Object Details
- Description
- This radiator emblem belonged to a Porter automobile that was manufactured by the American & British Manufacturing Corporation of Bridgeport, Connecticut between 1919 and 1922. The Porter (named after the car’s designer, Finley Robertson Porter) was an upscale automobile that could be built to order on a chassis that cost $6750, putting the total price around $10,000. The car had a four-cylinder engine and a right-hand drive, giving the car a distinctly British feel. The post-ware recession made pricey automobile sales a rarity, and only 36 Porter’s were built before the company ceased operation. The emblem reads “AMERICAN & BRITISH MFG. CORP./PORTER/BRIDGEPORT, CONN.”
- 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.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
- Credit Line
- Hubert G. Larson
- Object Name
- emblem, radiator
- Other Terms
- emblem, radiator; Road; Automobile
