SCANIA / SWEDEN

 

SCANIA / MALMÖ / SWEDEN ( 1901 - today )

In 1900, MASKINFABRIK AB SCANIA was still only manufacturing bicycles. The first experimental cars were built in 1901/1902. Very few vehicles were produced between 1902 and 1912. A merger with the VABIS brand from Södertälje near Stockholm took place in 1912. Since then, the vehicles  carried the double name: SCANIA - VABIS.

The last passenger vehicle was built in 1929.  Since then, SCANIA has been focusing on truck and bus manufacturing. In 1967, SCANIA merged with SAAB. This merger was dissolved again in 1995.

 

All emblems feature the crowned eagle head from Malmö's city coat of arms: 

This is one of SCANIA's first enameled emblems, recognizable by the fact that it only bears the name SCANIA VABIS, but not yet the addition “Aktiebolaget.” 

 

 

Size	6.4 cm
Year	c. 1912 - 1920
Estimate

 

The SCANIA coat of arms could already be seen at the entrance to the factory in 1902.

 

 

1924 advertisement in a Swedish magazine

 

Size	8.4 cm  x 5.9  cm
Year	1921 - 1927
Estimate

 

 

backside with makers mark from WESTINS ATELIJE

 

 

 

 

Here comes a modification of the emblem. Now you can see stones instead of dots in the inner part of the emblem, around the eagle's head. I guess this design was used in the nineteenfifties and sixties..

 

Size	6.4 cm
Year	until - 1967
Estimate

 

backside with makers mark from WESTINS STOCKHOLM

A special feature was the cap for the water in the radiator, which bore an emblem.

The first cap with emblem appeared in 1932. It was also found on the SACANIA-VABIS CF-bussar from 1959 to 1966. A truly outstanding collector's item!

 

Size	6.4 cm ( emblem only )
Year	1959 - 1966
Estimate	for the whole item

 

With the SCANIA L50 truck, a new emblem appeared in 1968, which only shows the eagle's head from Malmö's city coat of arms. The successor model to the L111 also carried this emblem until 1982.

Size	6.4 cm
Year	1968 - 1982
Estimate

backside without makers mark

 

The simplified emblem was also used on the radiator cap for a short time:

 

Size	6.4 cm ( emblem only )
Year	c. 1968
Estimate	for the whole item

 

 

In 1955, a giant aluminum emblem was attached to the flat front of the SCANIA-VABIS bus type Capitol:

Size	21.5 cm x 23.0 cm
Year	1955
Estimate

 There was also a slightly smaller version of it, which I haven't been able to identify yet.

 

On the front of the 1966 SCANIA-VABIS bus type BF56  was this beautiful enameled emblem from HÄGGLUNDS , the company that manufactured the all-steel body ( you can read STALKAROSSERI on the emblem):

 

Size	9.3 cm x 11.0 cm ( emblem only )
Year	1966
Estimate

SCANIA-VABIS factories were located all over the world, for example in Netherlands, France, Brasil, and many other countries. Vehicles from the lesser-known factory in Brussels, Belgium, displayed the following special emblem:

Size	38.5 cm x 7.0 cm
Year	c. 1960
Estimate

 

 

 

Somehow, everything always ends up with plastic emblems, and SCANIA is no exception: 

 

For even more emblems, especially from Sweden's second major brand, VOLVO, click here! 

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SPA / ITALY

 

SPA /   TORINO / ITALY  ( 1906 - 1926 )

This brand was created by Michele Ansaldi and Matteo Ceirano, a member of the Ceirano family of automobile manufacturers.  On June 12, 1906, the two founded the “Società Piemontese Automobili Ansaldi-Ceirano” (SPA) in Turin, Italy. The first models had a 4-cylinder engine with 7785 cc, followed by six-cylinder engines with an incredible 11677 cc. From 1916 onwards, there was a wide range of touring cars, sports cars, racing cars, commercial vehicles, and aircraft engines.

In 1926, SPA was acquired by FIAT. In 1926, SPA was acquired by FIAT and the production of SPA  passenger cars was discontinued. FIAT continued to offer trucks under the SPA brand name until 1949. 

The first enameled emblem I was able to find was oval with the three white letters SPA on a black background: 

 

 

SPA radiator with oval badge  ( photo collection C. H. Wulff )

 

 

SPA vehicle with oval emblem

 

 

In 1913, the French magazine OMNIA published this photograph of the SPA's radiator and hood.

 

 I was able to find three different enameled chassis plates:

 

 

Size	10.2 cm x 5.0 cm
Year	- 1914
Estimate

 

 

Size	6.5 cm
Year	1918 - 1926
Estimate

 

backside without makers mark

 

 

 

Size	6.0 cm
Year	1920 - 1923
Estimate

 

 

1919 advertisement for the British market

 

SPA TIPO 23  SPORT with v - shaped radiator ( photo collection C.H. Wulff)

 

This advertisement also promotes the TIPO 23 SPORT. However, the vehicle looks much more elegant in the photo shown above.

 

If this photo is to be believed, there was also an emblem where the letters were black and the background was white:

 

 

photo of the SPA stand at the Brussels Motor Show in 1923.

 

 

This advertisement dates back to 1926. That same year marked the end of the SPA company.

For more emblems, specifically for FIAT, which acquired the SPA brand, click here!

 When using a smartphone please use the button webview.

TESLA / USA

TESLA /  AUSTIN / USA  ( 2003 ff )

Tesla, Inc.  is a  US car manufacturer based in Austin / Texas, which produces electric cars as well as other products like battery systems,  photovoltaic systems etc. The company was founded in 2003 by M. Eberhard and M. Tarpenning, who left in 2008. In  2004  Elon Musk became chairman of the supervisory board, later chief executive officer (CEO), and has been a defining figure at Tesla ever since. As of October 2023, Tesla has several production sites in the United States, as well as a final assembly plant in the Netherlands (since 2013) and a so-called “Gigafactory” in the People's Republic of China (since 2019) and Germany (since 2022).

Have I gone crazy and am now writing about a car brand that has only been around for a good 20 years?

No, it all started with this beautiful enameled emblem that I bought at a flea market. 

And I thought I had made the discovery of the year...

 At first, I hoped it might be an emblem from a very early TESLA model, until I saw this stained glass window in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, with exactly the same emblem:

 

Now it was clear that this is not a car emblem, but rather the emblem of a Czech electrical company that also manufactured radios:

 

 

 

So last not least the real TESLA hood emblem, quite simple designed, inspired by the official sign, the symbol T. It stands for the physical unit of  magnetic flux density.

Not very pretty, but modern...

 

 If you want to see a real beautiful vintage electric car emblem, please click here !

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

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