CORNELIAN

Blood Brothers Machine Co. (1914-1915)
Kalamazoo & Allegan, Michigan

Original Cornelian nameplate/serial plate (1915)   mjs
Size: 105mm wide 77mm high

The Cornelian Light Car was a well designed cyclecar with many progressive features providing comfortable side-by-side seating and was introduced at the New York Automobile Show in January 1914 with much acclaim. So encouraging was the interest in the Cornelian that the company moved the manufacturing plant from Kalamazoo to a larger plant in Allegan in 1915.

A specially designed Cornelian was entered in the 1915 Indianapolis 500 with Louis Chevrolet as the driver. Chevrolet's qualifying speed for the race was 81.2 mph. The resulting publicity spurred interest in the Cornelian but only momentarily. After efforts to speed up production, the Cornelian was just as suddenly discontinued after production of only about 100 cars, due to the falling reputation of cyclecars generally in America.

Emblems

The Cornelian did not carry an emblem but it did display the "Cornelian" name on a black painted, brass maker's nameplate and serial plate. The Cornelian nameplate/serial plate shown above is an original used plate from one of the few Cornelian cars actually built and is very rare. The original black paint has been worn off.

The following shows an unused Cornelian nameplate:

This is an unused Cornelian nameplate  sam
Size: 105mm wide 77mm high 

Emblem collectors should beware as there are perfect, black painted reproduction Cornelian nameplates.

The specially designed Cornelian race car that took part in the 1915 Indianapolis 500 is believed to have displayed a special Cornelian emblem on the dashboard. The following photos show a reproduction of this emblem on a replica Cornelian Indy 500 race car:

Replica Cornelian Indy 500 Race Car (1915)    gcm

Reproduction Cornelian race car dash emblem (1915)  gcm

If an original of this Cornelian emblem could be found it would be ultra rare.