CHASE

Chase Motor Truck Co. (1907-1917)
Syracuse, New York

This is a Chase script (c1910-1916)     mjs
Size: 201mm wide 103mm high

The Chase Motor Truck Company was set up mainly for the production of trucks but high-wheeler automobiles were also produced from 1907 to 1912. The Chase high-wheeler could easily be converted from a passenger car to a 700-pound light truck.

There was also a larger 30 hp 3-ton capacity high-wheeler truck available from 1908. Brockway sold Chase built trucks re-badged as Brockway from 1910 to 1912. Chase trucks were also exported for sale overseas.

By 1914, the Chase was a conventional truck made in 1-ton, 2-ton and 3-ton sizes powered by four-cylinder engines with four-speed sliding transmission and worm-drive. Chase truck capacity ranged from 3/4-ton to 3-1/2-tons before production ceased in 1917. 

Emblem

Most surviving Chase vehicles display a distinctive brass "Chase" script mounted on the radiator core, see examples shown below:

Chase canopy express truck (1907)   conceptcarz

Chase motor wagon (1909)   earlyamericanautomobiles

Although some of these surviving Chase trucks appear very original, it is possible that the "Chase" radiator scripts were added later during restoration particularly on Chase trucks built before 1910.

The earliest original period photo of a Chase automobile and truck that I have found dates from c1910, see below, but neither vehicle displays any visible emblem or radiator script:

Chase automobile & truck (c1910)    dpl

However, it is possible that the Chase radiator script was introduced later in 1910, as the following Chase Model H Express truck illustration is dated 1910 and includes a Chase radiator script:

Chase Model H Express truck ad (1910)  coachbilt

The following Chase truck advertisement from 1911 clearly includes the Chase script logo:

Chase truck ad showing script logo (1911)  catj

This script logo has the same design as the Chase radiator script shown above at the top of this post and again below:

This is a Chase radiator script (c1910-1916)  mjs
Size: 201mm wide 103mm high

The following original photo of a Chase truck taking part in the 1911 Chicago Reliability Run is the earliest original period photo that I have found showing the radiator script:

Chase truck with radiator script (1911)  dpl

This script appears similar to the brass "Chase" radiator script shown above at the top of this post but appears to have additional side bars. Original Chase radiator scripts of any kind are scarce.

The Chase radiator script shown at the top of this post continued in use throughout the life of Chase, see example shown below from a 1916 Chase advertisement:

Chase truck ad (1916)   atj

Close up showing Chase radiator script (1916)

It is noted that the Chase script logo was changed to show the Chase radiator script with wings, which was referred to as "the Emblem of Efficiency" from about 1912, see example shown below:

Chase truck ad with new logo (1912)

There were a few slightly different versions of this logo, see example below:

Chase logo (c1912)    ms

I can find no evidence that this Chase logo design was used as a radiator emblem but it was used as a body side emblem fitted on a body panel at the side of the front of the driver's cab, see example shown below from a surviving 1915 Chase model RHD truck chassis. This cast metal body side Chase emblem is very rare.

Chase truck showing body side emblem (1915)   hmvf

The same logo was also displayed on the driver's cab floor panel, see example shown below:

Chase truck floor panel showing Chase logo (1915)   hmvf