SIMSON - SUHL / GERMANY ( 1911 - 1934 )
The SIMSON & Co. factory became known for its arms production. In 1896, the company began manufacturing bicycles. Automobile production was tentatively launched in 1908. But it wasn’t until 1911 that chief designer Paul Henze succeeded in building a solid vehicle, the Type A. The Type B and C followed in 1912. Incidentally, SIMSON retained the model designation consisting solely of letters until the very end. The owners of the company, the Jewish brothers Arthur and Julius Simson, were subjected to fabricated criminal charges as early as 1933 and fled to the United States.
In 1934, car manufacturing was discontinued, while other production continued, and SIMSON became one of the largest arms factories in the German Reich.
In 1948, the factory began producing motorcycles. On May 1, 1952, the factory was transferred to public ownership as the Simson Suhl Vehicle and Equipment Factory of the GDR. In addition to motorcycles, the factory produced mopeds, motorized bicycles, and scooters under the Simson brand.
Even the Type A, B or C from 1912 had an emblem. I've never seen an original, but at least there is a color drawing by the Swedish artist Gustaf Moeller. Not a single vehicle of these typ has survived. But there was a drawing of the 1912 emblem, which was made by the Swedish boy Gustaf Moeller back in the 1920s. Gustaf lived near the ferry port in Helsingborg / Sweden and drew the emblems of the waiting cars there. What a great hobby that still helps and delights us a hundred years later:
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| 1912 radiator emblem documented in Sweden in the 1920s |
With a little imagination, you can make out the rectangular emblem on the radiator of this Type B:
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| Even the 1912 models featured an attractive design |
In 1917 the newly designed logo was patented:
SIMSON vehicles became known for their quality and design. Even the chassis plate was meticulously designed, featuring the new logo and Art Nouveau elements:
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| The logo shown at the top of the plate—three triangles with the letter S in the middle triangle—was patented as a trademark in 1917. |
The first models bearing the dual name SIMSON SUPRA were released in 1924/1925. The following advertisement dates from the early days of the SIMSON SUPRA models:
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| With the introduction of the SIMSON SUPRA, the logo was also updated. Now it consists simply of a circle containing a triangle and the letter S. |
The same design was also used for the radiator mascot:
Almost all SIMSON SUPRA vehicles had only one script on the right side of the pointed radiator:
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| script on the right side of the radiator 1927 still with right hand drive |
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| Do you see the script on the right side? |
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| 1927 advertisement in Motor / Braunbeck; I'm not convinced by the design of this 1927 advertisement. What is the green symbol supposed to mean? |
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| The vehicle on the left is a SIMSON SUPRA on a promotional tour in Monaco in 1928 |
Despite the economic crisis, SIMSON launched a luxurious 8-cylinder car in 1931, but only about 30 units were sold before production was discontinued in 1934. This model didn't have a radiator emblem; instead, it had the brand logo with the script on a bar between the headlights:
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| Note the golden 8 behind the script |
The last and most iconic model of the SIMSON SUPRA was also the only one to feature an enameled radiator emblem:
| Size | c. 6.5 cm x 4.5 cm |
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| Year | 1931 - 1934 |
| Estimate |  |
Much simpler—in fact, quite basic in design—was this metal emblem, which could be seen on top of the radiator of a late-model SIMSON SUPRA:
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| What do you want more? A script, an emblem and a mascot |
Since Simson is known to today's generation almost exclusively as a manufacturer of two-wheeled vehicles, I can't help but include a picture of a two-wheeled vehicle as well:
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| This is the end my friend: the 2002 logo |
In 2002, SIMSON Motorrad GmbH & Co. KG was forced to file for bankruptcy, and the production of vehicles (two-wheelers) under the SIMSON brand name came to a definitive end.
For more emblems see older posts or top right ( list of car makers ).
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