PROTOS / BERLIN / GERMANY

PROTOS / BERLIN / GERMANY   ( 1900 - 1926 )

The “Berliner Motorenfabrik Protos” came out shortly after 1900 with a lightweight one- and two-cylinder car. A four-cylinder model followed in 1904 and a six-cylinder car another year later. Protos also took part in the long-distance journey from New York to Paris in 1908 with a six-cylinder car. In the same year, the “Siemens Schuckert ‘ Elektrokonzern’ took over the company. Production continued after the First World War with a four-cylinder 2.6 liter model.  In 1926 PROTOS was bought by NAG and the vehicles were marketed under the name NAG - PROTOS.

1913 brass emblem (photo by Th-Photos - Own work, CC BY-SA 3. ,Wikipedia)

Size	c. 20 cm x 8.0 cm
Year	c. 1910 - 1918
Estimate

contemporary photo showing the radiator above

As written above, PROTOS was purchased by SIEMENS SCHUCKERT in 1908. This is why the following advertisement shows a man with a round emblem with the letters SS on his jacket.

three pairs of legs = Greek symbol for motion

1915 advertisement:  while WWI PROTOS and the military

contemporary photo ( collection Michael Schlenger )

After WWII the emblem was new designed with references to art nouveau:

All Protos emblems known to me were part of the radiator grille. I have never seen a separate emblem. If at all, complete radiators were saved.

Size	26.0 cm x 8.0 cm
Year	c. 1919 - 1923
Estimate

 

complete PROTOS radiator seen in a German museum

 

In 1923 the emblem became smaller:

Size	26.0 cm x 6.0 cm
Year	c. 1923 - 1927
Estimate

1923 advertisement: PROTOS radiator with small emblem

In 1923, another advertisements appeared in the magazine “MOTOR” published by Braunbeck. On the left for the German car “ADLER” and on the right for the German “PROTOS”. Which car would you choose? Somehow the “ADLER” advertisement is much better designed.

1923 / 1924 PROTOS seen on a German classic car meeting in 2023

Repro made by GOEDE, the shape was taken from an advertisement

All repos made by GOEDE are easy to identify as he used a stamp on the backside

The last PROTOS was presented to the reader in the “Handbuch vom Auto” from 1927

excerpt from "Handbuch vom Auto" by J. Fischer ( collection Claus H. Wulff )

In 1927 all was over. The last PROTOS leaving the factory on July 1, 1927:

pure sadness: workers with the last PROTOS ever built

 

The following emblem was  patented in 1927. In the text you can read that PROTOS manufactures vehicles, tools and machines of all kinds ( = Fahrzeuge, Werkzeuge und Apparate aller Art.. )

 PROTOS vacuum cleaner with patented emblem:

vacuum cleaner seen in a Czech museum

 

When I bought it, I hoped it would be a car badge.....

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

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