Motoring Badges

The fitting of badges to motor vehicles goes back to the early 1900's. In 1897 Frederick Richard Simms, who is often referred to as the father of the British motor industry, founded the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland. The Automobile Club soon started to attract some of the most influential people of the era. In 1907 Edward VII became its patron. Thereafter the club became known as The Royal Automobile Club, more commonly referred to by the initials RAC.
In June 1905 another major British motoring club was formed, this was The Automobile Association. Like the RAC, it is also more commonly referred to by its initials. In March 1906 the AA produced the very first motoring club badge. Earliest examples carried an impressed signature of the club's first secretary, Stenson Cooke. A little later, the badges also featured the word secretary.
Vehicle badges are not restricted to motoring clubs. They can, and often do, represent a wide range of hobbies and interests. The car badge is the longest living vehicle accessory, and many badges are still produced today. The badges shown on this site are a selection of many different examples, found in many different countries from all around the world. Many are shown in the condition they were found, and some would benefit from restoration.