Midland Motor Company was an American
brass era automobile manufacturer in
Moline, Illinois from 1908 to 1913.
[Clymer, Floyd. ''Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877-1925'' (New York: Bonanza Books, 1950), p.93.]
History
Midland Motor Company formed from the remnants of the
Deere-Clark Motor Car Company after the
John Deere
Deere & Company, doing business as John Deere (), is an American corporation that manufactures agricultural machinery, heavy equipment, forestry machinery, diesel engines, drivetrains (axles, transmissions, gearboxes) used in heavy equipment, ...
company pulled out of the venture.
In 1910, Midland produced two models. The Model L was a
touring car with a 318in
3 (5213cc) (4×5-inch, 114×127 mm)
four-cylinder engine
The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized.
Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categoriz ...
of 40 hp (30 kW) built by Milwaukee. It had a
wheelbase of 115 in (2921 mm), 34×4-inch (86×10-cm) spoke wheels, and the choice of partial
tonneau or
roadster with
trunk
Trunk may refer to:
Biology
* Trunk (anatomy), synonym for torso
* Trunk (botany), a tree's central superstructure
* Trunk of corpus callosum, in neuroanatomy
* Elephant trunk, the proboscis of an elephant
Computing
* Trunk (software), in rev ...
. In 1911 this was mid-priced at $2,100 ().
The Model K was a touring car with a 390in
3 (6389cc) (4×5-inch, 120×140 mm) four of 50 hp (37 kW). It had a wheelbase of 118 in (2997 mm), 36×4-inch (91×10-cm) spoke wheels, and the choice of
touring or demi-tonneau bodies. In 1911 this was higher mid-priced at $2,250
Midland had progressive engineering, with an
in-unit engine and transmission. The drive-line from the engine to the differential was enclosed. A
six-cylinder car was introduced in 1912.
In 1911 Charles Pope retired and died the next year. The company entered bankruptcy in 1913 due to mismanagement.
See also
*
List of defunct United States automobile manufacturers
*
Velie and
Moline, are other early automobile manufacturers from Moline, Illinois.
1911 Midland Model L-1 at Conceptcarz
References
{{reflist
Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Illinois
Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States
History of Illinois
Moline, Illinois
Defunct companies based in Illinois
1900s cars
1910s cars
Brass Era vehicles
Cars introduced in 1908
Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1908
Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1913