AMERICAN SIMPLEX/AMPLEX

Simplex Motor Car Co. (1906-1912)

Amplex Motor Car Co. (1912-1914)

Mishawaka, Indiana

This is believed to be an American Simplex radiator emblem (1906-c1909)    sac
Size: 57mm wide 32mm high      MM: Unknown

The Simplex Motor Car Company was organized in late 1904. Their first car was on the road by September 1905 and ready for the market by 1906. The American Simplex had a three-point suspension and was a large, speedy car. Initially the engine was a 40 hp two-cylinder model but in 1908 it became a 50 hp two-stroke four-cylinder model, which was available in several body styles.

There was some confusion between the American Simplex and the better known Simplex car made in New York. As a result, in 1910, the American Simplex changed its name to Amplex. The company was reorganized into the Amplex Motor Car Company in 1912 and a 40 hp six-cylinder Little Six model joined the four-cylinder Baby Amplex for the 1913 model year but it was all over by the end of 1913. After 1913 a few cars were made from available parts.

Emblems

I do not know when the American Simplex first carried a radiator emblem. It is possible that the simple brass American Simplex emblem shown above at the top of this post was used as a radiator emblem from 1906 but I cannot confirm this. If you have more information, please let me know in order to update this post.

The following photo shows an American Simplex nameplate and serial plate of similar design to the emblem shown above at the top of this post:

This is an American Simplex nameplate and serial plate (1906-c1909)    mjs
Size: 67mm wide 40mm high  

The following American Simplex hubcap also uses the same script style as the emblem shown above at the top of this post:

This is an American Simplex hubcap (c1906-1909)  jjc

From about 1909 and possibly earlier, the American Simplex carried a circular radiator emblem, see example shown below:

This is an original photo of an American Simplex showing a circular emblem (1909)   dpl

The emblem is perhaps more clearly seen in the following brochure American Simplex illustration of a Touring Roadster:

American Simplex Touring Roadster showing rad emblem (c1909)  sfam

This American Simplex radiator emblem appears to have the same design as the rare painted brass emblem shown below:

This is an American Simplex radiator emblem (1909-c1912)     mjs
Size: 50mm diameter   MM: None

This American Simplex emblem was also used as a hub emblem, see example below:

This is an American Simplex hub emblem (1909-c1912)     dkc
Size: 50mm diameter

The American Simplex was renamed Amplex in 1910 and the company name changed to the Amplex Motor Car Company in 1912. I do not know exactly when the radiator emblem was changed but the original photo from 1912 below shows the new Amplex radiator emblem:

This is an original photo showing the Amplex radiator emblem (1912)   dpl

The following shows this Amplex radiator emblem on a surviving model:

Amplex radiator emblem (c1912)  ms

The painted brass Amplex emblems shown below are of the same design as the radiator emblem shown in the original Amplex photo above. Original Amplex emblems are very rare.

This is an Amplex emblem (c1910-1914)     mjs
Size: 69mm wide 44mm high   MM: None

This is an Amplex emblem (c1910-1914)      mjs
Size: 38mm wide 26mm high    MM: Unknown

If you have better details, photos or dates of use of American Simplex or Amplex emblems, please let me know, in order to update this post.