GARY

Gary Motor Truck Co. (1916-1922)

Gary Motor Corp. (1922-1927)

Gary, Indiana

This is a Gary truck emblem (c1920-1927)    mjs
Size: 210mm wide 117mm high    MM: None

The Gary Motor Truck Company began production in Gary, Indiana in 1916. The first Gary trucks ranged from 3/4-ton to 2-ton capacity. The range of Gary trucks increased soon after and included 1-ton, 2-ton, 2-1/2-ton and 3-ton models by 1918. By 1921, the range of Gary trucks had increased again to 1-ton, 1-1/2-ton, 2-1/2-ton, 3-1/2-ton and 5-ton models. All models were powered by Continental engines.

The company was reorganized as Gary Motor Corporation and changed engine supplier to Buda. 

Price reductions kept the Gary truck going for a while but there was significant competition from the larger truck manufacturers and Gary truck production ended in 1927.

Emblem

The Gary Motor Truck Company used a simple oval shaped Gary logo, see the following Gary advertisement:

Gary truck ad showing logo (1921) ebay

The first Gary trucks used a conventional black painted brass radiator and carried an oval shaped  painted brass radiator emblem, see the rather poor quality photo of a Gary Model 14 two-ton capacity truck shown below:

Gary Model 14 truck showing radiator emblem (1916) lloyd van horn

The detailed design of the radiator emblem cannot be seen from this photo but is likely to be similar to the Gary logo shown earlier. Original Gary radiator emblems from this early period are very rare. If you have clearer photo showing this Gary radiator emblem, please let me know, in order to update this post.

Gary truck catalogs and advertisements from about 1918 show the "Gary Truck" name on t he main chassis side member and the rear cross member, see illustrations shown below:

Gary truck showing name on chassis side member (19181920-1927))  moroz

Gary truck showing name on rear cross member (1918)  ebay

Heavier duty Gary trucks had a cast iron radiator with the "Gary" emblem cast into the radiator tank top, see surviving Gary truck examples shown below:

Gary Model J 2-1/2-ton truck cast radiator emblem (1921)  hatm

Gary Model G15 truck with cast emblem (1924) justoldtrucks

The Gary Model G15 1-1/2-ton truck shown above also displays a "Gary" decal on the body sides under the driver's seat but I cannot confirm that these decals were used originally. This truck has been restored but is expected to have originally displayed the "Gary" name, in the form of the Gary logo, on the body sides and/or the hood sides.

The 1921 Gary truck ad shown earlier above has an illustration or photo of a Gary bus chassis, which shows a hood side emblem, see detail below:

Gary bus chassis showing hood side emblem (1921)   ebay

The hood side emblem is seen more clearly on the following original period photo of a Gary truck:

Gary truck with hood side emblem (c1924)   lktec

Close up showing hood side emblem fixed using pins 

This is black painted brass Gary hood side emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Gary emblem is curved to fit the shape of the truck hood. This Gary emblem is very rare. 

This is a Gary hood side emblem (c1920-1927)

The same or a closely similar Gary emblem is likely to have been used as the radiator emblem on the earliest Gary trucks.

Emblem collectors should beware as there are reproduction Gary truck emblems in black painted brass. They look new and shiny.