LIBERTY

Liberty Motor Car Co. (1916-1923)
Detroit, Michigan

This is a Liberty radiator emblem (1922-1923)     mjs
Size: 55mm high 47mm wide   MM: D L Auld

The Liberty was an attractive six-cylinder medium-priced car, which was immediately successful, with a first year production of 733 cars in 1916, which rose to 6,000 cars by 1919 and over 11,000 cars in 1921. 

With this success the company moved to a new and larger plant but financial trouble followed. The post war recession combined with the finance needed for the new plant was too much for the Liberty. Reorganization was attempted but failed and it was all over in 1923.

Emblems

The first Liberty cars carried a shield shaped, red, white and blue enamel Liberty radiator emblem with a "Reg. U.S. Pat. Off." inscription, see example shown below. This Liberty radiator emblem is rare.

This is a Liberty radiator emblem (1916-1919)    mjs
Size: 60mm high 51mm wide   MM: Bastian

The following is a variation of the Liberty radiator emblem shown above with larger block letters for the "LIBERTY" name in a narrow white center band. The exact year of introduction of this radiator emblem is unknown but was probably due to the need to make new emblem dies to deal with the increasing number of emblems as Liberty sales grew. This Liberty radiator emblem is rare.

This is a Liberty radiator emblem (c1918-1919)    sac
Size: 60mm high 51mm wide     MM: Unknown

The following is a variation of the Liberty radiator emblem shown above. This Liberty radiator emblem does not have the "Reg U.S. Pat. Off." inscription but has a "C" copyright-like mark at the bottom of the shield, see example shown below. This Liberty radiator emblem is rare.

This is a Liberty radiator emblem (c1920-1921 but dates uncertain) mjs
Size: 55mm high 46mm wide    MM: Unknown

For the last two years from 1922, the Liberty emblem was changed yet again to the red, white and blue enamel Liberty radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below for convenience. This Liberty radiator emblem is scarce.

This is a Liberty radiator emblem (1922-1923)   mjs
Size: 55mm high 47mm wide     MM: D L Auld

Emblem collectors should beware, as there are accurate reproductions of this Liberty radiator emblem, although these are easily identified by the internally threaded stud on the back which does not exist on the original emblem, see comparison photo below:

Liberty emblem back showing original (left) and repro (right) mjs

The following rather strange, solid nickel version of the Liberty radiator emblem appears to be genuine but I do not know when this emblem was used. This Liberty radiator emblem is very rare.

This is a liberty radiator emblem (date unknown)   jab
Size: 54mm high 32mm wide    MM: Unknown

If you can help to identify the use of this Liberty emblem, please let me know, in order to update this post.