Moon Motor Car


Moon Motor Car Company 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. Moon produced both cars and trucks. Moon Motor's peak production year was 1925 when the company produced 10,271 vehicles.

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.
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

ModelYearsEngineNote
A1906Rutenber 4 cylindera five-passenger touring car
C1907-09Moon 4 cylinderLouis Mooers designed engine with overhead valves and cams
D1908-09Moon 4 cylinderAlso sold as Hol-Tans in the Eastern US
301910-12Moon or Continental 4 cylinderGeorge Heising designed engine
391913Moon or Continental 4 cylinder
401912Moon or Continental 4 cylinder
451910-12Moon or Continental 4 cylinder
481913Moon or Continental 4 cylinder
651913Continental Straight-6first Moon six cylinder
4-381915Continental 4 cylinderlast Moon four cylinder
4-421914Continental 4 cylinder
6-301916Continental Straight-6
6-361918Continental Straight-6
6-381919Continental Straight-6
6-401915, 1922Continental Straight-6
6-421921Straight-6
6-431916-17Continental Straight-6
6-441916Continental Straight-6
6-451917-18Continental Straight-6
6-461919Continental Straight-6also called 'Victory'
6-481920-22Continental Straight-6wire or disk wheels replace wood wheels
6-501914-15, 1924Continental Straight-6
6-581923Continental Straight-6
6-601927-28Continental Straight-6also called the 'Jubilee'
6-621928-29Continental Straight-6
6-661916-19Continental Straight-6
6-681920-22Continental Straight-6
6-721928-29Continental Straight-6nearly identical to Windsor 6-72
8-751928-29Continental Straight-8first Moon eight cylinder
8-801928-29Continental Straight-8'Aerotype' body
Series A1924-28Continental Straight-6
Series U or U6-401924Continental Straight-6
Newport1925Continental Straight-6
Metropolitan1925Continental Straight-6
London1925-26export model

Note: This table is derived from the Curt McConnell reference