HANSON

George W. Hanson (1916-1917)

Hanson Motor Co. (1917-1925)

Atlanta, Georgia

This is a Hanson radiator emblem (1917-1925)   mjs
Size: 71mm wide 52mm high   MM: D L Auld

George W. Hanson spent some years as a regional agent, initially for E.M.F. and later for Studebaker and Saxon. In 1916, George W. Hanson and his colleague Don Ferguson decided to build a small car for the Southern market. They built a prototype Hanson car in Detroit in early 1917 before returning to Atlanta.

The Hanson Motor Company was established in December 1917 and the first Hanson was assembled in May 1918. The first Hanson was was a 45 hp six-cylinder five-passenger touring model. The Hanson became a 55 hp model for 1920 and was offered in touring, roadster and sedan body styles. A smaller, Little Six appeared in 1922 with a larger 66 hp Six introduced in 1923. 

The best year for Hanson was 1921 when 524 units were built, but after then the Hanson struggled to survive the effects of the economic recession after the First World War and sales fell year by year. It was all over in 1925 after a total production of about 1,800 units.

Emblem

The Hanson radiator emblem was finished in white and blue enamel and depicted a cotton boll, see example above. The Hanson radiator emblem is very rare.

Emblem collectors should beware, however, as there are reproduction Hanson radiator emblems, which lack the detail in depth of the original emblem and have shiny flat backs with no maker's mark.