ECONOMY (1)

Economy Motor Buggy Co. (1908-1909)

Fort Wayne, Indiana/Kankakee, Joliet, Illinois

Economy Motor Car Co. (1909-1912)

Joliet, Illinois

This is an Economy nameplate (c1908-1911)     mjs
Size: 136mm wide 30mm high

The Economy buggy introduced in 1908 was a 10 hp single-cylinder high-wheeler but it infringed on patents of the Success high-wheeler from St Louis. Rather than change their design, the company moved from Fort Wayne, Indiana to Kankakee, Illinois and then to Joliet but the Success Company found them and demanded royalty payments. Economy went bankrupt.

In late 1909 the company was reorganized as the Economy Motor Car Company. The new Economy was a 22/24 hp two-cylinder high-wheeler. There were also 1/2-ton and 1-ton capacity Economy light trucks, which used solid tires on wagon-type wheels until 1911 before changing to pneumatic tires. Economy passenger buggy production ceased in 1911 but the Economy light trucks were produced until 1912.

Emblem

The high-wheeler Economy did not have a radiator and I can find no evidence of an Economy emblem.

The Economy built by the Economy Motor Car Company in Joliet, Illinois had an "Economy" script logo, which was displayed on a brass serial plate mounted under the driver's seat, see example shown below:

This is an Economy Model G serial plate (1909)  moroz
Size: Unknown

The "Economy" name was also displayed on the floor of the vehicle under the foot pedals, see below:

Floor plate "Economy" script (1909)  oldcarsweekly

It is possible that an "Economy" script was displayed on the front of the dash board but I have no confirmed evidence of this. 

The cast brass Economy nameplate shown above at the top of this post is not in the style of the "Economy" logo but may have been used on the light vans produced in the final two years of Economy production, although I cannot confirm this. If you can better identify this Economy nameplate, please let me know, in order to update this post.