LEY / GER

 

LEY / ARNSTADT / GERMANY   ( 1906 - 1927 )

 

Rudolf LEY started his automobile production in 1906 with the type LORELEY. This was a fine marketing idea because the LORELEY is a well known rock on the German river Rhein. Later he called his daughter Lore so there was another play upon words.
LEY never was a mass producer of cars as his automobiles were too expensive and he had to stop automobile production in 1927.  There are at least 9 LEY cars still known in existence.

chassis plate of a 1907 LEY, typ LORELEY  6/10 hp

1911 LORELEY registered in Berlin ( photo collection Thomas Ulrich)

1912 sales brochure

1912 LORELEY with the emblem shown in the sales brochure above

In 1913 there was a rectangular emblem as shown on this contemporary photo:

 

LEY changed quite often the design of the emblem. Here the 1914 emblem:

Here you see the 1914 radiator emblem as shown on a 1914 sales brochure

Size	12.7 cm  x 14.7 cm
Year	1914
Estimate

contemporary photo:  1914 LORELEY

1912 brochure, may be this emblem was also mounted on the car itself

There have been some more LEY radiator emblems:

The letters stand for Rudolf Ley

Size	c.  4.5 cm x 6.5 cm
Year	c. 1924
Estimate

Just after WW I  another LEY  emblem was mounted on the radiator:

every LEY emblem is a hard to find item

Size	ca. 5.0 cm
Year	1919
Estimate

reverse of the 1919 radiator badge

contemporary photo showing a 1919 LEY with vee-shaped radiator and the (red / white ) emblem shown above

1922 advertisment

Size	9.1 cm  x 8.0 cm
Year	1923 - 1925
Estimate

the  emblem shown above was registered in 1923

1910 LORELEY automobile. The white emblem in the middle of the radiator was probably  added  in the nineteentwenties   ( picture collection K. Dierks )

LEY advertisment of 1922 showing the emblem

1925 advertisment

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

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