JENKINS

Jenkins Motor Car Co. (1907-1912)

Rochester, New York

This is a Jenkins radiator emblem (c1911-1912)     sam
Size: 85mm wide 55mm high     MM: Unknown

J. William Jenkins was a shoe manufacturer from Rochester who decided to enter the automotive field and established the Jenkins Motor Car Company in 1907.

The Jenkins began as a Special 40/45 hp four-cylinder touring model. The wheelbase of the Jenkins grew each year but otherwise remained much the same until 1912, when the engine size was reduced a little to 38 hp.  

Production numbers for the Jenkins are unknown but were likely to have been modest. J. William Jenkins gave up his automobile business in 1912.

Emblems

The first Jenkins cars did not carry an emblem but displayed the Jenkins name on a Jenkins Special nameplate attached to the body of the vehicle, see example below. This Jenkins Special nameplate is extremely rare.

This is a Jenkins Special nameplate (1907-c1909)    mjs
Size: 89mm wide 41mm high

The following is a Jenkins serial plate . Original Jenkins serial plates are rare.

This is a Jenkins serial plate (c1909)     sam
Size: 95mm wide 38mm high

The Jenkins did carry a diamond-shaped, blue on white enamel radiator emblem, probably from about 1911, although I cannot confirm this date, see example shown above at the top of this post. Original Jenkins radiator emblems are extremely rare.

Beware, there are reproduction Jenkins radiator emblems in blue on white enamel, similar to the emblem shown above at the top of this post, and in white on blue enamel, see examples below. Reproduction Jenkins radiator emblems have smooth backs and no makers mark.

This is a reproduction Jenkins emblem    tcc
Size: 83mm wide 54mm high

This is a reproduction Jenkins radiator emblem     ms
Size: 83mm wide 54mm high

I do not know, if there was an original white on blue enamel Jenkins radiator emblem. If such an emblem exists it would be extremely rare.

CORREJA

Vandewater & Co. (1909)
Iselin, New Jersey
Vandewater & Co. Inc. (1909-1910)
Correja Automobile Co. (1910-1911)
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Correja Motor Car Co. (1911-1914)
New York, New York

This is a Correja radiator script (c1911)    jtc
Size: 125mm wide 70mm high

F. C. and Edwin Vandewater of Vanderwater & Company were involved with the Eagle car in Rahway, New Jersey before moving to Iselin to produce the Correja. 

Production of the Correja began in August 1908 for the 1909 model year but the company was reorganized as Vandewater & Co. Ltd., and moved to Elizabeth, New Jersey in December 1909. The company was reorganized again in July 1910 as the Correja Automobile Company with J. Correja as one of the Directors.

The Correja was a well-built automobile, which began in 1909 as a 40 hp four-cylinder model offered as a five-passenger tourer or a two/three-passenger runabout. There was range of 30 hp and 50 hp models in 1910 but, for 1911, production concentrated on a single 35 hp two-seat Speed Runabout model, probably to take advantage of the good publicity gained through a series of race successes, particularly in hill climb events. The company used the slogan "Takes Every Hill and Always Will". However, the company may have been in the need of finance, because it was reorganized again in 1911 as the Correja Motor Car Company and its headquarters were moved to New York City. There is some evidence to suggest that there was a return to Vandewater & Co. Ltd, in 1912. 

For 1912, production returned to a wide range of models, including six-cylinder models. All Correjas were six-cylinder models after 1912. However, sales had started to fall after 1911 and thereafter more of the company's income came from parts sales and repair work. The company was bankrupt by February 1914.

Emblems

The first Correja cars displayed the "Correja" name on a brass script within a diamond shaped frame mounted on the front of the radiator core, see example shown below in an original period photo:

Correja race car showing radiator core script (c1909)   dpl

Close up showing radiator script

The following rather poor quality original photo appears to show a diamond shaped "Correja" emblem without a frame mounted on the radiator core:  

Correja car with radiator core emblem (c1909)   hcif

These "Correja" radiator core emblems are based on the first Correja trademark, which appears on Correja advertisements up to 1911, see example shown below. Original "Correja" radiator scripts with this design are extremely rare.

Correja ad showing trademark (1911)  tcm

The following Correja advertising billboard shows a Correja car with a very different radiator script showing the name "Correja Car":

Correja advertising billboard (c1910-1911)  dpl

Close up showing "Correja Car" radiator script

The Correja radiator script shown above is clearly an artist's illustration but the "Correja Car" radiator script did exist, see original period photo shown below. An original "Correja Car" radiator script would be extremely rare.

"Correja Car" radiator script (c1910)     dpl

Several Correja advertisements show Correja cars without a radiator script, see example shown below. This suggests that the "Correja" radiator script may have been an optional attachment.

Correja advertisement showing no radiator script (1911)   ebay

A new "Correja" trademark appeared on Correja advertisements later in 1911, see below:

Correja advertisement showing new trademark (1911)  ebay

Correja Trademark (c1911)

This new Correja trademark was used as the design for the painted brass "Correja" radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below. Original Correja radiator emblems with this design are very rare.

This is a Correja radiator script (c1911)    jtc
Size: 125mm wide 70mm high

Some Correja cars carried an emblem mounted on the front of the radiator tank top from later in 1911, see original photo of a Correja car taking part in the Guttenberg Races shown below:

Correja car with rad emblem at the Guttenberg Races (1911)   dpl

Close up of Correja radiator showing the emblem (1911)

The Correja radiator emblem shown above appears to follow the design of the first Correja trademark but the detail in the design cannot be seen from this photo. An original Correja radiator emblem would be extremely rare.

If you have any better details or photos of this Correja radiator emblem or the Correja radiator scripts shown earlier, please let me know, in order to update this post.

LA PORTE

La Porte Carriage Co. (1895)
La Porte, Indiana

This is a La Porte maker's name tag (c1895)   mjs
Size: 72mm wide 17mm high

The Chicago Times-Herald newspaper sponsored the first automobile race in America in November 1895, only two years after the first automobile was produced in America by the Duryea brothers.

Eighty-three contestants originally planned to enter the race but most dropped out before the race, which was postponed several times to encourage participation in the race. In the event, only six contestants actually took part in the race. Frank Duryea was the first to cross the finish line in his Motorized Wagon but failed to win the gold cup, as he did not keep to the course.      

In 1895, the La Porte Carriage Company announced it would enter the Chicago Times-Herald Contest with a vehicle of its own design. It is believed that the car was built but was not completed in time for the event. The La Porte did not go into production. 

Emblem

The La Porte maker's name tag shown above was attached to the rear of La Porte carriages and a similar tag may well have been attached to the La Porte car built for the Chicago Times-Herald race. 

RELIANCE (2)

Racine Motor Truck Co. (1917-1918)
Reliance Motor Truck Co. (1918-1922)
Appleton Motor Truck Co. (1922-c1927)
Appleton, Wisconsin

This shows the Reliance truck radiator emblem (1920)   ma

The Racine Motor Truck Company based in Appleton, Wisconsin began to build the Reliance truck in 1917. In 1918, the company was reorganized and became the Reliance Motor Truck Company. The Reliance was built in 1-1/2-ton and 2-1/2-ton capacity sizes, both powered by Buda four-cylinder engines and could be had with either three-speed or four-speed transmissions. 

There was a further reorganization in 1922, when the company became the Appleton Motor Truck Company. The company no doubt suffered the post First World War recession, as did other small truck manufacturing companies, and production after 1923 is uncertain, although some lists of truck makers included the Reliance up to 1927. 

Emblems

I can find no original period photos of Reliance trucks and there appear to be no surviving examples. 

However, there are illustrations of the Reliance truck in advertisements in the 1919-1920 period. These show the Reliance truck with a heavily ribbed radiator tank top, probably in cast iron, with a "Reliance" script that appears to be cast into the radiator tank top. Some advertisements also show the "Reliance" name displayed on a body side nameplate, see examples shown below:

Reliance truck advertisement (1920)  ma

Detail showing radiator emblem (1920)

Reliance truck advertisement (1919)  ma

Close up showing body side nameplate (1919)

The following detailed illustration from another 1920 Reliance advertisement clearly shows the Reliance radiator and emblem:

Detail showing Reliance radiator & emblem (1920)   ma

BUCKEYE

Buckeye Manufacturing Co. (1913)

Anderson, Indiana

This is a Buckeye emblem (possibly 1913)      mjs
Size: 76mm wide 55mm high    MM: Unknown

John W. Lambert built a surrey topped gasoline-powered three wheeler runabout in 1890 which he called the Buckeye. The Buckeye gasoline buggy was offered for sale in 1891 but there were no buyers and production did not proceed further. Lambert organized the Buckeye Manufacturing Company in the early 1890's to produce gasoline engines. In 1895, Lambert announced that a gasoline car was to be built to be called the Buckeye but again production did not happen.

In 1902, John Lambert started to produce the Union car in Union City, Indiana and renamed the car as the Lambert when he moved production to Anderson, Indiana (see Lambert). Lambert planned to revive the Buckeye name for his smaller Lambert models in 1913 and announced this to the press but no record has been found to show that he did so. 

Emblem

The brown and white enamel Buckeye emblem shown above is very rare and may have been made for prototypes of the Buckeye planned for production in 1913 but I cannot confirm this.

METEOR CANADA

Ford Motor Co. of Canada Ltd. (1949-1961;1964-1976)
Windsor, Ontario 

This is a Meteor radiator emblem (1949)    mjs
Size: 93mm high 83mm wide    MM: PC

The Meteor followed the Canadian-market Mercury in 1949 as a low-price competitor to the Canadian Pontiac. The Meteor of 1949 used a Mercury grille and was powered by a flathead V8 engine. A six-cylinder model followed in 1956. 

The Meteor was discontinued after 1961 but pressure from car dealers resulted in the reintroduction of the Meteor as a stand alone make for the 1964 model year. The Meteor continued until 1976, although from 1968 Meteor cars were advertised as Mercury Meteors and carried Mercury badges.

Emblems

From 1949 to 1954, the Canadian Meteor displayed the "Meteor" name on individual chrome diecast letters mounted at the bottom front of the hood just above the radiator grille.  

For 1949 only, the Meteor also carried a blue hood emblem with a tailed meteor motif in a chrome mount forming part of the hood ornament and a painted chrome vertical "Eight" in the center of the grille, see example shown below:

Meteor Tudor Sedan showing hood emblem (1949)     flickr

The hood emblem is the blue painted, chrome metal Meteor hood emblem shown above at the top of this post. This Meteor hood emblem is scarce.

For 1949 only, the "Meteor" name was also displayed on a round chrome diecast emblem on the trunk lid, see example shown below:

Meteor Tudor Sedan showing trunk emblem (1949)   flickr

This is the round blue painted, chrome diecast Meteor trunk emblem shown below. This Meteor trunk emblem is scarce.

This is a Meteor trunk emblem (1949)    mjs
Size: 105mm diameter   MM: PC

For 1950, the chrome "Meteor" name just above the radiator grille was retained but the Meteor hood emblem was replaced by a simple chrome hood ornament, see example photo shown below:

Meteor Rosemere (1950)     flickr

The 1950 Meteor trunk emblem was changed to a vertical chrome tailed meteor motif mounted above a painted, pressed metal "Meteor" trim. see example shown below:

Meteor trunk emblem (1950)    custom_cab

Meteor trunk emblem (1950)

For 1951, the Meteor displayed the vertical tailed meteor motif on the front of the hood ornament and a chrome trunk emblem with the "Meteor" name above a tailed meteor motif, see examples shown below:

Meteor hood ornament (1951)   D70

Meteor trunk emblem (1951)    richard spiegelman

This is the chrome diecast Meteor trunk emblem shown below. This Meteor trunk emblem is scarce.

This is a Meteor trunk emblem (1951)    mjs
Size: 190mm wide 130mm high   MM:

For 1952, the Meteor hood ornament lost its meteor tail but had a larger star and the trunk displayed the "Meteor" name in individual letters above a wide elongated star, see examples shown below:

Meteor Customline hood decoration (1952)   blondy 

Meteor Customline trunk emblems (1952)    blondy

There was a new look for the Meteor from 1953 with a shield shaped plastic and chrome hood emblem over the "Meteor" name and a wide stylized tailed meteor motif incorporating the "Meteor" name, see examples shown below:

Meteor Customline showing hood emblem (1953)  ken morris jr

Meteor Customline hood emblem (1953)  motorsportandclassics

Meteor Customline trunk emblem (1953)  richard spiegelman

The Meteor shield shaped hood emblem continued in 1954, see close up view shown below. This Meteor hood emblem is rare.

Meteor Rideau Skyliner hood emblem (1954)   bringatrailer
Size: Unknown    MM: Unknown

The 1954 Meteor Rideau Skyliner also displayed a smaller version of the shield shaped emblem on the side of the rear window, see example shown below:

Meteor Rideau Skyliner rear window side emblem (1954) bringatrailer

The 1954 Meteor trunk emblem displayed a completely different stylized tailed meteor motif, see example shown below:

Meteor showing trunk emblem (1954)    hemmings

 

FAE

Fire Apparatus Engineering (1930's-1940's)
Clayton, New York 

This is an FAE emblem (late 1930's)    mjs
Size: 89mm diameter    MM: None

Fire Apparatus Engineering was a small regional manufacturer of fire apparatus located in Clayton, New York and manufactured commercial chassis pumpers, tankers and other types of fire apparatus primarily for fire departments in New York State.  

It is reported that Fire Apparatus Engineering only produced about 20 fire apparatus units.

Emblem

The white and blue FAE emblem shown above is very rare.  

This FAE emblem was displayed on the sides of the hood of the fire apparatus, see example shown below. 

This is an FAE Brockway pumper with FAE hood side emblem (1936)    wmcc