R. H. Long Motors Corp. (1921-1925)
Framingham, Massachusetts
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| This is a Bay State radiator emblem (c1921-1923 dates uncertain) mjs Size: 64mm wide 57mm high MM: "T" |
There is some confusion about the roles of the various companies involved in the production of the Bay State motor car.
Richard H. Long had taken over the Long family shoe manufacturing business and had undertaken contracts for the US Government during the First World War. He was keen to expand his business and in 1918 decided to buy the struggling Bela Body Company, which was making aluminum car bodies, including for Franklin.
In 1921, Long bought a new manufacturing plant in Worcester, Massachusetts, reorganized the Bela Body Company as the R.H. Long Company, hired Herbert C. Snow, ex-Winton engineer, to design a new car to be called the Bay State, and set up the Bay State Automobile Company to begin production of the Bay State. A prototype Bay State was shown in Boston in August 1921.
The Bay State was revealed to the public at the New York Automobile Show in January 1922. The Bay State was a fine assembled car initially powered by a 58 hp Continental six-cylinder engine and later by a 60 hp Lycoming straight-eight.
The Bay State enjoyed modest success initially but the Franklin car body contract expired in early 1923, Bay State sales began to fall and, by late 1923, the R.H. Long automobile business was in serious trouble. The R.H. Long Motors Company was incorporated to take over and operate the R.H. Long Company plants at Framingham and Worcester. In December 1923, a petition in bankruptcy was filed against the R. H. Long Company by creditors.
The R. H. Long plant at Framingham was sold to the Luxor Cab Company to build the Luxor taxi cab and the court agreed that the R. H. Long Company could continue to make the Bay State. Formally, the Bay State Motor Company purchased all the assets of the Bay State Automobile Company from the receiver and limited Bay State production was resumed in late 1924. But Long could not secure the necessary finance to continue and Bay State car production ceased altogether by the end of 1924. A few surplus Bay State cars were sold in 1925.
Emblems
The following Bay State advertisement includes an illustration of a Bay State radiator emblem:
In 1921, Long bought a new manufacturing plant in Worcester, Massachusetts, reorganized the Bela Body Company as the R.H. Long Company, hired Herbert C. Snow, ex-Winton engineer, to design a new car to be called the Bay State, and set up the Bay State Automobile Company to begin production of the Bay State. A prototype Bay State was shown in Boston in August 1921.
The Bay State was revealed to the public at the New York Automobile Show in January 1922. The Bay State was a fine assembled car initially powered by a 58 hp Continental six-cylinder engine and later by a 60 hp Lycoming straight-eight.
The Bay State enjoyed modest success initially but the Franklin car body contract expired in early 1923, Bay State sales began to fall and, by late 1923, the R.H. Long automobile business was in serious trouble. The R.H. Long Motors Company was incorporated to take over and operate the R.H. Long Company plants at Framingham and Worcester. In December 1923, a petition in bankruptcy was filed against the R. H. Long Company by creditors.
The R. H. Long plant at Framingham was sold to the Luxor Cab Company to build the Luxor taxi cab and the court agreed that the R. H. Long Company could continue to make the Bay State. Formally, the Bay State Motor Company purchased all the assets of the Bay State Automobile Company from the receiver and limited Bay State production was resumed in late 1924. But Long could not secure the necessary finance to continue and Bay State car production ceased altogether by the end of 1924. A few surplus Bay State cars were sold in 1925.
Emblems
The following Bay State advertisement includes an illustration of a Bay State radiator emblem:
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| Bay State ad with rad emblem (1922) wiki |
This is the blue and white enamel Bay State radiator emblem shown above, which is very rare. This Bay State radiator emblem has the R. H. Long Company name at the top and has an unsymmetrical ribbon around the central shield.
The following Bay State radiator emblem is similar to the emblem shown at the top of this post but has the R. H. Long Motors Company name at the top and has a symmetrical ribbon around the shield. This Bay State radiator emblem is also very rare. I suspect that this change in Bay State radiator emblem design may have occurred in 1923 when R. H. Long Motors Company was incorporated to take over the R. H. Long Company manufacturing plants but I cannot confirm this.
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| This is a Bay State radiator emblem (c1923-1924 dates uncertain) sam Size: 65mm wide 57mm high MM: Unknown |
Beware, there are good quality reproduction Bay State emblems. They have flat backs and no makers mark.
The following photo shows the hub face of a Worcester built Bay State. I have not seen a Bay State hub showing the Framingham plant location. If you have details of other Bay State hubs or hub emblems, please let me know, in order to update this post.
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| This is a Worcester built Bay State hub face sam |
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