Марион автомобильдері: Американдық көлік өндірушісінің тарихы

Defunct American motor vehicle manufacturer

The Marion was an automobile produced by the Marion Motor Car Company in Indianapolis (Marion County), Indiana from 1904 to 1915. Marion was also used for prototype automobiles in 1901 by the Marion Automobile Company of Marion, Ohio, which later operated as a garage. A Marion Flyer was listed in 1910 by the Marion Automobile & Manufacturing Company in Marion, Indiana, but no production was reported.

In 1904 the Marion Motor Car Company, based in Indianapolis,entered automobile production building mid priced to high priced automobiles. Early versions of the Marion car had transversely mounted 16 hp Reeves air cooled engines, and double chain drive. The appearance of the Marion car was very similar to the contemporary Premier (also an Indianapolis car). 1906 Marion cars had conventionally placed 16 and 28 hp 4 cylinder Reeves engines, while later Marion cars used water cooled engines by Continental and other firms of up to 48 hp. Automotive engineers and designers, Robert Hassler, Fred Tone, George Schebler and Harry C. Stutz produced or designed models for Marion. Motor car racing was actively undertaken to provide recognition for Marion. Beginning in 1907 Harry Stutz was chief engineer for Marion. He designed a roadster named the Bobcat Speedster, which bore a close resemblance to the contemporaneous Stutz Bearcat Speedster. John N. Willys, President of Overland Automobile Company, bought controlling interest in Marion in October, 1908. The Marion Motor Car Company remained under capitalized until 1912, when capital stock was raised from $100,000 to $1,125,0000. J. I. Handley, president of American Motor Car Company became President of Marion Motor Car Company and combined their sales organizations. In 1914 J. I. Handley purchased the assets of the Marion Company for $120,000. In December 1914, J. I. Handley's Mutual Motors Company resulted from a merger between Marion Motor Car Company and Imperial Automobile Company of Jackson, Michigan. Marion production was moved to Jackson, but ended in 1915. In 1916, the Marion Handley became the automobile offered by Mutual Motors. The Marion Motor Car Company manufactured 7,158 automobiles in all.