Moon Motor Car

Moon Motor Car Company
Automobile Manufacturing
Industry Automotive
Genre Touring cars
Founded 1905
Founder Joseph W. Moon
Defunct 1930
Headquarters St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Area served
 United States
Products Vehicles
Automotive parts
Moon Roadster 6-40

Moon Motor Car Company (1905 - 1930) was an American automobile company that was located in St. Louis, Missouri. The company had a venerable reputation among the buying public, as it was known for fully assembled, easily affordable mid-level cars using high-quality parts. Often this meant the manufacturing process required more human intervention, leading to operating losses.

The company was founded by carriage maker Joseph W. Moon.[1] Moon produced both cars and trucks.[1] Moon Motor's peak production year was 1925 when the company produced 10,271 vehicles.[1]

History

In addition to the Moon name, Moons were sold under the Hol-Tan name in 1908. Moon produced the Diana via its subsidiary the Diana Motors Company in 1925 - 1928. Another subsidiary produced the Windsor in 1929-1930.

The firm also produced a cotton picker built under contract from the American Cottonpicker Corporation.[2]

Beginning in 1924, Moon was increasingly unable to meet dealership orders. The company went out of business at the start of the Great Depression; the Moon factory was purchased by Ruxton automobile.

Moon automobiles are on display at the Missouri History Museum and Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, Missouri and Pioneer Village Foundation Museum in Minden, NE. The amusement park Six Flags St. Louis also features a ride using the Moon automobile body.

Walt Disney famously had to sell his Moon Roadster to help finance the production of Steamboat Willie in 1928.

Models

Trucks
Model Years Note
A 1913-19 Delivery Vehicle/Light Truck
B 1913-19 Heavy Truck
Cars
Model Years Engine Note
A 1906 Rutenber 4 cylinder a five passenger touring car
C 1907-09 Moon 4 cylinder Louis Mooers designed engine with overhead valves and cams
D 1908-09 Moon 4 cylinder Also sold as Hol-Tans in the Eastern US
30 1910-12 Moon or Continental 4 cylinder George Heising designed engine
39 1913 Moon or Continental 4 cylinder
40 1912 Moon or Continental 4 cylinder
45 1910-12 Moon or Continental 4 cylinder
48 1913 Moon or Continental 4 cylinder
65 1913 Continental Straight-6 first Moon six cylinder
4-38 1915 Continental 4 cylinder last Moon four cylinder
4-42 1914 Continental 4 cylinder
6-30 1916 Continental Straight-6
6-36 1918 Continental Straight-6
6-38 1919 Continental Straight-6
6-40 1915, 1922 Continental Straight-6
6-42 1921 Straight-6
6-43 1916-17 Continental Straight-6
6-44 1916 Continental Straight-6
6-45 1917-18 Continental Straight-6
6-46 1919 Continental Straight-6 also called 'Victory'
6-48 1920-22 Continental Straight-6 wire or disk wheels replace wood wheels
6-50 1914-15, 1924 Continental Straight-6
6-58 1923 Continental Straight-6
6-60 1927-28 Continental Straight-6 also called the 'Jubilee'
6-62 1928-29 Continental Straight-6
6-66 1916-19 Continental Straight-6
6-68 1920-22 Continental Straight-6
6-72 1928-29 Continental Straight-6 nearly identical to Windsor 6-72
8-75 1928-29 Continental Straight-8 first Moon eight cylinder
8-80 1928-29 Continental Straight-8 'Aerotype' body
Series A 1924-28 Continental Straight-6
Series U or U6-40 1924 Continental Straight-6
Newport 1925 Continental Straight-6
Metropolitan 1925 Continental Straight-6
London 1925-26 export model

Note: This table is derived from the Curt McConnell reference

  1. 1 2 3 McConnell, Curt (1995). Great Cars of the Great Plains. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0-8032-3163-6
  2. ↑ http://members.core.com/~mcbeed/autos/directory/history/moon.htm Moon - St. Louis Missouri (1905-1929) Founder Joseph W. Moon


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