St. Louis Motor Company

St. Louis Motor Carriage Company
Automobile Manufacturing
Industry Automotive
Founded 1898
Founder George Preston Dorris and John French
Defunct 1907
Headquarters St. Louis, Missouri and later Peoria, Illinois, United States
Area served
 United States
Products Vehicles
Automotive parts

St. Louis Motor Carriage Company was a manufacturer of automobiles at 1211–13 North Vandeventer Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri, founded by George Preston Dorris (later credited with developing and patenting the float-carburetor) and John French in 1898, with French taking charge of marketing and Dorris heading engineering and production. St. Louis Motor Carriage was the first of many St. Louis automakers and produced automobiles from 1899 to 1907.[1]

History

1901 St. Louis at Museum of Transportation

In 1900, John French drove the St. Louis on the first automobile trip between St. Louis and Chicago. In 1901 he was one of only three drivers to finish in a New York-to-Buffalo race.[2]

The St. Louis Motor Carriage Company moved to Peoria, Illinois, in 1905, and Dorris started his own car company, the Dorris Motor Car Co., in the former St. Louis Motor Carriage plant in 1906[3] that would stay in business until 1926.[4]

The 1904 St. Louis line included runabout and touring car models. Both could be equipped with a tonneau, with seating for up to five passengers. The runabout sold for US$1200 and used a 9 hp (6.7 kW) engine. The touring car was priced at US$1500. It used a flat-mounted, water-cooled, single-cylinder engine, situated amidships of the car, producing 10 hp (7.5 kW). A two-speed transmission was fitted, and the angle iron-framed car weighed 1650 lb (748 kg).[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ St.Louis Post-Dispatch January 13, 2004
  2. ↑ St.Louis Post-Dispatch January 13, 2004
  3. ↑ Coachbuilt.com
  4. ↑ St.Louis Post-Dispatch January 13, 2004
  5. ↑ Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly January 1904



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