FN / BELGIUM

 F.N. / Herstal / Belgium  ( 1895 - 1965 )

The FABRIQUE NATIONALE DARMES DE GUERRE (FN) was founded in Herstal near Liege in Belgium in1895.

The company became big with the construction of weapons and bicycles and only produced motorcycles and automobiles as a sideline.

The Belgian FN automobiles sold well and successfully took part in a number of competitions. A significant number of the robust cars were even exported. Passenger car construction was abandoned in 1935 and the company concentrated on motorcycle and commercial vehicle construction. The last vehicles were manufactured for the Belgian military until 1965.

1910 advertisement showing an oval emblem which, as far as I know, was never mounted on a radiator.

 

To my knowledge this round FN emblem has been attached to the vehicles since at least 1912. It shows the products for which this company was already very renowned, namely bicycles and weapons.

 

guess what  products this  company was known for......

Size	7.7 cm
Year	1910 - 1914 and 1919 to mid twenties
Estimate

 

backside without makers mark

1923 advertisement with emblem

 

 

there was also a version with thinner bicycle pedals

early F.N. brass radiator

1926 advertisement

 Can there be a more beautiful advertisement  with emblems ?

my favorite ad showing that in 1928 the two major Belgian car manufacturers MINERVA and FN joined forces in marketing.

1928 advertisement for the German market

1928 advertisement which refers to a successful crossing of Africa

 a red emblem was in this advertisement only, but not on a vehicle

In the course of 1930, a modernized, rectangular emblem appeared, showing only the two letters FN.

the condition of the emblem is poor, but I´ am glad to have found one at all

Size	3.3 cm x 7.1 cm
Year	1930 - 1935
Estimate

backside without makers mark

1932 F.N.  type 1625 (look at the  rectangular emblem) and his family ( photo collection Thomas Ulrich )

In 1950, the FN-BROSSEL-MIESSE group of three companies built a type 62 C 4 RM medium-duty truck on behalf of the Belgian military. This received the following aluminum emblem with the three company logos:

emblem made of aluminium ( if you want to learn more about MIESSE please click here !)

Size	23.5 cm x 17.5 cm
Year	1950
Estimate

c.1952 emblem, very similar to the 1932 emblem, but this time made of aluminum

impressive FN collection ( the round brass one in the middle ( above the FN sport badge ) is actually a tank badge for motorcycles used from 1910 onwards )

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

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