HERRESHOFF

Herreshoff Motor Corp. (1909-1914)

Detroit, Michigan

This is a Herreshoff radiator emblem (dates uncertain)      mjs
Size: 64mm diameter    MM: None

The first Herreshoff automobiles appeared in 1909. They were small cars powered by 24 hp four-cylinder Herreshoff marine engines. A stripped Herreshoff roadster won the five mile stock chassis race at the Indianapolis Speedway in 1910.

For 1911 the Herreshoff range extended to 25 hp and 30 hp four-cylinder models and a 40 hp six-cylinder model was added for 1913. But Herreshoff was in trouble and suffered a variety of problems. Lack of finance was the most serious problem and by May 1914 the company was finished.

Emblems

The Herreshoff Motor Corporation could not settle on a logo. Several different logo designs appeared in Herreshoff advertisements.

In 1909 advertisements, the Herreshoff logo appears as a capital letter "H" with curved verticals in a double circle, see example below:

This is a Herreshoff  advertisement for 1909     ms

The Herreshoff sill plate shown below shows a logo with the same letter "H" but inside a single circle. It seems likely that this sill plate was used on the first Herreshoff cars in 1909. This Herreshoff sill plate is very rare.

This is a Herreshoff sill plate (c1909)     mjs
Size: 213mm wide 32mm high

I do not know, if the first Herreshoff in 1909 carried an emblem or a radiator script showing the same or a similar logo. If there was a Herreshoff emblem with this logo, it would be very rare.

Advertisements in 1911 make the "National Champion" reference to the success of Herreshoff at the 1910 Indianapolis Speedway and display a different logo, showing a capital letter "H" with a raised horizontal bar, all inside a diamond and surrounded by a double circle, see example below. 

This is a Herreshoff advertisement for 1911     ms

The Herreshoff car shown in the 1911 advertisement above has a radiator emblem. I do not know, if this emblem has the same logo design with the letter "H" with the raised horizontal bar shown in the advertisement. If this radiator emblem does exist, it would be very rare.

Advertisements in 1912, show yet another version of the Herreshoff logo with a different style of the letter "H", see example below:

This is a Herreshoff advertisement for 1912     ms

I have never seen a Herreshoff radiator emblem with this style of logo. If this emblem exists, it would be very rare.

However, this "Herreshoff" logo was displayed on the radiator core of Herreshoff cars from about 1910 until at least 1913, see original period photos shown below:

Herreshoff car with rad script (1910)  dpl 

Herreshoff car with radiator script (1913)   dpl

This is the brass Herreshoff radiator script. Original Herreshoff radiator scripts are rare.

This is a Herreshoff radiator script (c1910-1913)   ms
Size: Uncertain

The Herreshoff radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below was certainly used on Herreshoff cars. It has a simple letter "H" within a diamond and enclosed by a double circle. The emblem is a simple brass disc and is scarce. 

This is a Herreshoff radiator emblem (dates uncertain)  mjs
Size: 64mm diameter   MM: None

It is possible that this was the only Herreshoff radiator emblem, but I cannot confirm this, because of the variety of Herreshoff logos in different advertisements. If you have details or photos of other Herreshoff emblems, please let me know in order to update this post.

The same simple logo appears on the larger diameter Herreshoff hub emblem, see example below. This Herreshoff hub emblem is scarce.

This is a Herreshoff hub emblem (dates uncertain)     mjs
Size: 89mm diameter    MM: None