RUSSELL

Canada Cycle & Motor Co. Ltd. (1905-1911)
Russell Motor Car Co. Ltd. (1911-1916)
Toronto, Ontario 

This is a Russell radiator script emblem (1909-c1916)    mjs
Size: 83mm wide

The Russell was Canada's most well-known luxury car before the First World War. 

The first Russell was introduced in 1905 as a two-cylinder model and was an immediate success. In 1906 a four-cylinder model was added and over the years the Russell became larger and more luxurious. In 1910, the Russell was the first car in North America to have a Knight sleeve valve engine. Success continued until 1913 when production problems resulted in a serious drop in sales. For 1915 Russell moved to the medium-price range but production ended in 1916 when the Russell assets were sold to Willys-Overland.

Russell also manufactured commercial vehicles starting in 1905 with a light two-cylinder delivery van. In 1906 a 1/2-ton four-cylinder truck was also introduced and by 1907 the range included sightseeing buses, ambulances and fire engines. From 1910 truck production was based on a 3/4-ton delivery vehicle.

Emblems

The Russell Model A that appeared in 1905 did not carry a radiator emblem but would most likely have displayed the "Russell" name on a small serial plate attached to the body or under the driver's seat.

The following Russell advertisement from May 1905 shows a Maple Leaf decal applied to the body sides below the driver's seat. This decal probably included the "Russell" name but this is not clear from the illustrations and I cannot confirm this:

Russell ad showing body side decal (May 1905)  russellcars

Detail showing the Maple Leaf body side decal (1905)

The same Maple Leaf decal is seen on original period photos of Russell cars from 1906, see example shown below:

Russell Model B3 showing body side decal (1906)   russellcars

Close up showing Maple Leaf decal

The detailed design of this Maple Leaf decal cannot be clearly seen from these early photos but the following photo shows a reproduction decal seen on a restored 1906 Russell Model B. This is likely to have been based on an original decal but I cannot confirm the accuracy of this reproduction.

Reproduction Russell Maple Leaf decal   ms

From 1906 until 1909, the Russell was given distinctively shaped radiator, but still did not have a radiator emblem or a radiator script, see the surviving 1907 Russell Model D example shown below:

Russell Model D with distinctive radiator (1907)  antique.vccc

The Maple Leaf decal shown earlier above may have continued in use on some Russell models after 1906 but I cannot confirm this. The original period photos and advertisement illustrations that I have seen of Russell cars produced for 1907 and 1908 do not show any visible emblem, script or decal and may have relied on the distinctive radiator shape for external identification.

Early Russell cars displayed the Russell manufacturer's name on the sill plates, see example shown below from a surviving 1906 Russell Model B:

This is a Russell sill plate (1906)    ms

Before June 1909, Russell advertisements put the "RUSSELL" name in capital letters, see the May 1905 Russell advertisement shown earlier above as an example. However, from June 1909, Russell advertisements used a script style for the "Russell" name, see example below:

Russell ad with script logo (June 1909)  russellcars

At this time in 1909, there was a change in the shape of the Russell radiator and, from 1909 to 1914 and possibly to the end of production in 1916, Russell passenger cars displayed the "Russell" name on a small brass script soldered to the radiator tank top, see examples shown below:

Russell Model L showing radiator top script (1909)  russellcars

Russell-Knight Md 28 showing radiator top script (1914) autofile.ca 

This is the brass "Russell" script radiator script emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below. This Russell radiator emblem is rare.

This is a Russell radiator script emblem (1909-c1916)    mjs
Size: 83mm wide

The following original period photo of a 1911 Russell-Knight shows the radiator script emblem and a round emblem mounted on the radiator core. This emblem has a maple-leaf in the center which may also include the "Russell" name, although this cannot be confirmed:

Russell-Knight with radiator core emblem (1911)  russellcars

The "Russell" name was also displayed on the hubcaps, see example shown below:

Russell-Knight Model 28 hubcap (1914)   autofile.ca

The following Russell hubcap has a different script style and may earlier than 1909 but I cannot confirm this date:

This is a Russell hubcap (date uncertain)    dkc