SPA / ITALY

 

SPA /   TORINO / ITALY  ( 1906 - 1926 )

This brand was created by Michele Ansaldi and Matteo Ceirano, a member of the Ceirano family of automobile manufacturers.  On June 12, 1906, the two founded the “Società Piemontese Automobili Ansaldi-Ceirano” (SPA) in Turin, Italy. The first models had a 4-cylinder engine with 7785 cc, followed by six-cylinder engines with an incredible 11677 cc. From 1916 onwards, there was a wide range of touring cars, sports cars, racing cars, commercial vehicles, and aircraft engines.

In 1926, SPA was acquired by FIAT. In 1926, SPA was acquired by FIAT and the production of SPA  passenger cars was discontinued. FIAT continued to offer trucks under the SPA brand name until 1949. 

The first enameled emblem I was able to find was oval with the three white letters SPA on a black background: 

 

 

SPA radiator with oval badge  ( photo collection C. H. Wulff )

 

 

SPA vehicle with oval emblem

 

 

In 1913, the French magazine OMNIA published this photograph of the SPA's radiator and hood.

 

 I was able to find three different enameled chassis plates:

 

 

Size	10.2 cm x 5.0 cm
Year	- 1914
Estimate

 

 

Size	6.5 cm
Year	1918 - 1926
Estimate

 

backside without makers mark

 

 

 

Size	6.0 cm
Year	1920 - 1923
Estimate

 

 

1919 advertisement for the British market

 

SPA TIPO 23  SPORT with v - shaped radiator ( photo collection C.H. Wulff)

 

This advertisement also promotes the TIPO 23 SPORT. However, the vehicle looks much more elegant in the photo shown above.

 

If this photo is to be believed, there was also an emblem where the letters were black and the background was white:

 

 

photo of the SPA stand at the Brussels Motor Show in 1923.

 

 

This advertisement dates back to 1926. That same year marked the end of the SPA company.

For more emblems, specifically for FIAT, which acquired the SPA brand, click here!

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TESLA / USA

TESLA /  AUSTIN / USA  ( 2003 ff )

Tesla, Inc.  is a  US car manufacturer based in Austin / Texas, which produces electric cars as well as other products like battery systems,  photovoltaic systems etc. The company was founded in 2003 by M. Eberhard and M. Tarpenning, who left in 2008. In  2004  Elon Musk became chairman of the supervisory board, later chief executive officer (CEO), and has been a defining figure at Tesla ever since. As of October 2023, Tesla has several production sites in the United States, as well as a final assembly plant in the Netherlands (since 2013) and a so-called “Gigafactory” in the People's Republic of China (since 2019) and Germany (since 2022).

Have I gone crazy and am now writing about a car brand that has only been around for a good 20 years?

No, it all started with this beautiful enameled emblem that I bought at a flea market. 

And I thought I had made the discovery of the year...

 At first, I hoped it might be an emblem from a very early TESLA model, until I saw this stained glass window in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, with exactly the same emblem:

 

Now it was clear that this is not a car emblem, but rather the emblem of a Czech electrical company that also manufactured radios:

 

 

 

So last not least the real TESLA hood emblem, quite simple designed, inspired by the official sign, the symbol T. It stands for the physical unit of  magnetic flux density.

Not very pretty, but modern...

 

 If you want to see a real beautiful vintage electric car emblem, please click here !

 For real vintage car emblems see older posts or top right ( list of car makers ).

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FLORENTIA / ITALY

 FLORENTIA / FIRENZE ) ITALY  ( 1901 - 1910 )

FLORENZIA was a short-lived automobile manufacturer based in Florence, Italy. The company struggled with financial difficulties, which led to its closure in 1910. Production figures are unknown, but must have been very low. At least one vehicle has survived. It is located in Turin in the  automobil museum.

This is a particularly attractive radiator emblem. However, I can only show it here in a brochure. I've never  seen it in reality.

Size	c. 6.0 cm
Year	1906..
Estimate

 

 

 

With a little imagination, however, you can see it in this photo from 1906. At least  a round badge is  depicted there:

 

 The only real emblem I was able to find is this rather simple brass emblem:

 

1903 FLORENTIA vehicle seen in a Italian museum in 2023

1906 advertisement for the Italian market

 

For more emblems see older posts or top right  ( list of car makers )

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BELSIZE / UK

 BELSIZE / MANCHSTER / UK  ( 1901 - 1925 )

The first model with the name BELSIZE appeared in 1901. It was equipped with a French motor from BUCHET.  Previously, the company was called MARSHALL and its vehicles were based on the French brand HURTU. It was more advanced than other manufacturers.

The company took its name from the Belsize works, where they had built bicycles. This name is a combination of the word “BEL,”  French abbreviation for beautiful, and SIZE. So the company name suggests that the bicycle and later the  vehicle has a beautiful size. 

From 1921 they were called BELSIZE - BRADSHAWS after Granville Bradshaw, the designer of the ABC. Production figures are not known but must have been low.

 

Size	8.4 cm  x 5.9  cm
Year	1921 - 1925
Estimate

1924 advertisement showing the emblem:

In 1924 BELSIZE offered 4 cylinder and 6 cylinder motors

The oldest BELSIZE emblem I could find:

 

sorry, the two holes are not original

Size	5.0  cm
Year	c. 1912
Estimate

 Unfortunately, this brochure from 1913 is very simplistic in design, showing neither the vehicle nor a logo:

 There was also a brass script:

 

 

 The BELSIZE badge was offered in different colors. But I don´t know when and where which color was used.

 

 

Size	8.4 cm  x 5.9  cm
Year	1921 - 1925
Estimate

 

 

For more information about the French HURTU which was the base for the BELSIZE  predecessor MARSHALL please click here.

For more information about the French BUCHET please click here. 

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MATFORD / FRANCE

MATFORD / Strasbourg / France ( 1934 - 1939 ) 

Henry Ford wanted to set up automobile production in France and sought cooperation with Emile E.C. Mathis, who had been manufacturing his own vehicles in Strasbourg since 1905. The plant in Strasbourg, which opened in 1934, was an assembly plant under the management of Emile E.C. Mathis. In 1935, the “ALSACE” model with an American-made 8-cylinder engine was launched. In 1938, the “MATFORD 60” appeared, also with an 8-cylinder engine. The collaboration ended in 1939.

The brand name “MATFORD” is obviously a combination of Mathis and Ford.

That's why I'm starting with this photo, because the two red emblems exemplify the collaboration between Emile Mathis and Henry Ford:

There was a white and a red version of the emblem attached to the side of the hood. I don't know when each color was used. Do you know?

Size	16.7 cm x 8.0   cm
Year	1938 -39
Estimate

 

 

Size	16.7 cm x 8.0   cm
Year	1938 - 39
Estimate

 

The first Matford badge was given this beautifully design:

original MATFORD emblem  showing the name and six crowns of the coat of arms of Alsace 

 

 

Size	16.7 cm x 8.0   cm
Year	1935-
Estimate

 

 

 This emblem was affixed to the front of an impressive radiator mascot:

 

 

 

Size	valuation for the mascot
Year	1935
Estimate

 

 

original with some damages

 

Size	16.7 cm x 8.0   cm
Year	1936
Estimate

 

 

 Repro made by "La boutique de l`Automobiliste", recognizable by the central mounting screw ( see backside photo)

 

 

This emblem bears the word “Alsace” in large letters and “MATFORD” in small letters, an interesting variation shown in 1935:

 

 

Size	16.7 cm x 8.0   cm
Year	1935
Estimate

 

 

 

1935 advertisement with badge ( On this model, the headlights are not integrated into the fenders! )

 

The corresponding FORD V8 was also assembled in Switzerland and was given its own emblem, which was based on the design of the French emblems:

One of my favorite emblems, partly because it is so extremely rare.

Size	c. 6.0 cm x 5.5 cm
Year	c. 1935
Estimate

 

 

This should be a truck emblem from 1937 / 1938

 

Size	16.7 cm x 8.0   cm
Year	1953 -
Estimate

 

 

1936 MATFORD for sale, seen in France in 2024

 

 In 1938 / 1939 the MATFORD had a quite simple mascot: a horizontal 8 in an arrow head:

my MATFORD exposition with mascot

 MATFORD also built trucks. In 1938 the truck had a tin emblem only:

 

Size	4.4 cm x 6.6 cm
Year	1938
Estimate

 

 

 For more emblems see older posts or top rigt ( list of car makers ).

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