FARGO

Fargo Motor Corp. (1928-1932)
Detroit, Michigan
Dodge Div. Chrysler Corp.
Detroit, Michigan(1932-1938)

Windsor, Ontario (1936-1972)
Warren, Michigan (1938-1976)

This is a Fargo radiator emblem (1928-c1932)    mjs
Size: 86mm wide 54mm high   MM: None

For the 1928 model year, Chrysler Corporation set up the Fargo Motor Corporation to build and sell commercial vehicles and trucks. The first Fargo vehicles were a light delivery van called the Packet and a larger van called the Clipper. Both used a mixture of Plymouth, DeSoto and Chrysler parts. In 1930 a one-ton Freighter truck was also introduced. Eventually, Fargo produced a wide range of vehicles, including buses and dump trucks.

But, Chrysler found themselves with three truck lines: Fargo, Dodge Brothers and Graham Brothers. Chrysler dropped the Graham Brothers name and, with the Great Depression, the low-selling Fargo line could not be justified, so production of the Fargo in the USA ceased by 1932.

However, Chrysler continued to use the Fargo name for exported Dodge trucks. The Fargo "over the globe" logo was ideal for this. Trucks were exported to other countries from the US and Canada. But, all Fargo trucks sold in Canada were built in Canada. The Canadian Fargo began in about 1936 but was discontinued in 1972. Fargo trucks were also built in some other countries, most notably in Turkey.

The Fargo trademark ceased to be used in the US when Dodge ended its heavy truck business in 1976, and elsewhere in 1978 when Chrysler Europe was sold off. In Turkey the Fargo name continued independently into the 1980's. 

Emblems

The first Fargo trucks carried a red, white and blue enamel Fargo Express radiator emblem depicting the Fargo "over the globe" logo, see example shown above at the top of this post. This Fargo radiator emblem is rare.

The following red, white and blue enamel Fargo radiator emblem was used on Fargo buses and some truck models in the early 1930's. This Fargo radiator emblem is scarce.

This is a Fargo bus radiator emblem (c1931)    mjs
Size: 109mm wide 42mm high   MM: None

See similar emblems shown in the following Fargo advertisements:

Fargo bus advertisement (1931)  allpar

Fargo truck ad showing emblem & hood side nameplate (date uncertain) ebay

The following is a Fargo hood side nameplate believed to be used in the 1930's:

This is a Fargo truck hood side nameplate (c1930's-1940's)  ms
Size: Unknown

The following red, white and blue enamel Fargo radiator emblem was used for export versions of Dodge trucks from about 1932. This Fargo radiator emblem is scarce.

This is a Fargo radiator emblem (1932-c1936)    ms
Size: 89mm wide 48mm high     MM: Unknown

The following red, white and blue enamel Fargo radiator emblem was used on Fargo trucks built in Canada from about 1936. This Fargo radiator emblem is scarce.

Fargo Canada radiator emblem (c1936)  mjs
Size: 89mm wide 48mm high   MM: Unknown

For later Fargo vehicles, the enamel radiator emblems were replaced by painted pressed metal emblems, see examples shown below. These Fargo radiator emblems are scarce.

Fargo FD-1 Pickup truck showing radiator grille emblem (1936) flickr

This is a Fargo radiator grille emblem (c1936)    mjs
Size: 77mm wide 57mm high    MM: Unknown

Fargo truck showing radiator hood emblem (1938)  AaronK

This is a Fargo radiator emblem (c1938)   ms
Size: 160mm wide 83mm high    MM: Unknown

Fargo truck showing radiator grille emblem (1936)   forums aaca 

Fargo radiator grille emblem (1936)   ray swanson

This is a Fargo radiator grille emblem (1936)  lktec
Size: 87mm wide 74mm high    MM: Unknown 

Fargo trucks had new radiator designs with different radiator grille emblems from about 1939 to 1946, see examples shown below:

Fargo truck showing radiator grille emblem, hood side nameplate and hood ornament (1939)  flickr

This is the radiator grille emblem shown above. This grille emblem is scarce.

This is a Fargo truck radiator grille emblem (c1939-1942)  ebay
Size: 380mm wide 102mm high

This is a Fargo radiator (c1940)   brc

The following is an example of the red and blue painted Fargo radiator emblem shown above. This Fargo radiator emblem is scarce.

This is a Fargo radiator emblem (c1940-1946)   mjs
Size: 126mm high 82mm wide    MM: Unknown

The following shows the Fargo globe hood ornament:

Fargo globe hood ornament  

The "Fargo" name was also displayed on red and blue painted Fargo hood side nameplates, see example shown below. This Fargo hood side nameplate is scarce.

This is a Fargo hood side nameplate (c1940-1946)   lktec
Size: 237mm wide 30mm high (globe 6omm diameter)  MM: Unknown

The following is a different Fargo hood side nameplate:

This is a Fargo hood side nameplate (dates unknown)  ms
Size: 138mm wide 50mm high   MM: Unknown

There was another change in Fargo radiator emblem after 1946, see examples shown below:

Fargo ad showing a new radiator emblem (later 1940's)   pinterest

Fargo FK2-33 truck showing radiator emblem (1946)  wiki 

Fargo radiator grille emblem (c1946)  cfgphoto

There was a further change in design of the Fargo truck radiator and emblem by 1948, see examples shown below:

Fargo ad showing radiator emblem (1948)  ms

Fargo truck F-1-B-108 ad with radiator emblem & hood side nameplate (1948-1953) oldcarbrochures

The Fargo pickup introduced in 1951 had a different radiator grille and emblems, see example shown below:

Fargo pickup truck showing radiator grille and hood emblem (1951-1953)   classiccars

The following photos of surviving Fargo trucks show examples of the radiator and emblem designs used in the later 1950's:

Fargo pickup truck showing hood emblem & script (1956)  wiki

This is the Fargo pickup hood emblem:

This is a Fargo hood emblem (c1956)  ms
Size: Unknown

Fargo D-700 truck (1957)    gan

If you can confirm the dates of use of any of the Fargo emblems shown above, please let me know, in order to update this post.