a fire chief's car, who knows?

Gregory Front Drive Roadster showing radiator emblem (1922)   ms

Close up showing radiator and radiator emblem

I have not seen an original Gregory radiator emblem, so the original colors and dimensions are unknown. An original Gregory radiator emblem would be extremely rare and possibly ultra rare.

Emblem collectors should beware as there are reproduction Gregory radiator emblems, see example shown below:

This is a reproduction Gregory radiator emblem    mjs
Size: 98mm wide 52mm high

It can be seen by comparison with the original photo of the Gregory roadster shown earlier above that the colors in this reproduction emblem do not match the dark/light colors of the original Gregory radiator emblem. Reversing the colors in the reproduction emblem produces the following rendition, which is closer to the original Gregory radiator emblem, although the actual colors cannot be confirmed:

This is a rendition of a possible Gregory radiator emblem (c1922)   ms

If you have better details of an original Gregory radiator emblem, please let me know, in order to update this post.

The following photos show the front drive Gregory cars built in 1947 and 1954 but they do not appear to display an emblem:

Gregory front drive sedan (c1947)  lane motor museum

Gregory front drive roadster (1954)   lane motor museum

WICHITA TRUCK

Wichita Falls Motor Co. (1911-1932)
Wichita Falls, Texas

This may be a Wichita Trucks radiator emblem (c1914-1916)  ms
Size: Unknown     MM: Unknown

The Wichita Falls Motor Company was the most successful motor manufacturing business in Texas. The Company concentrated on heavy duty trucks and motor vehicles for off road and specialist applications, including tankers and other oil field vehicles and special trucks for the logging industry. Wichita trucks developed a reputation for strength and durability, and were widely used in the US and overseas.

 

The first Wichita trucks in 1911 were 1-ton and 2-ton capacity units with chain-drive. In 1915, 1-1/2-ton and 3-1/2-ton capacity trucks were added to the line with a worm-drive for the 3-1/2-ton capacity model. In 1916. the Wichita truck range was extended to 5-ton capacity and all models became worm-drive. 

The Company benefited from US Government orders for trucks for military use in the First World War and, by 1919, the Wichita truck was offered in six sizes from 1-ton to 6-ton capacity plus the Wichita Oil Field Special Model RX. There were problems for all motor truck manufacturers after the War due to an over-supply of trucks but Wichita managed reasonably well due to the diverse range of its products and ability to supply vehicles for specialist activities.

In the 1920's, Wichita trucks also found some success with off road equipment for road construction, including dump trucks and concrete mixer trucks. Wichita trucks also produced buses and fire engines. However, Wichita trucks could not survive the Great Depression and it was all over in 1932.

Emblems

The limited number of reliably dated original period photos of Wichita trucks showing emblems makes it difficult to be precise about the dates of use of Wichita truck emblems.

The earliest Wichita trucks from 1911 are believed to have displayed the "Wichita" name on plated brass scripts mounted on the radiator core, see example in the original photo shown below:

Wichita truck with radiator script (c1911-1913)   forums.aths

This is a nickel plated brass Wichita radiator script shown below. Original Wichita radiator scripts are rare.

This is a Wichita truck radiator script (1911-c1918)    sam
Size: 368mm wide 

By 1914, and possibly earlier, Wichita trucks also carried a round radiator emblem together with the "Wichita" radiator script, see original photo examples shown below:

Wichita Model B truck with radiator emblem & script (1914) mroz

Wichita truck with radiator emblem & script (c1914)  ttm

Wichita truck with radiator emblem (1916) ttm

It is possible that the Wichita truck radiator emblem was used for light duty trucks with conventional radiators, whereas heavy duty Wichita trucks of 3-1/2-ton capacity and higher are likely to have had a heavier style of radiator and a different emblem, as will be noted later below.

The details of the Wichita radiator emblem are unclear from the original photos shown above. However, Wichita truck advertisements from this period show a Wichita truck trademark or logo, see examples shown below:

Wichita Truck advertisement showing logo (1915) houston post

Wichita Truck logo (1915)

Wichita Truck advertisement with logo (1916) houston post

Wichita Truck logo (1916)

It appears that this Wichita truck logo was displayed on the sides of Wichita trucks on the panel below the driver's seat, possibly using a decal, see example from a Wichita truck advertisement shown below: 

Wichita truck with body side nameplate (1915) el paso herald 

The Wichita truck body side nameplate is more clearly seen in the following original photo, which indicates that the nameplate was probably multicolored:

Wichita truck with body side nameplate (1915)   fandom

Wichita truck body side nameplate close up (1915) 

It is suggested in some references that the Wichita Truck logo with details of the company name and location was also used as the radiator emblem but I cannot confirm this. A more likely candidate for the Wichita Truck radiator emblem design is the emblem used to make a Wichita Trucks advertising watch fob, see example shown below:

Wichita Trucks watch fob (c1914)  collectors weekly

A possible Wichita Truck radiator emblem based on this fob is shown above at the top of this post and again below. If you have details of an original Wichita truck radiator emblem, please let me know, in order to update this post. An original Wichita truck radiator emblem of this or similar design would be extremely rare.

This may be a Wichita Trucks radiator emblem (c1914-1916)  ms
Size: Unknown   MM: Unknown

The following original poor quality photo shows a Wichita truck with a similar radiator to that shown earlier but in this case the emblem has been replaced by the "Wichita" name, possibly stenciled across the full width of the radiator tank top.

Wichita truck showing radiator emblem (pre-1916)  ttm

The following original photo shows a Wichita truck of unknown date with a different style of radiator emblem, again possibly stenciled on the tank top:

Wichita truck with painted radiator emblem   albertland

By the early 1920's, heavy duty Wichita trucks had heavier, possibly cast iron radiators with the "Wichita" name cast into the radiator tank top, see example shown below, which also displays the "Wichita" name on the body side decal and on a rectangular nameplate mounted on the chassis side frame member:

Wichita truck with cast radiator emblem & body side & chassis frame nameplates (1922) el paso herald

This is the cast in Wichita truck radiator emblem on a surviving Wichita Oil Field Special truck:

Wichita Oil Field Special with cast in radiator emblem (1923) timesrecordnews 

Some Wichita truck models also displayed the "Wichita" name on hood side nameplates, see poor quality photo below taken from a Wichita advertisement:

Wichita truck with hood side nameplate (1931)  forums.aths 

REMINGTON (2)

Remington Motor Co. 
Rahway, New Jersey (1914-1915)
Kingston, New York (1915-1916)

This may be a Remington radiator emblem (c1915-1916)    pcc
Size: 52mm diameter   MM: Unknown

Philo E. Remington had tried to build a Remington motor car in Charleston, West Virginia but this venture had failed in 1913. He decided to try again and established the Remington Motor Company in 1914.

The new Remington in 1914 was a sophisticated, four-cylinder 12 hp cyclecar offered as a two-seater roadster. In 1915, a four-cylinder 25 hp Narragansett touring model and a V-8 touring model called the Greyhound were also offered but, in 1916, a slightly larger, five-passenger Narragansett touring car was the only Remington model made. 

Remington production suffered from material shortages because of the First World War and it was all over in 1916. 

Emblem

The following original photo of a Remington cyclecar carries a 1914 dealer's plate. The photo is not very clear but appears to show a small script mounted near the top of the radiator. The coloration of the top of the radiator shell is too dark to confirm if there is a radiator emblem.

Remington cyclecar (c1914)   ms

The later Remington models from 1915 are believed to have carried a round radiator emblem, see poor quality original photo shown below:

Remington showing a round radiator emblem (1915) jalopyjournal

The Remington Motor Company logo or trademark is seen in Remington motor car advertisements from 1914 and on the Remington Motor Company letterhead, see examples below:

Remington Motor Co letterhead with logo (1915)  remington society

This is a Remington advertisement showing the radiator emblem (1915)  

A red painted brass emblem impressed with the Remington logo is known to exist and may have been used as the Remington motor car radiator emblem but I cannot confirm this.

This is the red painted Remington emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below. I cannot confirm that this Remington emblem is original but, if so, it would be extremely rare.

This may be a Remington radiator emblem (c1915-1916)  pcc
Size: 52mm diameter    MM: Unknown

If you have further details of  Remington radiator emblems, please let me know in order to update this post.

OWEN

Owen Motor Car Co. (1910-1911) 
Detroit, Michigan 

This is an Owen radiator emblem (1910-1911)   ms
Size: Unknown   MM: None

The Owen Motor Car Company was established by Ralph R. Owen and others in January 1910. The Owen was a 50 hp four-cylinder motor car offered in touring, runabout, close-coupled and berline limousine body styles.

But, there were problems, particularly with the marketing of the Owen and, by October 1910, the Owen Motor Car Company had been sold to the Reo Motor Car Company, which was interested in a patented center shift control pioneered by the Owen Motor Car Company. 

Reo completed the manufacture of 35 Owen cars for which parts were already available and sold 31 of these cars through its sales organization. However, Reo found that it was not commercially viable to continue to produce the Owen and further production was halted in 1911. 

Ralph Owen then decided to market the few remaining Owen cars by himself using the "R-O" name based on his initials (see R-O).

Emblem

The following original photo taken in Detroit in 1910 shows an Owen car with a radiator emblem:

Owen motor car in Detroit (1910)     dpl

Close up showing radiator emblem (1910)

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

 

ERIE TRUCK

Erie Motor Truck Manufacturing Co. (1914-1922)
Erie, Pennsylvania

This is an Erie truck radiator (1921)     ccj

There is little information about the Erie Motor Truck Manufacturing Company of Erie, Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1913 with the first Erie trucks ready in 1914. 

There were at least four Erie truck models with 1-1/2-ton, 2-ton, 2-1/2-ton and 3-1/2-ton capacity models known to have been built, all powered by four-cylinder Continental engines. By 1919, Erie trucks were using Timken worm-drive rear axles.

As with most other small motor truck manufacturing companies, the post WWI recession hit Erie hard and, by 1921, Erie truck production was reduced to a single 2-1/2-ton capacity model. All Erie truck production ceased in 1922.

Emblems

The "Erie" truck "emblem" filled the whole radiator, as seen in the illustration shown above, and is surely the largest and clearest radiator emblem of any motor vehicle. This illustration was taken from an Erie truck advertisement published in February 1921, so this Erie radiator and emblem would have been in use since at least 1920. 

The Erie truck radiator includes a depiction of the Erie Motor Truck Manufacturing Company trademark, see detail shown below:

Erie Motor Truck Manufacturing Co. trademark

If you have further details of the Erie motor truck, please let me know, in order to update this post.