GORDON-KEEBLE / UK

 

GORDON - KEEBLE / SLOUGH / SOUTHAMPTON / / UK  ( 1963 - 1967 )

In 1959, John S. Gordon and Jim Keeble founded the company “GORDON AUTOMOBILE Co. Ltd.” in Slough, England. The goal was to produce a very fast sedan with Italian design from Giurgiaro, built by Bertone and equipped with  a powerful American engine. In fact, a partnership was formed with Chevrolet, from whom they could source a V-8 engine. Reportedly, the GORDON-KEEBLE was—for a time—one of the fastest production cars in the world. 

The British are known for their sense of humor, so they aptly decided to feature an animal on the emblem that is famous for its leisurely pace: the tortoise. However, the car was far too expensive to produce to be profitable. As a result, only exactly 100 vehicles were built, which is what makes the emblem so rare.

 

Here you can see the British sense of humor: a tortoise on one of the fastest cars of its time.

 

Size	7.8 cm
Year	1964 - 1967
Estimate

 

 

backside without makers mark

 

 

one of the rare survivors seen in Bremen / Germany in 2018

 

look at the tortoise top left on the photo

 

 

badge from the GORDON  - KEEBLE Owner club

For more emblems with an animal  logo please click here for the French Peugeot ( lion ) or the German MAJA (  bee! ) or Lorraine Dietrich ( stork ) or the Italian Bianchi ( eagle ) or the American KAISER ( buffalo ) and a lot more.

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HELIOS / GERMANY

 

HELIOS / COLOGNE / GERMANY ( 1923- 1926 )

On July 30, 1923, HELIOS AUTOMOBILBAU AG was founded in Cologne-Ehrenfeld to manufacture a vehicle based on the manufacturing system commonly used in the American automotive industry. The brand name HELIOS refers to the sun god in Greek mythology. The company initially produced a small car with 2/8 HP. Distribution was handled by the GDA (Gemeinschaft Deutscher Automobilfabriken = Association of German Automobile Manufacturers) to round out its product range at the lower end. At the beginning of 1926, HELIOS went bankrupt and was taken over in May 1926 by Delfosse Motorenfabrik, which unsuccessfully offered an improved HELIOS small car with a 4/20 hp engine.

This time, I'll start by showing the emblem as it was found. It lay in the ground for around 80 years before being discovered by a metal detectorist:

emblem as found before the cleanup

 

It's amazing how well the emblem has survived 80 years in the soil.

 

Size	6.5cm
Year	1924 - 1926
Estimate

 

 

backside without makers mark

 

 

 

As described in the introduction, the car was distributed by GDA and promoted in this 1924 advertisement . I have created a small exhibition of the emblems used.

 

However, it is evident that the vehicle was also sold by a CITROEN dealer in Düsseldorf, as can be seen in this period photo

 

 

With a little imagination, you can even identify the emblem.

 

 

There was also a commercial vehicle version.

 

 

This draft shows how simple the vehicle's design was.

 

 

bottom left: the HELIOS

 

 

1926 advertisement from Delfosse Motorenfabrik after they took over HELIOS

For more emblems from the GDA please click here for NAG or BRENNABOR or HANSA or HANSA LLOYD or HAWA.

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SIZAIRE BERWICK / FRANCE

 SIZAIRE BERWICK ( 1913 - 1927 )

In France, there were a wide variety of brands bearing the name “SIZAIRE.” For example, the brand “SIZAIRE NAUDIN” existed from 1905 to 1921, and “SIZAIRE BERWICK” existed in England and France from 1913 to 1927. The English agent for SIAZAIRE NAUDIN, F.W. Berwick, had these vehicles built in France and marketed them in England under his name. 

This time, the first image I'm showing isn't the emblem, but an advertisement. That's because I think this advertisement is wonderful. It appeared in The Autocar magazine in 1919, but only as a black-and-white drawing.
I then had the advertisement colored in with watercolors using AI, and because the result is so beautiful, I don't want to keep it from anyone, so I'll start with it:

1919 advertisement in The Autocar 1919

And here is the original advertisement in black and white. Color advertisements were very rare in 1919 and were very, very expensive. It can be assumed that SIZAIRE BERWICK did not have the money to pay for color advertisements.

 and here finally the SB emblem:

Size	4.5 cm x 6.4 cm
Year	c. 1920 - 1927
Estimate

 

backside without makers mark ( as usual in France )

 Since the car was built specifically for the UK market, there were of course test reports too:

 

 

 

 

 I found a second version of the emblem, but it is unclear whether it is an original:

 

I also edited this ad with AI:

Note the rear wheel of the car. The AI attempted to complete the car and add the rear wheel, which is intentionally not shown in the original display.

 

A car without rear wheels is impossible (says AI).

 

SIZAIRE BERWICK seen in the UK  (photo collection Claus H. Wulff)

For more SIZAIRE emblems please click here!

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

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SORIANO PEDROSO / NEUILLY / FRANCE

 

SORIANO PEDROSO / NEUILLY / FRANCE  ( 1919 - 1924 )

Which country comes to your mind when you read the company name SORIANO PEDROSO?
Italy or Spain? The truth is that it is a short-lived, unsuccessful French company.

Carlos de Pedroso and Ivanre de Soriano were two Spanish counts who began building a two-seater sports car with chain drive and a Ballot engine in Neuilly in 1919. Very few models were delivered by 1924, as the two Spaniards had been at odds from the outset and subsequently went their separate ways to establish their own automobile production companies. But this was also unsuccessful.

The company manufactured sports cars. One of these cars, built in 1922 and equipped with a Ballot engine, is on display in a museum and bears the emblem shown here: 

 

Size	3.6 cm x 5.6  cm
Year	1922
Estimate

 

 

For more information about the engine supplier BALLOT please click here!

You find more emblems and their history when looking at older posts or top right (list of car makers).

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AERO / CZ

AERO / PRAG / CZ  ( 1929 - 1947 ) 

AERO was originally a sports aircraft factory in Czechoslovakia. The AERO automobiles, built from 1929 onwards, were manufactured by Dr. Vladimir Kabesin's aircraft factory of the same name in Prague. In the beginning AERO automobiles were of particular interest to ambitious motor sports enthusiasts. Production ceased in 1947. 

The first model was designed to be sporty. It had no emblem, just a script on the radiator.

The Type 30 and Type 50 models built from 1939 onwards were then given a relatively modest emblem with the AERO name on white enamel. 

 

original AERO emblem showing the traces of decades

 

Size	5.0 cm x 2.2 cm
Year	1939 - 1940
Estimate

 

 

Unsuccessful revision, wrong color, wrong technique

 

 

Even though it is only a b/w photo, it is clear that the emblem was light in color, probably white.

 

 

In addition, there was a much more attractive, multicolored emblem showing the name AERO on the Czech flag:

 

The Czech flag in blue, white, and red has existed in this form since 1920.

 

Size	8.3 cm x 3.6 cm
Year	1940
Estimate

 

 

backside without makers mark

 The AERO type 50 had also a hood ornament showing the number 50:

 

1939 AERO 50 with mascot

 

The AERO lettering has always been designed in cursive: 

AERO type 500

 

 

 

another AERO mascot with YIN / YANG symbol...

 

After World War II, the AERO Minor model appeared, featuring a very modest oval emblem. This car was not a commercial success, and production of AERO automobiles was finally discontinued in 1947.

 

 

About 12,643 AERO cars were built in less than twenty years, mostly without emblem so every AERO badge is a rare item. 

If you want to learn more about AERO cars just click here. 

If you want to see more Czech automobile emblems please click here for SKODA or TATRA or WIKOV.

 

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

When using a smartphone please use the button webview 

 

ALLRIGHT / GERMANY

 

ALLRIGHT KÖLN - LINDENTHAL / GERMANY  ( 1908 - 1913 ) 

The name ALLRIGHT suggests that it could be an English brand. Far from it. The company ALLRIGHT KÖLN LINDENTHALER METALLWERKE A. G. was based in Germany and only used the commonly known word “Allright” to evoke the association that everything was in order with the vehicle. 

Initially, it was a bicycle factory, but from 1905 onwards, motorcycles were also built, and from 1908 onwards, small cars as well. The vehicles were unable to establish themselves on the market. If the figures on the internet are to be believed, perhaps only around 20 vehicles were built.

Not a single vehicle survived, and I haven't found a photo showing one from the front. However, I´m sure that a radiator emblem can be presented here, as the size suggests this, as do the two original holes for attachment. 

 

The emblem was riveted on; this method could not be used on a motorcycle tank or a hub cap.

Size	5.2 cm
Year	c. 1908 - 1913
Estimate

 

 

backside without makers mark

 

 

one of the rare photos showing a 1912 ALLRIGHT vehicle

 

massive brass script for ALLRIGHT vehicle

 

Of course, you know that there were other car factories in Cologne. To see interesting FORD Cologne emblems please click here!

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RAPID S.T.A.R. / TORINO / ITALY

 RAPID / STAR Societa Torinese Automobil Rapid  ( 1904 - 1921 ) TURIN/ ITALY

It is difficult to write about the manufacturer RAPID, because the brand was officially called STAR. 

However, all advertisements, brochures, and emblems initially only featured the name RAPID.

This brand was founded by Giovanni Battista Ceirano, who transformed the former La Ceirano & C. brand into the company S.T.A.R. ( =  Società Torinese Automobili Rapid ) 

During World War I, large quantities of projectiles, machine guns, and cannons were manufactured. After WWI, production resumed with the Type 10.

In 1921, however, RAPID was forced into liquidation. 

The SPA takes over the factories, while the automotive inventory goes to CIP, which puts it up for sale under the name STAR. 

 

Size	9.7 cm x 6.7 cm
Year	c. 1908
Estimate

 

RAPID already had a stand at the EXPO ITALIANA in 1905. Unfortunately, the photo is too unclear to really make out the emblem.

 

 

 

Size	9.7 cm x 6.7 cm
Year	1905 - 1906
Estimate

 

 

1906 Italian sales brochure showing a very distinctive emblem never used on a car

 

 

 original blank purchased from the liquidation estate of the Bregonzio enamel factory 

In the USA and England, there were also car brands with the name STAR. Here I am talking about the Italian brand STAR.

This is likely to have been the last emblem used by the Italian brand. The reverse side shows traces of the old solder (see 2nd photo).

 

Size	8.2 cm x 4.2 cm
Year	1921
Estimate

 

 

 

 The only Italian STAR car catalog I know of shows a different emblem:

For more information about the Italian Ceirano family and  Ceirano emblems please click here!

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

When using a smartphone pleas use the button webview.