Employee Badge

No Bill I have a fake one to with the same number. R

Well, it seems I have a one-of-a-kind, fake Cord Employee Badge.
Bill McL

Mike, the newsletter article I wrote on employee badges ended with a statement like "Now if I could only fine one with CORD on it , now that would be something!"
Bill did but it turned out to be a DUD.
Yes it would be interesting to discover who made it and why.

I think Bill knows it is not real, he just wants to know who went to the trouble of making the unreal badge.
CORDially Mike

Thanks Curt, I will add the picture to my collection.
To round off this topic attached is a picture from the Connersville Museum kindly sent by Sam Harvey. It shows an employee badge from the Lexington Auto Company introduced during WW1. Later when the Auburn Company folded Central Manufacturing became Auburn Central Manufacturing and then during WW2 it became American Central.
From the latest newsletters you would have noted that the Connersville Meets are now scheduled to take place over the weekend before Auburn so that members can attend both meets if they have the time, especially for long distance travellers.

Terry, yes this badge was registered to Clair Timberlin who worked in the upholstry department at Auburn . I have spoke to her relitives who still live in the area.

Curt would it be safe to assume this badge was used in Auburn and not Connersville?
Any background on the badge?

Bill I contacted ACD Club member Sam Harvey who is also President of the Connersville Museum for comment. None of the people connected with the Museum have ever seen one before and believe it to be a fake.
My own thoughts are.
1. The font is nothing like anything previously used for CORD advertising etc. The letter "R" looks like the tail end was bent up.
2. Overall there was a company name change as the Auburn Automobile became part of Cord Corporation. The term CORD Motor Company has never been mentioned before in any of the books on ACD cars.
3. The date on the revers side is 1937. The company was struggling to survive with sales in decline. They were seeking different part suppliers as they had credit problems. So why would the company go to the added expense of new employee badges when the employee numbers were also in decline? I think the answer is they did not.

So, no-one has seen them before ?
Where did they come from / what’s the story on them ?
Like, who went to the trouble of making it and why ?

Bill McL

Quite a few years ago I wrote an article on the Employee Badges are finding some pictures on the internet. I can't remember which newsletter it was printed in. Attached are the pictures. The last one was made during WW2 when the name was changed to American Central Manufacturing.

Yes, thanks, but have you seen them before ? Where did they come from / what’s the story on them ? Like, who went to the trouble of making it and why ?

Bill McL

Yes, thanks, but have you seen them before ? Where did they come from / what’s the story on them ? Like, who went to the trouble of making it and why ?

Bill McL

very convincing badge, this is probably more like a factory id would look like pressed metal its difficult to se Central Connersville

Yes, thanks, but have you seen them before ? Where did they come from / what’s the story on them ?

Bill McL

Not real

Anyone seen a badge like this ?

Bill McLaughlin
1937 Cord Westchester