MINERVA / BELGIUM ( 1899 - 1939 )
MINERVA was Belgium´s pioneer make, with Knight sleeve valve engines after 1909. The factory attained high retail sales with fast tourers (Charles S. Rolls was the London agent) as well with rather more formal cars for the nobility before World War I.
In the twenties MINERVA produced a wide range of humble Fours for the mass market, but a return to the upper class with the AK 5.9-litre and AL 6.6 litre meant that MINERVA succumbed to harsh depression winds and closes down car production in 1939.
Trucks were made until 1948 and the Land Rover was produced under license until 1956.
It is a pleasure to collect MINERVA emblems as you can find so much variations.
Here you see the well know MINERVA emblem made with white and red enamel showing the roman goddess of wisdom, called Minerva.
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| The MINEREVA goddess is looking to the right |
Size
|
6.3 cm
|
|---|---|
Year
|
1911 - 1929
|
Estimate
|  |
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| 1925 advertisment showing the well known emblem |
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| MINERVA automobile seen in Brussels at the Autoworld museum |
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| 1913 advertisment showing the radiator with emblem |
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| MINERVA goddess looking to the left saying " Anvers Belgique" |
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| Here you can read: " Antwerp Belgium" |
Size
|
6.3 cm
|
|---|---|
Year
|
1924
|
Estimate
| |
There are much more MINERVA emblems:
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| Godess looking to the right. You can read ANTWERP. BELGIUM |
Size
|
6.3 cm
|
|---|---|
Year
|
unknown
|
Estimate
| |
 |
| all MINERVA emblems were fixed to the radiator with straps |
This is the 1929 one year only blue emblem. It is much rarer.
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| MINERVA goddess looking to the right |
Size
|
6.3 cm
|
|---|---|
Year
|
1929
|
Estimate
| |
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| 1929 MINERVA emblem with contemporary ad |
Did you know that there was an oval emblem ?
Size
|
7.0 cm x 5.5 cm
|
|---|---|
Year
|
1933 - 1937
|
Estimate
|  |
1931 MINERVA emblem with traces of black enamel:
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| 1931 radiator emblem seen in Brussels at the Autoworld Museum |
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| radiator emblem without enamel seen in Brussels at the Autoworld Museum |
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| another rare Minerva emblem |
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| 1921 advertisment with Minerva head looking to the right |
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| MINERVA head looking to the left |
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| original MINERVA spare wheel emblem made with green enamel |
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| One of the most beautiful enameled emblems was used on a motometer. What a nice piece of art ! |
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| Backside of the above shown emblem ( no makers mark ) |
Last not least there was a prototype emblem for the MINERVA SS with a twelve cylinder valveless engine.
This protype emblem is made by Harry Pulfer who reproduced in the Nineteensixties a lot of extraordinairy emblems. The MINERVA 12 cylinder car never went in production.
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| prototype emblem by Harry Pulfer: two dice symbolizing 12 cylinders; SS stands for Sans Soupapes= valveless engine |
After WWII from 1953 to 1956 the company produced a version of the Land Rover under license for the Belgian army
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| large aluminium radiator emblem |
| Dimensions | 17.0 x 10.5 cm |
|---|---|
| Year | 1953 - 1956 |
| Estimate |  |
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| Impressive MINERVA and MINERVA related emblem collection |
Minerva was so successful for some years that the company was able to buy other companies, such as AUTO TRACTION, where the emblem then indicated that it was a Minerva product. For information about AUTO TRACTION click here .
For more car emblems see older posts or top right (list of car makers).
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