ACF, ACF-BRILL, BRILL

American Car & Foundry Co.
Detroit, Michigan (1926-1932)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1933-1953)

This is an ACF radiator emblem (c1934-1936)     mjs
Size: 217mm wide 63mm high    MM: None

In 1925 the American Car & Foundry Company, which was a large maker of railway cars, bought the Brill Company of Philadelphia and the Fageol Motors Company of Ohio in order to diversify into the manufacture of road transit vehicles. Brill was one of the largest builders of street cars in America and Fageol was one of the country's largest manufacturers of buses (see Fageol). ACF continued to build the Fageol bus under that name until 1929, but in 1927 a heavier and more powerful range of buses was introduced under the ACF name. ACF also built a few trucks in 1931 and 1932, including an articulated truck model.

Bus production was transferred from Detroit to Philadelphia in 1933. Most ACF buses used Hall-Scott engines, which was under the control of ACF. In 1937, a new streamline design was introduced with a range of buses from 26- to 45-passenger capacity together with a range of parlor coaches. Production continued until 1942 when the factories were converted to military use. 

Beginning in 1947 a range of city buses with underfloor Hall-Scott engines was introduced. These buses were marketed under the name ACF-Brill. In 1948 smaller city buses were offered with rear mounted International gas engines. These were called Brills to distinguish them from the Hall-Scott group.

Brill had continued to build trolley coaches from 1921 and through the 1930's and 1940's. However, the bus and trolley bus market fell sharply in the early 1950's and ACF-Brill ceased all production in 1953 in the face of competition from GMC.

Emblems

From 1927, ACF buses carried a round radiator emblem and also displayed the "ACF" name stenciled on the radiator core and on a front bumper emblem, see original period photo shown below:

ACF bus with radiator & bumper emblems (1927)   coachbuilt

This is the blue enamel ACF Hall-Scott radiator emblem shown below. This ACG radiator emblem continued in use until about 1939 and is rare.

This is an ACF radiator emblem (1927-c1939)   mjs
Size: 76mm diameter   MM: None

The "ACF" name was also displayed on ACF maker's nameplates, see examples shown below. These ACF nameplates are rare.

This is an ACF nameplate (late 1920's)    mjs
Size: 223mm wide 76mm high

This is an ACF Coach maker's nameplate (early 1930's)   mjs
Size: 127mm wide 73mm high

The following original photo shows a 1929 ACF Model 160-230-P30 bus, which does not carry a radiator emblem, but displays the "ACF" name on painted cast metal emblems mounted on the headlight bar and the front bumper:

ACF Model 160-230-P30 bus showing emblems (1929)  william a luke

The following original photo shows an ACF Model H-12 city bus with a different radiator emblem:

ACF Model H-12-S city bus showing radiator emblem (1934)     motor bus society

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

This is an ACF radiator emblem (c1934-1936)   mjs
Size : 217mm wide 63mm high    MM: None

The round ACF radiator emblem shown earlier above was also mounted on the radiator grille on some ACF models from about 1936 to 1938, see example shown below:

This is an ACF Model H-13-S with grille mounted emblem (1936-1937)   william a luke

The same round emblem was displayed within a winged mounting on some AFC models from about 1935 to 1938, see examples shown below:

ACF Md H-9 intercity bus brochure (1936) william a luke

ACF bus with winged radiator emblem (1937)    coachbuilt

The following photo shows an ACF Model 37-P intercity bus with a large cast emblem mounted above the radiator:

ACF Model 37-P showing emblem (1939)    wheelsage

From about 1938 to 1942, the ACF Model 26, Model 31 and Model 37 buses had a different winged ACF emblem mounted above the radiator, see examples shown below:

ACF Model 31-S showing new emblem (1939)    william a luke

ACF Model 37-P bus front showing radiator emblem   flickr

This is the painted ACF emblem shown below. Good copies of this ACF emblem are rare. 

This is an ACF bus emblem (1938-1942)    moroz
Size: Unknown   MM: Unknown

The following ACF Model 37-PB coach displays the "ACF" name in separate letters mounted diagonally just above the radiator:

ACF Model 37-PB coach (1941-1942)   william a luke

Close up showing the emblem (1941-1942)

The ACF range of new city buses using underfloor engines introduced for the 1947 model year were called ACF-Brill and carried a new emblem mounted just below the center of the windscreen, see example shown below:

ACF-Brill bus with new emblem (1946)   angelfire

This is the red enamel ACF-Brill emblem shown below. This ACF-Brill emblem is rare.

This is an ACF-Brill emblem (1946-c1952)    mjs
Size: 89mm diameter   MM: Fox

The following is a Canadian Car & Foundry version of this ACF-Brill emblem. This CCF-Brill emblem is rare.

This is a CCF-Brill emblem (1946-c1948)    ms
Size: 89mm diameter     MM: Unknown

The smaller ACF city bus range using International engines introduced in 1948 were called Brill and had a different emblem, see the red enamel Brill emblem shown below. This Brill emblem is scarce.

This is a Brill emblem (1948-1950's)   mjs
Size: 114mm diameter   MM: None

The following red and yellow, screen printed ACF emblem was mounted inside the bus on a panel above the front windscreen. This ACF emblem is scarce.

This is an ACF-Brill emblem (late 1940's-1950's)    mjs
Size: 208mm wide 68mm high    MM: None

There is also a red and green version of this ACF-Brill emblem, see example shown below. This ACF-Brill emblem is also scarce.

This is an ACF-Brill emblem (late 1940's-1950's)   mjs
Size: 208mm wide 68mm high    MM: None

The following is a Canadian CCF-Brill version of this emblem. This CCF-Brill emblem is rare.

This is a CCF-Brill emblem (late 1940's-1950's)   ms
Size: 208mm wide 68mm high   MM: None

The following is a Brill hub emblem:

This is a Brill hub emblem (1950's)    ms