UNITED STATES SECURITIES & EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 Form 13F Form 13F COVER PAGE Report for the Calendar Year or Quarter Ended: September 30, 2011 Check here if Amendment [ ];Amendment Number: This amendment (Check only one.): [ ] is a restatement. [ ] adds new holdings entries. Institutional Investment Manager Filing this Report: Name: The Adams Express Company Address: 7 St. Paul Street, Suite 1140 Baltimore, MD 21202 Form 13F File Number:28-597 The institutional investment manager filing this report and the person by whom it is signed hereby represent that the person signing the report is authorized to submit it, that all information contained herein is true, correct and complete, and that it is understood that all required items, statements, schedules, lists, and tables are considered integral parts of this form. Person Signing this Report on Behalf of Reporting Manager: Name: Christine M. Sloan Title Assistant Treasurer Phone (410) 752-5900 Signature, Place, and Date of Signing: /s/ Christine M. Sloan Baltimore, MD October 28, 2011 [Signature] [City, State] [Date] Report Type (Check only one.): [X] 13F HOLDINGS REPORT. (Check here if all holdings of this reporting manager are reported in this report). [ ] 13F NOTICE. (Check here if no holdings reported are in this report, and all holdings are reported by other reporting manager(s).) [ ] 13F COMBINATION REPORT. (Check here if a portion of the holdings for this reporting manager are reported in this report and a portion are reported by other reporting manager(s).) Form 13F SUMMARY PAGE Report Summary: Number of Other Included Managers: 0 Form 13F Information Table Entry Total: 88 Form 13F Information Table Value Total: $921,028 (in thousands) List of Other Included Managers: Provide a numbered list of the name(s) and Form 13F file number(s) of all institutional investment managers with respect to which this report is filed, other than the manager filing this report. NONE COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3 COLUMN 4 COLUMN 5 COLUMN 6 COLUMN 7 COLUMN 8 NAME OF ISSUER TITLE CUSIP VALUE SHRS OR SH/ PUT/ INVSTMT OTHER VOTING AUTHORITY OF CLASS (x $1000) PRN AMT PRN CALL DISCRETN MANAGER SOLE SHARED NONE ABBOTT LABORATORIES COM 002824100 10,228 200,000 SH SOLE 200,000 ACE LTD. SHS H0023R105 8,484 140,000 SH SOLE 140,000 ADTRAN, INC. COM 00738A106 8,425 318,400 SH SOLE 318,400 AIR PRODUCTS & CHEMICALS COM 009158106 2,673 35,000 SH SOLE 35,000 AMERICAN EXPRESS CO. COM 025816109 6,062 135,000 SH SOLE 135,000 APPLE INC. COM 037833100 36,212 95,000 SH SOLE 95,000 AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING INC. COM 053015103 12,631 267,900 SH SOLE 267,900 AVON PRODUCTS, INC. COM 054303102 7,048 359,600 SH SOLE 359,600 BANK OF AMERICA CORP. COM 060505104 8,476 1,385,000 SH SOLE 1,385,000 BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON CORP. COM 064058100 7,506 403,775 SH SOLE 403,775 BORGWARNER INC. COM 099724106 9,079 150,000 SH SOLE 150,000 BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB CO. COM 110122108 4,991 159,061 SH SOLE 159,061 BROADCOM CORP. CL A 111320107 6,658 200,000 SH SOLE 200,000 BUNGE LTD. COM G16962105 9,035 155,000 SH SOLE 155,000 CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORP. COM 14040H105 9,511 240,000 SH SOLE 240,000 CATERPILLAR INC DEL COM 149123101 14,768 200,000 SH SOLE 200,000 CELGENE CORP. COM 151020104 12,384 200,000 SH SOLE 200,000 CF INDUSTRIES HOLDINGS, INC. COM 125269100 3,891 31,531 SH SOLE 31,531 CHEVRON CORP. COM 166764100 18,504 200,000 SH SOLE 200,000 CISCO SYSTEMS, INC. COM 17275R102 13,167 850,000 SH SOLE 850,000 CLIFFS NATURAL RESOURCES INC. COM 18683K101 4,145 81,000 SH SOLE 81,000 COCA-COLA CO. COM 191216100 13,512 200,000 SH SOLE 200,000 COGNIZANT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS CL A 192446102 9,405 150,000 SH SOLE 150,000 COLUMBIA SPORTSWEAR CO. COM 198516106 9,280 200,000 SH SOLE 200,000 CONSOL ENERGY INC. COM 20854P109 2,501 73,700 SH SOLE 73,700 CURTISS-WRIGHT CORP. COM 231561101 2,737 94,941 SH SOLE 94,941 CVS/CAREMARK CORP. COM 126650100 9,906 295,000 SH SOLE 295,000 DOW CHEMICAL CO. COM 260543103 8,086 360,000 SH SOLE 360,000 EMERSON ELECTRIC CO. COM 291011104 4,131 100,000 SH SOLE 100,000 EXXON MOBIL CORP. COM 30231G102 8,352 115,000 SH SOLE 115,000 F5 NETWORKS INC. COM 315616102 6,039 85,000 SH SOLE 85,000 FEDEX CORP. COM 31428X106 9,137 135,000 SH SOLE 135,000 FREEPORT-MCMORAN COPPER & GOLD COM 35671D857 6,933 227,700 SH SOLE 227,700 GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. COM 369604103 7,468 490,000 SH SOLE 490,000 GILEAD SCIENCES INC. COM 375558103 9,700 250,000 SH SOLE 250,000 GOODRICH CORP. COM 382388106 12,068 100,000 SH SOLE 100,000 GOOGLE INC. CL A 38259P508 15,431 30,000 SH SOLE 30,000 HALLIBURTON CO. COM 406216101 4,578 150,000 SH SOLE 150,000 HEWLETT-PACKARD CO. COM 428236103 6,735 300,000 SH SOLE 300,000 HONEYWELL INT'L INC. COM 438516106 10,538 240,000 SH SOLE 240,000 HOSPIRA INC. COM 441060100 6,475 175,000 SH SOLE 175,000 INTEL CORP. COM 458140100 16,851 790,000 SH SOLE 790,000 JOHNSON & JOHNSON COM 478160104 16,246 255,000 SH SOLE 255,000 JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. COM 46625H100 16,867 560,000 SH SOLE 560,000 LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORP. COM 53217V109 7,686 200,000 SH SOLE 200,000 LOWE'S COMPANIES, INC. COM 548661107 11,604 600,000 SH SOLE 600,000 MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL INC/DE CL A 571903202 8,172 300,000 SH SOLE 300,000 MASCO CORP. COM 574599106 5,874 825,000 SH SOLE 825,000 MCDONALD'S CORP. COM 580135101 21,077 240,000 SH SOLE 240,000 MDU RESOURCES GROUP, INC. COM 552690109 8,493 442,600 SH SOLE 442,600 MEDTRONIC, INC. COM 585055106 11,634 350,000 SH SOLE 350,000 MICROSOFT CORP. COM 594918104 17,423 700,000 SH SOLE 700,000 MORGAN STANLEY COM NEW 617446448 4,050 300,000 SH SOLE 300,000 NATIONAL OILWELL VARCO COM 637071101 5,122 100,000 SH SOLE 100,000 NETAPP, INC. COM 64110D104 10,182 300,000 SH SOLE 300,000 NEWELL RUBBERMAID INC. COM 651229106 4,748 400,000 SH SOLE 400,000 NORFOLK SOUTHERN CORP. COM 655844108 12,204 200,000 SH SOLE 200,000 NORTHEAST UTILITIES COM 664397106 11,778 350,000 SH SOLE 350,000 ORACLE CORP. COM 68389X105 28,740 1,000,000 SH SOLE 1,000,000 PEABODY ENERGY CORP. COM 704549104 1,504 44,400 SH SOLE 44,400 PEPSICO, INC. COM 713448108 18,570 300,000 SH SOLE 300,000 PETROLEUM & RESOURCES COM 716549100 49,465 2,186,774 SH SOLE 2,186,774 PFIZER INC COM 717081103 14,144 800,000 SH SOLE 800,000 PHILIP MORRIS INTERNATIONAL COM 718172109 8,733 140,000 SH SOLE 140,000 PNC FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP, COM 693475105 10,843 225,000 SH SOLE 225,000 POTASH CORP OF SASKATCHEWAN COM 73755L107 6,747 156,100 SH SOLE 156,100 PRAXAIR, INC. COM 74005P104 6,310 67,500 SH SOLE 67,500 PROCTER & GAMBLE CO. COM 742718109 17,690 280,000 SH SOLE 280,000 PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL, INC. COM 744320102 14,527 310,000 SH SOLE 310,000 QUALCOMM INC. COM 747525103 14,589 300,000 SH SOLE 300,000 RYLAND GROUP INC. COM 783764103 6,534 613,500 SH SOLE 613,500 SAFEWAY INC. COM NEW 786514208 5,654 340,000 SH SOLE 340,000 SCHLUMBERGER LTD COM 806857108 4,778 80,000 SH SOLE 80,000 SENOMYX, INC. COM 81724Q107 4,508 1,284,400 SH SOLE 1,284,400 SPECTRA ENERGY CORP. COM 847560109 9,954 405,780 SH SOLE 405,780 SPIRIT AEROSYSTEMS HOLDINGS, COM CL A 848574109 7,975 500,000 SH SOLE 500,000 T. ROWE PRICE GROUP INC. COM 74144T108 13,137 275,000 SH SOLE 275,000 TARGET CORP. COM 87612E106 15,693 320,000 SH SOLE 320,000 TECK RESOURCES LTD CL B 878742204 2,919 100,000 SH SOLE 100,000 TEVA PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES ADR 881624209 12,283 330,000 SH SOLE 330,000 TRANSOCEAN LTD. REG SHS H8817H100 4,535 95,000 SH SOLE 95,000 UNILEVER PLC ADR SPON ADR NEW 904767704 14,971 480,000 SH SOLE 480,000 UNITED RENTALS, INC. COM 911363109 3,626 215,300 SH SOLE 215,300 UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORP. COM 913017109 7,388 105,000 SH SOLE 105,000 UNITEDHEALTH GROUP INC. COM 91324P102 10,492 227,500 SH SOLE 227,500 WALT DISNEY CO. COM 254687106 14,477 480,000 SH SOLE 480,000 WELLS FARGO & CO. COM 949746101 15,316 635,000 SH SOLE 635,000 ZIMMER HOLDINGS, INC. COM 98956P102 8,025 150,000 SH SOLE 150,000 921,028