TULSA (2)

Tulsa Automobile Corp. (1917-1919)

Tulsa Four Automobile Co. (1917-c1921)

Tulsa Auto Manufacturing Co. (1919-1922)

Will-Thompson Motor Co. (1921-1922)

Tulsa, Oklahoma

This is a Tulsa Four radiator emblem (1917-c1918)     mjs
Size: 51mm diameter    MM: None

A prototype Tulsa was shown by the Tulsa Automobile Corporation at the Hotel Tulsa in January 1917 and production began for the 1918 model year with a car called the Tulsa Four. The Tulsa Four wa a typical assembled car with a 37 hp four-cylinder engine and was offered as a five-passenger touring, a four-passenger roadster and an oil field runabout.

Tulsa suffered a factory fire in 1919 and the company was reorganized as the Tulsa Auto Manufacturing Company in July 1919 and production began on a new line of Tulsa Four cars . A six-cylinder Tulsa Six model was also offered from 1920.

Production of the Tulsa continued until the summer of 1921, when the Tulsa business was sold to  D M Witt. The Witt-Thompson Motor Company was established but the Tulsa Auto Manufacturing Company name continued to be used. The Tulsa cars already built in 1921 were finished using parts on hand and sold into 1922. The Witt-Thompson Motor Company continued into 1923 as auto parts makers and distributors.

Emblems

The circular, blue, white and black enamel Tulsa Four radiator emblem shown above was used from 1917 to 1919 and is rare.

There is a larger version of this Tulsa Four radiator emblem with the "Tulsa" letters in metal, see example shown below. This Tulsa Four emblem appears to be original, and, if so, it is very rare.

This is a Tulsa Four radiator emblem (c1918-1919)    mjs
Size: 57mm diameter    MM: None

The following is yet another variation of the Tulsa Four radiator emblem. If this Tulsa Four emblem is original, it too would be very rare.

This is a Tulsa Four radiator emblem (dates unknown)    glc
Size: 57mm diameter    MM: Unknown

There was a new T-shaped Tulsa radiator emblem for the new Tulsa Four from mid or late 1919 and the same emblem was used for the Tulsa Six from 1920, see Tulsa advertisement below showing the new radiator emblem:

This is a Tulsa ad showing the new radiator emblem (Dec 1919)   tof

This new emblem is the blue and white enamel Tulsa radiator emblem shown below. This Tulsa radiator emblem is very rare.

This is a Tulsa Six radiator emblem (1919-1922)      khc
Size: 76mm wide 41mm high     MM: Whitehead & Hoag

Emblem collectors should beware, as there are reproduction Tulsa radiator emblems with flat backs and no maker's mark, see example below:

This is a reproduction radiator emblem       cwc