LAMBERT

Buckeye Manufacturing Co. (1906-1918)

Anderson, Indiana

This is a Lambert radiator emblem (c1912-1917)      sam
Size: 75mm wide 57mm high     MM: Ford Metal Speciality

John William Lambert designed and, in 1891, successfully tested a three-wheeled gasoline-powered runabout but it did not go into production. He organised the Buckeye Manufacturing Company in the early 1890's to manufacture stationary engines and in 1895 he announced his plan to produce a gasoline powered vehicle to be called the Buckeye but this did not happen (see Buckeye). Lambert then devised a friction transmission and built a four-wheeler motor car in 1898 but this car also did not go into production. Then, in 1902, Lambert produced a car built in Union City, Indiana and called the Union, which was discontinued in 1905.

In 1906 the Buckeye Manufacturing Company introduced a new car called the Lambert built in Anderson, Indiana. The Lambert automobile was offered as a 16 hp single-cylinder runabout, and as  16/18 hp two-cylinder and 34 hp four-cylinder touring models. All models used Lambert's friction transmission. From 1910, Lambert automobiles were all four-cylinder models, except for a three-cylinder model in 1913, and had engine sizes up to 40 hp. The Lambert was phased out in 1917. Lambert also produced trucks and light delivery vehicles until 1918.

Emblems

Lambert advertisements from 1906 show an elaborate stylized "Lambert" script logo, see example shown below. However, this advertisement includes original factory photos of Lambert cars but none show a radiator emblem or script suggesting that radiator scripts were not standard attachments.

This is a Lambert advertisement (1906)     mm 

Close up of 1906 Lambert ad showing no emblem or radiator script

From 1907, the Lambert script logo had developed into "The Lambert", see example shown below:

This is a Lambert advertisement (1907)   ebay

The following Lambert advertisement includes an illustration showing "The Lambert" logo script displayed on the radiator in 1908:

Lambert ad showing radiator script (1908)   ebay

There are very few original period photos of early Lambert cars clearly showing the radiator and none that I have seen show a radiator script. 

However, the Lambert name was displayed on a small painted brass Lambert maker's nameplate attached to the body of early Lambert cars usually at the rear of the car or under the driver's seat, see example below, which uses the "The Lambert" logo script seen earlier above. Original Lambert maker's nameplates are very rare.

This is a Lambert maker's nameplate (c1907)     mjs
Size: 96mm wide 30mm high   

Although not seen on the few original period photos of early Lambert cars, some Lambert cars are likely to have displayed a brass script on the radiator core from about 1908 but I cannot confirm an exact date. Several surviving early Lambert cars have brass "Lambert" radiator scripts following the style of the "Lambert" script logo, see examples shown below, but these radiator scripts may be reproductions added later possibly during restoration: 

Lambert car showing a brass rad script (date unknown) lambert days

Lambert Model A1 showing brass rad script (1909)  autoworld museum

This is a brass Lambert radiator script. Original Lambert scripts are rare.

This is a Lambert radiator script (c1908)    mjs
Size: 235mm wide

The following surviving Lambert automobile displays a different style of radiator script:

Surviving Lambert showing rad script (date unknown)  rob lambert

The Lambert also displayed the "Lambert" name on the hubcaps and serial plates, see examples shown below:

This is a Lambert hubcap    ms

This is a Lambert serial plate   ms

Some original period photos of early Lambert cars from 1907 and 1908 show a possible radiator tank top emblem but the photos are unclear and the images seen may be the result of reflections or distortions of the radiator shell, see example shown below:

Lambert Model 18 runabout (1908)    william l bailey

If you have details of any radiator emblems used on Lambert automobiles in the period before about 1910, please let me know, in order to update this post.

From around 1910 and possibly earlier, some Lambert models had the "Lambert" name displayed in script style on the radiator tank top either painted using a stencil or impressed into the radiator shell, see example shown below. 

This is a Lambert Model 28 showing Lambert name on the radiator tank top (1910)   ism

The following photo shows the "Lambert" name impressed into the radiator shell on a restored 1912 Model 66 Lambert but I cannot confirm that the radiator used in this restoration was originally from 1912:

Lambert Model 66 radiator script emblem (1912)   ms

An original period photo of a 1912 Model 99-C Lambert shows a radiator emblem on a black enamel radiator shell, although the detail of the emblem cannot be seen, see below:

Lambert Model 99-C roadster with rad emblem (1912)   hacc

The following newspaper photo taken in 1912 shows a consignment of Lambert automobiles being delivered to Warrensburg, Missouri all of which carry a radiator emblem and a brass "Lambert" script mounted on the radiator core:

Lambert autos displaying rad emblems and scripts (1912)
daily star journal

Close up showing radiator emblems & scripts (1912)

It can be clearly seen that the Lambert radiator emblem is not round but has an unusual shape. This is the red, white and blue enamel Lambert radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Lambert radiator emblem is extremely rare.

This is a Lambert radiator emblem (c1912-1917)   sam
Size: 75mm wide 57mm high   MM: Ford Metal Speciality 

The following 1913 advertisement also shows a Lambert with a radiator emblem and close up it is seen that this is the radiator emblem shown above:

Lambert advertisement (1913)  atj

Close up showing radiator emblem (1913)  atj

It is likely that this Lambert radiator emblem continued in use until the end of production but I am unable to confirm this. 

Emblem collectors should beware as there are reproductions of the Lambert radiator emblem with shiny backs and no makers mark on the lower front edge of the emblem.

If you can help by confirming the dates of use of any of the Lambert emblems shown in this web post, please let me know, in order to update this post.