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Locomobile radiator emblem
Catalog #: 325,528,
Accession #: 260,303
Currently on display
From the Smithsonian Collection
Locomobile marketed steam powered cars until 1903 when it switched to cars with gasoline engines. The Locomobile steam runabout had a 14 inch boiler under the driver's seat that had to be refilled with water every 20 miles. Locomobile trademarked more than a dozen "loco" vehicle names, including Lococycle, Locolaunch, Locoracer, Locotrap, and Locohack. |
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Physical Description |
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Dimensions (in mm): 1.0 L x 7.6 W x 1.2 D
Inscriptions: LOCOMOBILE
Materials: metal
Colors: black, white, silver
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Details |
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Note: | Westboro, Massachusetts |
Credit: | Gift of Hubert G. Larson |
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History |
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Radiator emblems were colorful metal plates with a manufacturer's name or logo that attached to the radiators of early automobiles. Varying in shape and size, but never more than a few inches across, the emblems were small branding devices. As vehicles became more popular in a national market, people began associating the company name and logo on different vehicle models with a specific manufacturer. Radiator emblems sometimes indicated the type of engine or place of manufacturing. Other times they appealed directly to a driver’s sense of style and class by using iconic images or a catchy motto.
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Related People, Places, and Events |
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Donor
Hubert G. Larson
In 1964 Hubert G. Larson donated a collection of 278 radiator emblems to the Smithsonian.
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