OSHKOSH

Wisconsin Duplex Auto Co.
Clintonville, Wisconsin (1917)
Oshkosh, Wisconsin (1917-1918)
Oshkosh Motor Truck Manufacturing Co. (1918-1930)
Oshkosh Motor Truck, Inc. (1930-1967)
Oshkosh Truck Corp. (1967-2006)
Oshkosh Corp. (2006-present)
Oshkosh, Wisconsin

This is an Oshkosh radiator emblem (1920's)    mjs
Size: 265mm wide 87mm high   MM: None

The Oshkosh began life as the Wisconsin Duplex Auto Company formed in Clintonville in 1917 to build four-wheel-drive trucks. Late in 1917 the company moved to Oshkosh and the first Oshkosh truck was built. This 1-ton capacity truck, known as "Old Betsy" is still operational today. The first production truck produced by Oshkosh in 1918 was a conventional 2-ton model with a 72hp four-cylinder engine. A 3-1/2-ton model was added in 1920 and a 5-ton model in 1922. In the early 1920's a major part of Oshkosh production was used for road construction and maintenance, including road-scrapers and snow-plows. In 1925 production of six-cylinder models up to 10-ton capacity began.

From 1933 Oshkosh production started to diversify into heavy duty trucks for specialized markets. During World War II the US government took nearly all Oshkosh truck production, particularly for airport snow-plows and wrecker trucks. In the 1950's a 35-ton mining truck was produced and high-speed airport snow-plows were built for the US Air Force. Other specialist models followed, including concrete mixers, heavy duty low-loaders and fire trucks.

Oshkosh has continued to grow and develop new models, particularly for heavy-duty and extreme-duty purposes, and, as Oshkosh Corporation, is today (as of 2024) one of the world's largest producers of heavy-duty vehicles for specialized uses with world-wide sales and manufacturing facilities in 11 countries.

Emblems

The first Oshkosh 1-ton truck had a conventional brass radiator and may have carried a painted brass radiator emblem, but I cannot confirm this, see photo shown below, which shows a large round body side Oshkosh nameplate, which may not be original. Later photos of "Old Betsy" after a new restoration include a radiator emblem to enhance the appearance of this old truck.

Oshkosh "Old Betsy" truck with body side nameplate (1917) wheelsage

The 2-ton production truck model introduced in 1918 and subsequent 3-1/2-ton and 5-ton heavy duty Oshkosh models had a cast iron radiator with a ribbed tank top, which carried an Oshkosh radiator emblem, see illustrations shown below:

Oshkosh 2-ton truck ad with rad emblem (1919) ebay

Oshkosh heavy duty radiator with emblem (1918-c1931)  tad burness

The Oshkosh radiator emblem remained much the same from about 1918 to about 1940 with some slight variations in the lettering style. An example of a black and white painted brass Oshkosh radiator emblem is  shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Oshkosh radiator emblem is rare.

This is an Oshkosh radiator emblem (1920's)   mjs
Size: 265mm wide 87mm high   MM: None

Original period photos of Oshkosh trucks from about 1924 show the large round Oshkosh body side nameplate mounted on the door to the driver's cab, see example shown below:

Oshkosh Model F truck showing body side nameplate (1924)  oldcarandtruckpictures

The same Oshkosh body side nameplate was used on some Oshkosh models up to at least 1936. This is the black painted Oshkosh body side nameplate shown below. This Oshkosh nameplate is scarce.

his is an Oshkosh body side nameplate (c1924-c1936)    mjs
Size: 265mm wide 238mm high   MM: None

There was a change in style in Oshkosh trucks in 1932 but still with a very similar radiator emblem, see example shown below:

Oshkosh Model F truck showing radiator emblem (1932) 
oldcarandtruckpictures

These trucks also displayed the "Oshkosh" name on the round body side nameplates shown earlier and also on hood side nameplates, see example shown below:

Oshkosh Model F dump truck showing body side & hood side nameplates (1932)    offroadvehicle

Some Oshkosh Model F trucks in the same time period displayed the "Oshkosh" name on large square shaped body side nameplates in place of the round nameplates shown earlier, see example below:

Oshkosh Model F truck showing hood side & body side nameplates (1932)   offroadvehicle

The following is an example of an Oshkosh hood side nameplate. This Oshkosh nameplate is scarce.

This is an Oshkosh nameplate (1930's)    mjs
Size: 302mm wide 50mm high   MM: None

A completely new Oshkosh radiator appeared in about 1940, see example shown below:

Oshkosh W Series truck with new rad emblem (1940-1942)
usautoindustryworldwartwo

This is the painted cast metal Oshkosh radiator emblem surmounted by the head of an Oshkosh warrior wearing a headdress as shown below. This Oshkosh radiator emblem is rare.

This is an Oshkosh radiator emblem (1940-1942)    lktec
Size: 450mm wide 150mm high   MM: Unknown

When production resumed in 1946, after the Second World War, the Oshkosh radiator emblem had changed. It had a base plate with the same Oshkosh warrior wearing a headdress cast into the top of the radiator shell and a separate "Oshkosh" nameplate screwed to the front, see examples shown below:

Surviving Oshkosh truck radiator emblem (1946) steelsoldiers

The surviving Oshkosh truck shown below carries the same radiator emblem and a hood side nameplate that matches the radiator emblem nameplate. This Oshkosh radiator emblem and hood side nameplate continued in use to about 1959.

Oshkosh truck showing radiator emblem (1950)  bangshift

  

Close up showing Oshkosh radiator emblem & hood side nameplate

This is the cast Oshkosh radiator emblem and separate emblem nameplate. This Oshkosh radiator emblem is rare.

This is an Oshkosh radiator emblem (1946-c1959)   moroz
Size: Unknown     MM: Unknown

The following is an example of the Oshkosh nameplate used both as a radiator emblem and hood side nameplate. This Oshkosh nameplate is rare.

This is an Oshkosh nameplate (1946-c1959)    mjs
Size: 303mm wide 50mm high   MM: None

The following painted brass Oshkosh emblem showing an Oshkosh warrior wearing a headdress is seen in many emblem collections but I am informed that this emblem is not an Oshkosh truck emblem. However, I have been unable to identify when and where it was used, If you can identify this Oshkosh emblem, please let me know, in order to update this post.

This is an unknown Oshkosh emblem (date unknown)   mjs
Size: 92mm high 67mm wide    MM: None