CORBIN

Corbin Motor Vehicle Corp.
Bristol, Connecticut (1903-1905)
New Britain, Connecticut (1905-1912)

This is a Corbin radiator script (c1907-1911)   scam
Size : Unknown

The Corbin Motor Vehicle Company was a subsidiary of the American Hardware Corporation. The first Corbin vehicles built in Bristol, Connecticut from 1903 were a few light trucks powered by an 8 hp single-cylinder air-cooled engine and a small number of runabouts called the Bristol.  Commercial vehicle production ceased by 1905. Production facilities then moved to New Britain.

The first passenger cars to use the Corbin name were four-cylinder air-cooled models built for the 1905 model year. In 1908 water-cooled models were added and the air-cooled version was dropped in 1910. Corbin cars performed well in race car and other events. The Corbin was a well made automobile and enjoyed commercial success but was "retired" in 1912.

Emblems

The first air-cooled Corbin cars did not display an emblem but did display the "Corbin" name on a

 Corbin maker's nameplate/serial plate, similar to the Corbin plate shown below, attached to the body or under the driver's seat. This Corbin nameplate/serial plate is rare.

This is a Corbin nameplate/serial plate (c1906)    mjs
Size: 64mm wide 26mm high

A Corbin logo appeared on Corbin motor car advertisements from 1906, see example shown below:

This is a Corbin ad showing a trademark logo (1906)  pinterest

The Corbin maker's nameplate/serial plate was changed from about 1907 to display the Corbin trademark, see example shown below. This Corbin nameplate/serial plate is rare.

This is a Corbin nameplate/serial plate (c1908)   mjs
Size: 82mm wide 32mm high 

The Corbin trademark logo is first seen being used as a radiator script on original period photos and advertisements in 1907, see examples shown below:

Corbin touring showing radiator script (1907)    klingberg

Corbin ad showing rad script (1907)  klingberg 

This script is the brass "Corbin" radiator script shown above at the top of this post. Original Corbin radiator scripts are rare.

The "Corbin" name was also displayed on the hubcaps, see examples shown below:

This is a Corbin hubcap (c1906)     dkc

This is a Corbin hubcap (c1908)     alt

This is a Corbin hubcap (1909)     ms

This is a Corbin hub emblem (c1909)    sam
Size: 44mm diameter

The "Corbin" radiator script continued in use at least until 1910, see original photo below:

Corbin car with rad script on Munsey Historic Tour (1910)   dpl

However, this radiator script may not have been factory fitted to all cars. Several original period photos of Corbin cars do not show a radiator script and the 1910 Corbin sales brochure, seen below, cover shows a photo of a Corbin car with no radiator script, see below:

Corbin sales catalog (1910)   pbagalleries

The surviving 1910 Corbin race car in the poor quality photo shown below appears to carry a small, possibly brass, radiator emblem in the style of the trademark logo script:

This is a Corbin race car showing a small brass radiator emblem (1910)   pinterest

However, original period photos of Corbin race cars show no sign of a radiator emblem, see below:

Corbin Vanderbilt race car (1910)    amazon

Corbin race cars (1910)     dpl

It is possible that the small brass radiator emblem shown earlier is a relatively modern emblem added much later.

Emblem collectors should beware, as there are several other "Corbin" emblems, but these may not be auto emblems, as there were other Corbin companies manufacturing non automotive products, which carried "Corbin" emblems, see some examples shown below:

This is a non-automotive Corbin emblem

This is a non-automotive Corbin emblem