MITCHELL

Wisconsin Motor Works (1903-1904)
Mitchell Motor Car Co. (1904-1910)
Mitchell-Lewis Motor Co. (1910-1913)
Mitchell Motors Company, Inc. (1913-1923)
Racine, Wisconsin

This is a Mitchell radiator emblem (1913-1914)    mjs
Size: 62mm wide 56mm high    MM: Unknown

The Wisconsin Wheel Works had been a bicycle manufacturer since the 1890's and later produced the Mitchell motorcycle. Following some experimental models, production of the single-cylinder Mitchell runabout began in 1903. In February 1904 the Mitchell Motor Car Company was established. The first new Mitchell automobiles were a 7 hp two-cylinder runabout and a 16 hp four-cylinder touring car. The first Mitchell cars were water-cooled but both air-cooled and water-cooled versions were offered from 1905. The 1910 production line included the first six-cylinder Mitchell models.

The Mitchell was a successful automobile and sales rose each year, exceeding 6,000 units in 1912. In addition, Mitchell produced some commercial vehicles, which included a 1-ton truck in 1905 and a 1-1/2-ton truck in 1908. Mitchell also produced some electric powered hotel buses.

The company was reorganized in 1913 as Mitchell Motors Company. A V-8 Mitchell appeared in 1916 but from 1917 only six-cylinder models were built. The Mitchell introduced in 1920 had a sloping radiator style, which gave rise to the comment "the drunken Mitchell". This error in style design was corrected in 1921 with the return to a vertical radiator. Mitchell sales had begun to fall after 1919 and production ceased in 1923 when only 713 cars left the plant. Bankruptcy followed and the Mitchell factory was sold to Nash for the production of the Ajax.

Emblems

The Mitchell motorcycle, produced before the Mitchell motor car appeared, displayed the Mitchell script logo on a decal placed on the sides of the fuel tank, see 1902 advertisement shown below:

Mitchell motorcycle ad showing script logo (1902)

However, there is no evidence that the earliest Mitchell motor cars carried any emblem or script before 1906, although some surviving Mitchell cars from earlier years do carry "Mitchell" scripts but these are later additions and not original.

1906 saw the first use of the "Mitchell" script in Mitchell motor car advertising, see example shown below:

This is a Mitchell advertisement showing the script logo (1906)

Some 1906 Mitchell models with a slightly domed peak on the radiator appear to have carried a small rectangular nameplate attached to the radiator tank top, see original 1906 photo shown below:

Mitchell cars at New York Auto Show (1906)     dpl

Close-up showing a radiator nameplate (1906)

Unfortunately, the detail of these radiator nameplates cannot be seen. It is possible that these nameplates are Mitchell nameplates, as this type of maker's nameplate was in use by other car makers in 1906, but I cannot yet confirm this and they may be radiator maker's nameplates.

The Mitchell radiator design was changed in 1907 with the dome no longer present. Mitchell cars had the inscription "Mitchell Racine Wis" stamped on the radiator tank top. These stamped radiator emblems are seen in original period photos in 1907 and 1908 and on surviving Mitchell cars, see examples shown below. The earliest style of "Mitchell" script is also seen displayed for the first time in 1907 and is seen on the original photos shown below.

Mitchell car showing the "Mitchell Racine Wis" radiator stamping (1907)    dpl

Mitchell Md E showing the radiator stamping (1907)  hyman

The "Mitchell Racine Wis" emblem stamped into the top of the radiator shown above is original. However, the brass "Mitchell" radiator script mounted on the radiator core is in a later style of the "Mitchell" script and is not original.  Compare this brass script with the script shown in the earlier original photo above.

The following original photo showing a Mitchell car taking part in the 1908 Long Island Sweepstakes also shows a "Mitchell" radiator script but there is no evidence of the radiator stamping. However, the radiator stamping is seen on other original Mitchell car photos taken in 1908,

 

Mitchell race car showing radiator script (1908)    dpl 

Close-up showing "Mitchell" radiator script (1908)

The following is an example of an original early Mitchell radiator script and is scarce:

This is a Mitchell radiator script (1907-1912)   mjs
Size: 288mm wide

The following is a Mitchell hub emblem used in the period 1907-1911. This Mitchell hub emblem is rare.

This is a Mitchell hub emblem (1907-1911)     mjs
Size: 55mm diameter     MM: None

The following is a brass Mitchell hubcap also used on some models:

This is a Mitchell hubcap (c1909)     dnc

The Mitchell radiator design was changed again for the 1909 year and this radiator carried a rectangular Mitchell radiator emblem pinned to the radiator tank top, see example shown below:

Surviving Mitchell with rad emblem & script(1909)  bonhams

Close-up showing rad emblem (1909) 

This is the rectangular brass Mitchell radiator emblem/nameplate shown below. This Mitchell radiator emblem is believed to have been used on some Mitchell models for 1909 only and is extremely rare.

This is a Mitchell radiator emblem/nameplate (1909)   mjs
Size: 134mm wide 38mm high    MM: None

The Mitchell radiator script shown on the 1909 surviving Mitchell car may be a later addition.

Also in 1909, several original photos of Mitchell cars show a different, smaller less elongated radiator nameplate. Unfortunately, the photo quality is not clear enough to show the detailed inscription on these nameplates, see example shown below:

This is a Mitchell car with rad nameplate & script (1909)  dpl

Close-up showing Mitchell rad nameplate & script (1909)

The Mitchell radiator design was changed yet again in 1910 and 1911. There was no radiator emblem/nameplate fitted for these two years but the "Mitchell" radiator script shown above continued to be displayed.

A surviving Mitchell car from 1912 appears to be carrying the first enamel Mitchell radiator emblem, see photos shown below:

Mitchell Md 5-6 with radiator emblem & script (1912) conceptcarz

 

Close up showing Mitchell radiator emblem (1912)

This first enamel Mitchell radiator emblem has the name "Mitchell" in metal within a blue enamel oval center and with plain white enamel panels top and bottom with no other inscription. Later versions of this style of Mitchell emblem have inscriptions top and bottom. This unusual Mitchell radiator emblem may have also been used in the first half of 1913 but I cannot confirm this.

If you have better details and clearer photo of this Mitchell radiator emblem, please let me know, in order to update this post. This Mitchell radiator emblem is extremely rare.

A number of restored 1912 Mitchell models have a later and incorrect radiator emblem fitted, no doubt due to the rarity of the 1912 emblem..

A new, more detailed Mitchell radiator emblem was used in 1913 and 1914, see the following 1913 Mitchell Five-Passenger Touring car Specification folder, which includes a color illustration of the radiator emblem:

Mitchell Specification Folder (1913)   ebay

This is the blue and white enamel Mitchell radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Mitchell emblem is very rare.

This is a Mitchell radiator emblem (1913-1914)    mjs
Size: 62mm wide 56mm high   MM: Unknown

The Mitchell radiator emblem was changed to a metal only emblem in 1915, see painted example below, which originally may have had no paint. This Mitchell radiator emblem is very rare.

This is a Mitchell radiator emblem (1915)    mjs
Size: 62mm wide 56mm high     MM: Unknown

The Mitchell radiator emblem had an enamel finish again for 1916, see the green and white enamel Mitchell radiator emblem shown below. This Mitchell radiator emblem is very rare.

This is a Mitchell radiator emblem (1916)    mjs
Size: 62mm wide 56mm high    MM: None

Emblem collectors should beware as there are potentially convincing reproductions of this very rare green enamel Mitchell radiator emblem. The reproduction emblem has a flat shiny back, whereas the original emblem has two rear fixing studs.

The 1917 Mitchell had a new and rather ugly radiator design with no radiator emblem, although a "Mitchell" radiator script was displayed on the radiator core. Some surviving 1917 Mitchell cars have been incorrectly restored with radiator emblems, no doubt to improve their appearance.

A Mitchell radiator emblem was back for 1918, see the reversed colors, white and blue enamel Mitchell radiator emblem shown below. This Mitchell radiator emblem is rare.

This is a Mitchell radiator emblem (1918)    mjs
Size: 62mm wide 56mm high   MM: Unknown

The following original photo taken in 1919 shows a Mitchell car with this radiator emblem. There is also a "Mitchell " script mounted on the radiator core.

Mitchell car with radiator emblem & script (1919)   wiki

This Mitchell radiator script appears to be the same as the following nickel plated Mitchell radiator script:

This is a Mitchell radiator script (c1919)    khc
Size:  200mm wide

In 1919, the Mitchell radiator emblem was changed to resemble an updated version of the first enamel emblem from 1912, see the blue and white enamel Mitchell radiator emblem shown below. This Mitchell radiator emblem is scarce.

This is a Mitchell radiator emblem (1919-1921)    dnc
Size: 64mm wide 52mm high  MM: Unknown (some Greenduck)

The following is a variation of the Mitchell radiator emblem shown above with a different style of the letter "M". This Mitchell radiator emblem is rare.

This is a Mitchell radiator emblem (dates uncertain)   mjs
Size: 64mm wide 52mm high   MM: Unknown

The Mitchell Model F-50 introduced for the final two years of Mitchell production had a special radiator emblem, see the white and blue enamel Mitchell radiator emblem shown below. This Mitchell radiator emblem is scarce.

This is a Mitchell F50 radiator emblem (1922-1923)   mjs
Size: 58mm wide 40mm high    MM: Unknown

The following is a Mitchell Model F-50 hub emblem. This Mitchell hub emblem is scarce.

This is a Mitchell F50 hub emblem (1922-1923)    sam
Size: 51mm diameter    MM: None