ABBOT-DOWNING

Abbot-Downing Co. (1912-1918)

Abbot-Downing Truck & Body Co. (1918-1932)

Concord, New Hampshire 

This is an Abbot-Downing makers nameplate (dates unknown)      mjs
Size: 94mm wide 51mm high

The Abbot-Downing Company was famed for the Concord horse-drawn coaches it made in the mid-1800's. A new Abbot-Downing Company was established in 1912 but there was a reorganization in 1918, when the Abbot-Downing Truck & Body Company was incorporated.

The first Abbot-Downing motor truck appeared in 1916 but was known by this name for one year only.  From November 1917, the Abbot-Downing truck was re-named the Concord truck. Abbot-Downing trucks were initially offered in 1-ton and 2-ton sizes but the range was later extended to include trucks up to 3-ton capacity. Abbot-Downing also built fire engines and fire apparatus. 

Abbot-Downing disappeared during the Great Depression in America.

Emblems

The Abbot-Downing maker's nameplate shown above appears in many early collections of American emblems. This nameplate may have been used on the Abbot-Downing motor truck from 1916 to 1917, but I cannot confirm confirm this.

The "Abbot-Downing" name was also displayed on painted, cast metal Abbot-Downing hood side nameplates, see example below. This Abbott-Downing nameplate continued to be used after the truck name was changed to "Concord". This Abbot-Downing nameplate is rare.

This is an Abbot-Downing side hood nameplate (1916-1932)     mjs
Size: Unknown   

From 1917, Abbot-Downing trucks and fire engines carried the name "Concord" impressed or cast into the sharply peaked radiator tank top, see example Concord truck shown below which also shows the Abbot-Downing hood side nameplate:

 Concord truck showing the radiator & hood side nameplates (1923) ms

The following photo shows an Abbot-Downing Concord fire truck built sometime between 1924 and 1930 with the "Concord" radiator nameplate and Abbot-Downing hood side nameplate:

This is a Concord fire truck (c1924-1930)   nhhs

Close-up showing radiator nameplate