PHÄNOMEN / GERMANY

The PHÄNOMEN - Werke were founded in Zittau / Saxony / Germany in 1888 by Gustav Hiller and began producing bicycles in 1898 and motorcycles in 1903.
In 1907, the company released the Phänomobil model, which closely resembled Cyclon's Cyklonette. This was no surprise, as two engineers who had developed the Cyclonette had moved to Phänomen. From 1912 to 1927, Phänomen also built larger passenger cars of conventional design. From 1927, only light trucks with air-cooled engines were built.  In 1945, the plants were expropriated without compensation and were then called ROBUR.

1913 advertisment showing the three - wheeler PHÄNOMOBIL ( down left )

British brochure for the PHÄNOMOBIL (here written: Phanomobiles) showing the V2-cylinder engine

ultra rare PHÄNOMOBIL emblem

Size	8.8  cm
Year	unknown
Estimate

PHÄNOMOBIL with 2-cylinder engine ( 1912 - 1922) photo collection Klaas Dierks

The first enameled radiator emblem on a conventional car had capital letters only:

the two holes are original to fix the emblem

Size	9.1 cm
Year	1916
Estimate

backside without makers mark

Photo from the Michael Schlenger collection showing the emblem ( more Phänomen pictures here )

After WWI the design of the emblem was changed. Now you find an emblem in the form of a rhombus on a vee - shaped radiator:

photo collection Klaas Dierks

In 1924 the time was over for the vee  - shaped radiators and the PHÄNOMEN emblem became flat:

Size	7.5 cm x 3.5 cm
Year	1926 - 1930
Estimate

There was also a version with two holes to fix the emblem at the radiator:

In 1927 PHÄNOMEN specialized in light trucks using a simplified emblem:

Size	c.7.0 cm x 4.0 cm
Year	1927 - 1939
Estimate

1928 brochure where you can read: the truck that does not need care !

1928 advertisment showing the new light truck 4 RL and the new "Kübelwagen"

radiator shell of the light truck 4 RL with blue / white emblem

close up of the truck emblem

 

As far as I know, the emblem was made of aluminum from 1940 onwards to save material:

PHÄNOMEN type GRANIT emblem made of aluminium

 

 

Size	7.6 cm x  3.6 cm
Year	1940
Estimate

The following emblem is a mystery. I have never seen this emblem on an automobile.

Who knows more ?

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

When using a smartphone please use the button webview.

ELGIN / USA

 ELGIN MOTOR CAR CORPORATION  ( 1916 - 1924 )

  ""The car of the  hour" and "Built like a watch" were scarcely subtle reminders that several executives of the famed Illinois company producing clocks and timepieceshad decided to enter the automotive arena."

That is what you can read about  ELGIN ( 1916 - 1924 ) in Kimes / Clark, 3rd edition.

In the first year, they sold 617 vehicles only. So it is not surprising that the first emblem from 1916 is very rare. The best year was 1920 with 4613 cars sold.From then on production went down continuously and in the last year they sold only 323 cars before production was finally stopped. In 9 years they manufactured 16,784 cars.

 The 1916 emblem  is looking very beautiful and it is very sought after by collectors :

 

Size	6.3 cm x 6.3 cm
Year	1916
Estimate

 

 

backside with makers mark from Greenduck Co. Chicago

1916 advertisment presenting the new car and the emblem

 

 As it is a very rare and a very sought after emblem it was reproduced by Harry Pulfer in the nineteensixties.

As you can see, there were many errors in the reproduction. The size has become too small. The letters are filled with red enamel instead of black, the red enamel is opaque instead of transparent. The radiator has a wrong water tank. The letters  ELGIN and the wheels are not on the same level. The reproduction has a flat backside.  Therefore it is quite easy to recognize the  reproduction.

left original                 right  repro

In 1917 the emblem was redesigned. Now there was an emblem showing three interlocking triangles:

Size	6.6 cm x 6.0 cm
Year	1917 - 1919
Estimate

backside with makers mark from Greenduck Co. Chicago

1917 list of parts showing the new emblem

In 1920 the emblem was redesigned again. Now you find a round emblem where the old emblem is integrated:

Size	7.0 cm
Year	1920
Estimate

backside without makers mark

To my knowledge the following emblem is the last before production ceased, but I couldn´t find an advertisment, a brochure or a contemporary photo showing an original car with this particular emblem:

Size	6.3 cm x 5.6 cm
Year	1923 - 1924
Estimate

backside with makers mark (modernized) makers mark from GREENDUCK Co. CHICAGO

 

If you want to know more about emblem manufacturers click here !

Last not least. The following emblem is a mystery. I saw it in the Swigart Museum in Pennsylvania. 

All I know is that it was printed on the stock papers  issued in 1923.

1923 ELGIN share ( one year before the end of this car maufacturer )

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

When using a smartphone please use the button webview.

BROSSEL / BELGIUM

The three Belgium brothers Louis, Henri and Paul Brossel started in the automotive industry as early as 1912.They initially ran a repair shop for trucks. After the First World War, they sold the Swiss truck brand Arbenz ( for more information about Arbenz click here ). In 1925, they brought out their first own truck. There was a French Aster engine installed. In 1928 they founded a new company, the:

 " Automobiles Industriels Brossel Freres SA " .

 As emblem they chose in 1928 the Congolese five-pointed star and the emblem bore the Congolese colors of blue and gold. Later the five-pointed star was also used as a radiator mascot. At that time, the Congo was a Belgian colony, which explains this choice.

 

Size	6.2 cm
Year	1928 - 1939
Estimate

 

There is also repro in a smaller size and with a flat backside:

left : original                         right :  repro

left :   original                   right :  repro

 

contemporary ad showing one of the the first trucks

BROSSEL six cylinder 1931 - 32 radiator with mascot

 

 In 1949, the Belgian Army put out to tender an order for 4,000 medium-tonnage trucks. A consortium of the Belgian companies FN, MIESSE and BROSSEL was awarded the contract. This type 62C truck was built from 1950 to 1952 and received an aluminum emblem showing all three brand names:

large truck badge

 

Size	23.2 cm x 17.5 cm
Year	1950- 1952
Estimate

 

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

When using a smartphone please use the button webview.

BOVY / BELGIUM

 The "ATELIERS DE CONSTRUCTIONS MECANIQUES ALBERT BOVY" were founded at Brussels / Belgium in 1902. The first BOVY cars were seen at the Brussels Auto Salon in 1904.

BOVY specialised in commercial vehicles. A number  of well known companies such as Artois, the Belgian Post Office and the army used BOVY trucks. In the early 1920s the company became the "SA DES AUTOMOBILES BELGES".  In 1927 this company chose as emblem an anvil and the words:

"AUTOMOBILES INDUSTRIELS BOVY BRUXELLES" .

A. Bovy died in  1929 and the company was taken over by BROSSEL,  another famous Belgian Company. In 1930 BROSSEL took over the next Belgian Company, the PIPE Automobiles.  From that point on the trucks were marketed as BOVY - PIPE.  Fore more information about BROSSEL click here.

The last truck with the BOVY - PIPE emblem on the hood appeared in 1952,  then the doors of the company were closed forever.

Size	c. 6.0 cm
Year	c. 1925
Estimate

 1930 BOVY type DS - 6 with round emblem and a radiator mascot figuring an anvil

BOVY light truck used by the Belgian Post

1950 - 1952  BOVY - PIPE truck

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

When using a smartphone please use the button webview.