Grant Motor Co.
Detroit, Michigan (1913)
Findlay, Ohio (1913-1916)
Grant Motor Car Corp.
Cleveland, Ohio (1916-1923)
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| This is a Grant Six radiator emblem (1916-1917) mjs Size: 76mm wide 52mm high MM: Unknown |
George D. Grant and his brother Charles established the Grant Motor Company in Detroit in 1913. Both George and Charles and their company officers had wide experience in the auto industry.
The first Grant appeared in 1913 and was a high quality, neat little two-seat roadster with a 12 hp four-cylinder engine and was advertised as "a thoroughly good low-priced car". The Grant looked like a cyclecar but was in fact a small motor car. After a low production run in Detroit, the company moved to Findlay, Ohio, where 2000 cars were produced in 1914. But the growing lack of public interest in cyclecars extended to the Grant motor car, so the line was expanded in 1915 to include a larger 20 hp six-cylinder car. The smaller four-cylinder car was dropped in 1916, but Grant maintained its high quality and low prices.
The company reorganized as Grant Motor Car Corporation in 1916 and then set up a larger factory in Cleveland and by 1917 production had risen to 12,000 units. That year Grant acquired the makers of the Denmo truck and began to make Denmo-Grant trucks. Grant also made ordnance trailers for the military during the First World War. From 1918 trucks were built under the Grant name. All Grant trucks used four-cylinder Continental engines and were offered in 3/4-ton, 1-1/2-ton and 2-ton sizes. The 1-1/2-ton capacity model was the Model 17 Speed Truck, which was introduced in 1920.
The company was in good shape after the war and received a large number of orders for the new Model H introduced in late 1919. In anticipation of a high demand for their cars, Grant placed large orders for car parts. But Grant was hit by the postwar depression and sales did not meet expectations. Production dropped to just 5,400 cars by 1920 but the new parts continued to arrive. By October 1922 Grant had no cash left and went into receivership. Car production ceased immediately but a few trucks continued to be built until June 1923.
Emblems
The first Grant roadsters built in Detroit and Findlay in 1913 did not carry an emblem but would have displayed the Grant name on a maker's serial plate.
Some surviving Grant roadsters from 1914 display a "Grant" script mounted on the curved radiator core, see example shown below, although I cannot confirm that this "Grant" script is original and it may be a later addition.
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| Grant roadster displaying a radiator script (1914) pinterest |
An original period photo from 1914 found on a postcard, see below, shows a Model M Grant car with a "Grant" decal displayed on the center of the hood sides:
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| This shows a Grant Model M with hood side decal (1914) hippostcard |
It seems likely that the use of these simple "Grant" decals was the most common form of identification of Grant cars from 1914 to 1916. However, there was some limited use of a Grant radiator emblem, as noted below.
In 1915, a Grant emblem depicting a profile of Ulysses S Grant on horseback, based on the Ulysses Grant Memorial statue in Washington DC, was displayed on some four-cylinder Model M cars, see the blue and white enamel, oval shaped Grant radiator emblem shown below. This Grant radiator emblem may have also been used on early Model V cars produced in 1915 for the 1916 model year but this is not confirmed. This Grant radiator emblem is extremely rare.
A 1916 Grant sales brochure shows a Model V six-cylinder car with no emblem but with the "Grant" name displayed as a decal on the front of the 'bullnose' radiator and on the rear hood sides, see below:
The following photo shows an unused "Grant" decal:
The following original photo is dated 1916 and shows a Grant with an oval shaped radiator emblem, which appears to be inscribed "Grant" only but the photo resolution is too poor to clearly see the detailed design of the emblem:
The Grant company was reorganized in 1916 as the Grant Motor Car Corporation before the move to Cleveland and the Model V carried a new diamond shaped emblem, see the red and blue enamel Grant Six radiator emblem shown below. This Grant radiator emblem was only used for a few months and is extremely rare.
Grant production was moved to Cleveland later in 1916 and the Model V was given a new oval shaped radiator emblem, which was also used for the Model K in 1917, This is the red and blue enamel Grant Six radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Grant radiator emblem is rare.
The following photo in the Free Library of Philadelphia archives shows a Grant brougham with a very strange radiator not seen on any other Grant car. This Grant carries a large oval radiator emblem about the same size as the blue enamel oval Grant Six emblem with the red enamel border shown above but the colors are quite different with a very light, possibly white enamel center, see close up photo shown below.
The Grant Six radiator emblem appears to have been changed for the new flat radiator design introduced in late 1919 for the 1920 model year. This is the gold finished Grant Six radiator emblem with blue enamel letters, see example shown below. This Grant Six radiator emblem is rare.
The following plain metal Grant Six radiator emblem with blue enamel letters is a variation of the above emblem, which may have been used into 1921, but I cannot confirm this. This Grant Six radiator emblem is also rare.
The following white enamel oval Grant Six radiator emblem with red enamel letters may have been incorrectly restored. If you can show that this emblem with red enamel letters was actually used on an original Grant model, please let me know, in order to update this post.
The following shows a Grant Six radiator emblem finished with blue enamel letters and a black painted background. I cannot confirm the dates of use, if at all, of this emblem, which may have been incorrectly painted black.
The following variation of the Grant Six radiator emblem appears to show a transparent blue enamel background but I have no further details.
The following shows a Grant hub cap:
The following is a Grant Six wire wheel hub emblem:
There was a Grant Special model, which was only marginally changed in detail from the regular Grant Six model, but offered at a lower price, presumably as a last ditch effort to produce some Grant sales using the large inventory of available parts on hand, possibly for 1922 only. The Grant Special carried a rather different radiator emblem. This is the gold finished blue enamel Grant Special radiator emblem shown below. This Grant radiator emblem is extremely rare.
The following Grant radiator emblem uses the same script style for the word "Grant" as in the Grant Special radiator emblem shown above and is believed to have been used on the final, regular Grant Six models produced for 1922, although I cannot confirm this. This Grant radiator emblems appears to have had the "Grant" name finished in black enamel. This Grant radiator emblem is extremely rare.
The following white and blue enamel Grant Truck radiator emblem was used on the Grant 3/4-ton light truck introduced in 1918. This Grant Truck radiator emblem is very rare.
Heavier trucks were introduced in 1920, including the Model 17 Speed Truck, which displayed a large rectangular "Grant" nameplate cast into the radiator, see factory illustration shown below. All Grant truck production ceased in 1923.
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| This is a Grant radiator emblem (1915-1916) mjs Size: 76mm wide 52mm high MM: None |
A 1916 Grant sales brochure shows a Model V six-cylinder car with no emblem but with the "Grant" name displayed as a decal on the front of the 'bullnose' radiator and on the rear hood sides, see below:
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| Grant Model V showing radiator & side decals (1916) autolit |
The following photo shows an unused "Grant" decal:
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| Grant decal (c1916) jwec |
The following original photo is dated 1916 and shows a Grant with an oval shaped radiator emblem, which appears to be inscribed "Grant" only but the photo resolution is too poor to clearly see the detailed design of the emblem:
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| This is a Grant Six with a "Grant" radiator emblem (1916) autolit |
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| Close-up showing large oval "Grant" radiator emblem (1916) |
This "Grant" radiator emblem has not been seen elsewhere and may have been a prototype emblem that was not used in production. If found, this "Grant" radiator emblem would be extremely rare. If you have better information or a clear photo of this "Grant" radiator emblem, please let me know in order to update this post.
The Grant company was reorganized in 1916 as the Grant Motor Car Corporation before the move to Cleveland and the Model V carried a new diamond shaped emblem, see the red and blue enamel Grant Six radiator emblem shown below. This Grant radiator emblem was only used for a few months and is extremely rare.
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| This is a Grant Six radiator emblem (1916) mjs Size: 95mm wide 61mm high MM: None |
Grant production was moved to Cleveland later in 1916 and the Model V was given a new oval shaped radiator emblem, which was also used for the Model K in 1917, This is the red and blue enamel Grant Six radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Grant radiator emblem is rare.
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| This is a Grant Six radiator emblem (1916-1917) mjs Size: 76mm wide 52mm high MM: Unknown |
The following photo in the Free Library of Philadelphia archives shows a Grant brougham with a very strange radiator not seen on any other Grant car. This Grant carries a large oval radiator emblem about the same size as the blue enamel oval Grant Six emblem with the red enamel border shown above but the colors are quite different with a very light, possibly white enamel center, see close up photo shown below.
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| Custom Grant Six with a special radiator & emblem (c1916-1917) flp |
It is believed that this is a custom made Grant Six with a unique radiator and emblem. If found, this Grant Six radiator emblem would be extremely or even ultra rare.
The oval Grant Six radiator emblem was much reduced in size from late 1917 to late 1919 and had a change in color also, see the white and blue enamel Grant Six radiator emblem shown below. This Grant Six radiator emblem is scarce.
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| This is a Grant Six radiator emblem (1917-1919) mjs Size: 59mm wide 32mm high MM: Unknown |
The Grant Six radiator emblem appears to have been changed for the new flat radiator design introduced in late 1919 for the 1920 model year. This is the gold finished Grant Six radiator emblem with blue enamel letters, see example shown below. This Grant Six radiator emblem is rare.
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| This is a Grant Six radiator emblem (1919-1920) mjs Size: 59mm wide 32mm high MM: None |
The following plain metal Grant Six radiator emblem with blue enamel letters is a variation of the above emblem, which may have been used into 1921, but I cannot confirm this. This Grant Six radiator emblem is also rare.
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| This is a Grant Six radiator emblem (1920-1921) mjs Size: 60mm wide 33mm high MM: Unknown |
The following white enamel oval Grant Six radiator emblem with red enamel letters may have been incorrectly restored. If you can show that this emblem with red enamel letters was actually used on an original Grant model, please let me know, in order to update this post.
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| Grant Six red enamel radiator emblem (dates unknown) dnc Size: 61mm wide 32mm high MM: None |
The following shows a Grant Six radiator emblem finished with blue enamel letters and a black painted background. I cannot confirm the dates of use, if at all, of this emblem, which may have been incorrectly painted black.
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| This is a Grant Six radiator emblem (dates unknown) jwec Size: Unknown MM: Unknown |
The following variation of the Grant Six radiator emblem appears to show a transparent blue enamel background but I have no further details.
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| This is a Grant Six radiator emblem (dates unknown) oocities Size: Unknown MM: Unknown |
The following shows a Grant hub cap:
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| This is a Grant Six hubcap (c1916-1920) dnc |
The following is a Grant Six wire wheel hub emblem:
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| This is a Grant Six wire wheel hub emblem jwec |
There was a Grant Special model, which was only marginally changed in detail from the regular Grant Six model, but offered at a lower price, presumably as a last ditch effort to produce some Grant sales using the large inventory of available parts on hand, possibly for 1922 only. The Grant Special carried a rather different radiator emblem. This is the gold finished blue enamel Grant Special radiator emblem shown below. This Grant radiator emblem is extremely rare.
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| This is a Grant Special radiator emblem (1922) mjs Size: 108mm wide 41mm high MM: Unknown |
The following Grant radiator emblem uses the same script style for the word "Grant" as in the Grant Special radiator emblem shown above and is believed to have been used on the final, regular Grant Six models produced for 1922, although I cannot confirm this. This Grant radiator emblems appears to have had the "Grant" name finished in black enamel. This Grant radiator emblem is extremely rare.
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| This is a Grant radiator emblem (c1922) sam Size: 58mm wide 32mm high MM: Unknown |
The following white and blue enamel Grant Truck radiator emblem was used on the Grant 3/4-ton light truck introduced in 1918. This Grant Truck radiator emblem is very rare.
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| This is a Grant Truck radiator emblem (1918-1920) mjs Size: 59mm wide 32mm high MM: Unknown |
Heavier trucks were introduced in 1920, including the Model 17 Speed Truck, which displayed a large rectangular "Grant" nameplate cast into the radiator, see factory illustration shown below. All Grant truck production ceased in 1923.
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| Grant Model 17 Speed Truck with cast radiator emblem (1920-1923) amroz |
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