MINERVA / BELGIUM

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.

 The MINEREVA goddess is looking to the right

Dimension	6.3 cm
Year	1911 - 1929
Estimate

1925 advertisment showing the well known emblem

MINERVA automobile seen in Brussels at the Autoworld museum

1913 advertisment showing the radiator with emblem

MINERVA goddess looking to the left saying " Anvers Belgique"  

Here you can read: " Antwerp Belgium"

Dimension	6.3 cm
Year	1924
Estimate

There are much more MINERVA emblems:

Godess looking to the right. You can read ANTWERP. BELGIUM

Dimension	6.3 cm
Year	unknown
Estimate

all MINERVA emblems were fixed at the radiator with straps

This is the one year only 1929 blue emblem. It  is much rarer.

MINERVA goddess looking to the right

Dimension	6.3 cm
Year	1929
Estimate

MINERVA 1929 emblem with contemporary ad

Did you know that there was  an oval emblem ?

Dimension	7.0 cm x  5.5 cm
Year	1933 - 1937
Estimate

1931 MINERVA emblem with traces of black enamel:

1931 radiator emblem  seen in Brussels at the Autoworld Museum

radiator emblem without enamel  seen in Brussels at the Autoworld Museum

another rare  Minerva emblem

1921 advertisment with Minerva head looking to the right

MINERVA head looking to the left

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.

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

large aluminium radiator emblem

Dimensions	17.0 x  10.5 cm
Year	1953 - 1956
Estimate

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