AMERICAN NAPIER

Napier Motor Company of America

Boston, Massachusetts (1904-1905)

Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts (1905-1907)

American Napier Co. (1909-1910)

British Napier Motor Co. (1911-1912)

Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts

This is an American Napier nameplate (1904-1905)    mjs
Size: 85mm wide 38mm high  

The Napier Motor Company of America imported the English Napier car into the US and began assembling these cars under license in late 1904. Production of the American Napier moved to a larger factory in Jamaica Plain part way through 1905.

The Company suffered from workers disputes and financial difficulties. Despite the introduction of lower priced American-made bodies as an alternative to the more expensive English bodies, the company was in serious trouble and assembly of the American Napier stopped in 1907. The company was reorganized in 1909 as the American Napier Company and production resumed but stopped again in 1910. In 1911, yet another company, British Napier Motor Company tried again but this attempt also lasted only one year.

Nameplate 

The manufacturer's nameplate shown above at the top of this post is from the first American Napier car built between 1904 and 1905 and is extremely rare. The American Napier did not carry an emblem at this time.

If you have details of other American Napier nameplates or emblems, please let me know in order to update this post.