Emblem (Badge) History?

[AC Bill]

I have seen cars with different badging, and wondered if anyone knows the history of them? IE which years/models had what..?
   
   There are some AC badges that are solid round ones, while others are just the AC letter script. I see some of the CSX cars with an AC badge on the rear, and a Cobra badge on the front, others have the Cobra badge front and rear.

[hawk289]

Bill,
   
   You will find with AC's that it depends on a lot, generally anything pre-Cobra will be the AC badge that is the chrome badge, polished round (except vintage again different design, may be brass). Cobra era, then Shelby use to put the Cobra badge on and the European late 289's etc use to have the AC badge on but the large one. MK IV and beyond back to the Cobra badge. The First few cobra's had a Shelby silver large badge.
   
   Last the 428, ME, Ace Brooklands all had specific badges.
   
   Next owners over the years have changed there cars, so mixing it up again. Oops nearly forgot the 3 USRRC cars had stickers not badges with Cobra on them. I hope this helps?
   
   Thanks
   
   John
   
   Ps, now all the members will correct me.

[ACOCArch]

There were a number of variants of the 'AC' badge, used on vehicles and for advertising, starting circa 1907 when the AC logo was introduced. Nearly all have the familiar AC script at the heart of the badge, but even that has varied in detail.
   
   One very early example, from 1909, is shown on page 16 of the May 2010 ACtion, another circa 1911 on page 12 of the June 2010 Action.
   
   For later cars, Hawk 289 has it about right. From my hazy recollection, the earliest 260 Cobras had the familiar solid aluminium AC roundal fitted on the bonnet - which was removed in America! The pedals survived though!
   
   Re the 3000ME, the larger script badge, fitted to the grille and boot lid, has an F&S Part Number 63752/SF visible when viewed from the underside. Are the AC 289 Sports, AC 428, and other similar badges, likewise identified?
   
   Across all badges, there are too some subtle differences in apparently similar badges, to accomodate the body curvature of each model and also front-to-rear.
   
   I am slowly gathering detailed information for an ACtion Archive article, probably some time in 2011 - but don't hold your breath!

[AC Bill]

It would be wonderful if someone documented the history of the badges, as that area of the AC Car vehicle history seems to have been ignored for the most part.
   
   I thought perhaps the AC Ace may have had one style, while the AC Bristol another, the Aceca yet another again, with body shape being a factor. That, or that certain production years had certain badges, with change ups occurring every few years.
    It would be expected that Shelby would have changed them over to the Cobra badging, but the fact that some of the early 260's may still have had AC badges is quite interesting. I wonder which ones they had when they left England. Is there a box of them still sitting in a Shelby warehouse..be a nice find!
   Not to long back I saw an original AC large script badge on ebay. It went for pretty good money!
   
   I have only seen one photo of a roadster with the grille badge. This was attached low down on the grille, using a bracket mounted to the body, rather than the grille itself. I presumed that this was a owner done modification, not realizing some may have left the factory like that. I have never seen replicas of those badges being offered.
   
   Is anyone aware if any American slabsides left the Ford dealerships with AC badge on the rear, and a Cobra badge on the front. I have seen two or three like that, but wasn't sure how that came to be.
   
   I was only able to find the large script badges after doing quite a bit of searching, so that's what I ended up with on my roadster.
   Pictured here with a temporary grille installed.