This radiator emblem belonged to a Buick automobile that was manufactured by the General Motors Corporation around 1913. Early Buick cars had a stand-alone cursive Buick logo until around 1913 when a cursive Buick on a blue background was used. Around 1937 the company adopted the Scottish coat of arms of its founder, David Dunbar Buick as its logo. In 1960 the company revised this shield into their “Trishield” design seen in contemporary cars. Buick was incorporated in 1903 after a brief history as an engine maker dating to 1899. In 1904 the company was sold to William Durant, who used Buick as the basis for founding General Motors in 1908. Buick is still a model produced by General Motors, making it the oldest still-active American vehicle make.
Radiator emblems are small, colorful metal plates bearing an automobile manufacturer's name or logo that attached to the radiators grilles of early automobiles. Varying in shape and size, the emblems served as a small branding device, sometimes indicating the type of engine, place of manufacturing, or using an iconic image or catchy slogan to advertise their cars make and model. This emblem is part of the collection that was donated by Hubert G. Larson in 1964.
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