KLEIBER

Kleiber Motor Truck Co. (1924-1929)

San Francisco & Los Angeles, California 

This is a Kleiber radiator emblem (1924-1929)     mjs
Size: 57mm wide 45mm high      MM: None

Paul Kleiber organized the Kleiber Motor Truck Company in 1913 and began manufacturing a range of conventional assembled trucks from 1916 (see Kleiber Trucks).

In 1924 Kleiber decided to add passenger cars to the production line and a new plant was built in San Francisco specially to build the Kleiber passenger car. Kleiber cars used standard components and were powered by 60 hp six-cylinder engines and were offered in a range of body styles, including five-passenger touring, five-passenger sedan and four-passenger coach.

Kleiber cars were mainly sold in California and to other West coast clients. Although the San Francisco plant was advertised as being equipped for the production of up to 3,000 cars a year, actual production never came anywhere near this number. The peak production year was 1926 with 212 cars built and output fell thereafter.

An 85 hp straight-eight was planned for 1929 but only two prototypes were built. Production of Kleiber passenger cars was discontinued following the stock market crash of 1929, although Kleiber commercial vehicles continued to be built until 1937.

Total life time production of Kleiber passenger cars was just 815 units.

Emblems

The Kleiber radiator emblem for cars "made in San Francisco" shown above at the top of this post is finished in maroon and white enamel and is very rare.

There is a similar Kleiber radiator emblem showing "Made in Los Angeles", see example shown below. There was a Kleiber Motor Truck Company factory in Los Angeles factory, as well as in San Francisco. This Kleiber radiator emblem is extremely rare.

This is a Kleiber radiator emblem (c1925-1929)     sam
Size: 57mm wide 45mm high    MM: Unknown