Moline-Knight
Encyclopedia
The Moline Automobile Company (1904 - 1919) was an American
brass era automobile
manufacturer in Moline, Illinois
known for the Moline-Knight.
automobile
manufactured by the Moline Automobile Company located at 74 Keokuk Street in East Moline, Illinois
, from 1904 to 1919. The car used a Knight
engine.
In 1911, the Moline 35 was a two-seat roadster
with a 4×6-inch (114×152-mm) gasoline
engine and self starter
, still a rarity then. It came complete with folding top, windshield, and Prest-O-Lite acetylene
tank (for the headlights), all for US$
1700. By contrast, a Brush Runabout
was US$485, the Gale Model A
roadster US$500. the high-volume Oldsmobile
Runabout
US$650, a Colt Runabout US$1500, an Enger 40 US$2000, and American
's base model was US$4250.
The 35 was joined in Moline's 1911 lineup by a four and a five passenger tourer
and a four-passenger "toy tonneau
", "all with self-starting", the ads bragged.
Features found in a Moline-Knight included sleeve values and a quiet engine. Some drawbacks were its large oil consumption and its carburetor's sensitivity to altitude.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
brass era automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
manufacturer in Moline, Illinois
Moline, Illinois
Moline is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States, with a population of 45,792 in 2010. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois and the cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa. The Quad Cities has a population of...
known for the Moline-Knight.
Moline-Knight
The Moline-Knight was an AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
manufactured by the Moline Automobile Company located at 74 Keokuk Street in East Moline, Illinois
East Moline, Illinois
East Moline is a city in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 20,333 at the 2000 census. East Moline is one of the five Quad Cities,, along with the cities of Rock Island, Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities has a population of 379,690...
, from 1904 to 1919. The car used a Knight
Knight Engine
The Knight Engine was an internal combustion engine, designed by American Charles Yale Knight , that used sleeve valves instead of the more common poppet valve construction.- History :...
engine.
In 1911, the Moline 35 was a two-seat roadster
Roadster
A roadster is a two-seat open car with emphasis on sporty handling and without a fixed roof or side weather protection. Strictly speaking a roadster with wind-up windows is a convertible but as true roadsters are no longer made the distinction is now irrelevant...
with a 4×6-inch (114×152-mm) gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
engine and self starter
Automobile self starter
A starter motor is an electric motor for rotating an internal-combustion engine so as to initiate the engine's operation under its own power.- History :...
, still a rarity then. It came complete with folding top, windshield, and Prest-O-Lite acetylene
Acetylene
Acetylene is the chemical compound with the formula C2H2. It is a hydrocarbon and the simplest alkyne. This colorless gas is widely used as a fuel and a chemical building block. It is unstable in pure form and thus is usually handled as a solution.As an alkyne, acetylene is unsaturated because...
tank (for the headlights), all for US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1700. By contrast, a Brush Runabout
Brush Motor Car Company
This article is about a USA auto-maker. For the British rail-locomotive company, see Brush TractionBrush Motor Company, or the "Brush Runabout Company," based in Detroit, Michigan, was founded by Alanson Partridge Brush , who designed a light car with a wooden chassis This article is about a USA...
was US$485, the Gale Model A
Western Tool Works (automobile company)
Western Tool Works was a pioneering brass era automobile manufacturer in Galesburg, Illinois.Western in 1905 produced the Gale Model A, an open roadster, for sale at US$500, which was less than high-volume Oldsmobile Runabout, at US$650, the Ford "Doctor's Car" at US$850, or the Holsman high...
roadster US$500. the high-volume Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile was a brand of American automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory...
Runabout
Oldsmobile Curved Dash
The gasoline powered Curved Dash Oldsmobile is credited as being the first mass-produced automobile, meaning that it was built on an assembly line using interchangeable parts. It was introduced by the Oldsmobile company in 1901 and produced through 1907...
US$650, a Colt Runabout US$1500, an Enger 40 US$2000, and American
American Motor Car Company
The American Motor Car Company was a short-lived company in the automotive industry founded in 1906, lasting until 1913. It was based in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The American Motor Car Company pioneered the "underslung" design.-History:...
's base model was US$4250.
The 35 was joined in Moline's 1911 lineup by a four and a five passenger tourer
Touring car
A touring car, or tourer, is an open car seating five or more. Touring cars may have two or four doors. Often, the belt line is lowered in the front doors to give the car a more sportive character. They were often fitted with a folding roof and side curtains. Engines on early models were either in...
and a four-passenger "toy tonneau
Tonneau
right|thumb|260px|1903 [[Ford Model A |Ford Model A]] rear-door TonneauTonneau cover , describes a hard or soft cover used to protect unoccupied passenger seats in a convertible, roadster, or for a pickup truck bed. Hard tonneau covers open by a hinging or folding mechanism while soft covers open...
", "all with self-starting", the ads bragged.
Features found in a Moline-Knight included sleeve values and a quiet engine. Some drawbacks were its large oil consumption and its carburetor's sensitivity to altitude.
External links
- Brass Era carBrass Era carThe automotive Brass Era is the first period of automotive manufacturing, named for the prominent brass fittings used during this time for such things as lights and radiators. It extends from the first commercial automobiles marketed in the 1890s until about World War I...
- List of defunct United States automobile manufacturers
Sources
- David Burgess Wise, The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Automobiles ISBN 0-7858-1106-0
- Clymer, Floyd. Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877-1925. New York: Bonanza Books, 1950.