MIDLAND CAR & TRUCK

Midland Motor Car & Truck Co. (1918-1919)

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

This is a Midland radiator emblem (1918-1919)     mjs
Size: 65mm wide 44mm high    MM: Cady & Staff

In June 1917 a group of Oklahoma City businessmen, headed by James M Aydelotte of the State Board of Affairs, and Floyd Thompson of the Ozark Trails Highway Association, formed the Midland Motor Car & Truck Company. 

It was planned to construct a manufacturing plant and produce the Oklahoma Six passenger car and a truck called the Ozark. These plans were interrupted when America entered the First World War. Because of the war effort and the need for trucks for military service, the Company reported that it would concentrate initially on the Ozark truck, although at least six Oklahoma Six exhibition cars are known to have been built in 1917. By February 1918, Midland advertisements had dropped the Oklahoma Six name in favor of the "Midland Car". The Ozark truck was still listed and there is evidence that at least some prototype Ozark trucks were built (see Ozark Truck). By May 1918, Midland advertisements referred to the "Midland Six" and the "Midland Truck". In October 1918, the company began to build Midland trucks under contract for the US Army. 

Midland advertisements in 1918 include a photo of a Midland car and invitations are given to "take a spin" in a Midland car. This suggests that at least a few Midland cars were built but full production of the Midland car did not proceed. The only vehicle recorded as having been taken into full production by the Company was the Midland truck, which was a  2 to 2-1/2-tonner with solid rubber tires on cast steel spoke wheels. Very few Midland trucks were built.

After the end of the War the company was reorganized following financial mismanagement and fraud by two of its stock salesmen. The US Army contract was cancelled and the Midland Motor Car & Truck Company was finished in 1919.

Emblem

The following Midland advertisement from December 1917 includes photographs of the Oklahoma Six and the Ozark truck. The Ozark truck radiator is not shown but, although not very clear, the Oklahoma Six appears to carry a radiator emblem.

Midland advertisement (Dec 1917) theinvestor

Oklahoma Six ad detail (1917)

I cannot confirm which radiator emblem the Oklahoma Six carried. If it did indeed have a radiator emblem inscribed "Oklahoma Six" it would be ultra rare. If you have details of an Oklahoma Six radiator emblem, please let me know, in order to update this post.

The following Midland advertisement from May 1918 includes a photograph of the by now Midland Six, which again appears to have a radiator emblem, although the detail is unclear, and an illustration of a 2-ton capacity Midland truck but the front of the radiator cannot be seen and there is no evidence of any hood or body side nameplates. 

Midland advertisement (May 1918) the investor

Midland truck advertisement illustration (1918)

The Midland truck carried a blue and white enamel Midland radiator emblem, see example shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Midland radiator emblem is extremely rare.
If the Midland Six did carry a radiator emblem, as seems possible, it is most likely to have been the same Midland emblem. 

This is a Midland radiator emblem (1918-1919)   mjs
Size: 65mm wide 44mm high    MM: Cady & Staff