Marion-Handley

Marion-Handley was an early American automobile marque associated with Mutual Motors Corporation of Jackson, Michigan. The marque emerged after Mutual Motors was formed through the combination of the Imperial Automobile Company and the Marion Motor Car Company. The Imperial name was discontinued, while the Marion line was developed and marketed as Marion-Handley. Production ran from 1916 through 1918, placing the marque within the transitional period when the American automobile industry was moving from numerous regional manufacturers and assembled-car businesses toward larger-scale production. Marion-Handley vehicles were assembled automobiles rather than products built entirely from proprietary components. They used Continental six-cylinder engines and were offered in at least two principal configurations: a touring car and a four-seat roadster. The documented model range included the 6-40 and 6-60. The 6-40 used a wheelbase of approximately 10 feet, or 3,000 millimeters, while the 6-60 used a longer wheelbase of approximately 10 feet 5 inches, or 3,180 millimeters. The touring car was fitted with wooden artillery wheels as standard equipment. Wire wheels were available as an option on the roadster, reflecting the period's combination of practical construction and buyer-oriented equipment choices. The marque occupied a conventional middle-to-upper-priced position for its era. The factory price of a Marion-Handley automobile was reported as $1,575 in 1917. Production ended when Mutual Motors discontinued automobile manufacturing in 1918. Across its production period, 2,081 cars were built. The factory was subsequently sold in 1919, marking the end of the company's manufacturing presence and the effective conclusion of the Marion-Handley marque. Because the brand existed for only a few years and production was comparatively limited, Marion-Handley is primarily of historical interest to researchers of early American automobile manufacturing. There is no evidence in the supplied reference material of a continuing corporate successor, modern product line, public listing, or current operating business under the name.

Marion-Handley developed from the corporate consolidation that created Mutual Motors Corporation in Jackson, Michigan. Mutual Motors was formed by combining the Imperial Automobile Company and the Marion Motor Car Company. Following the combination, the Imperial automobile was discontinued, and the Marion product line became the basis for the Marion-Handley marque. The brand entered production in 1916 and operated during a period when many American automobile companies assembled vehicles using engines and other components supplied by specialist manufacturers. Marion-Handley automobiles followed this pattern. They were equipped with Continental six-cylinder engines and were offered in body styles suited to the mainstream American market, including a touring car and a four-seat roadster. Two documented model designations were the 6-40 and 6-60. The 6-40 was built on a wheelbase of approximately 10 feet, while the 6-60 had a longer wheelbase of approximately 10 feet 5 inches. The touring car used wooden artillery wheels as standard equipment. Buyers of the roadster could specify wire wheels, giving the sportier body style a distinct equipment option. In 1917, the factory price was reported as $1,575. The price and six-cylinder specification placed the automobiles above the most basic entry-level cars of the period, although the supplied material does not establish a formal market-positioning statement or detailed sales strategy. Production continued through 1918, when Mutual Motors ended manufacturing. Total output reached 2,081 cars. The factory was sold the following year, in 1919. The end of production and disposal of the factory left Marion-Handley as a defunct early automobile marque. The available historical record identifies its manufacturing location, corporate origin, model types, major mechanical specification, price information, production period, and total output, but does not provide evidence of named executives, advertising campaigns, major litigation, acquisitions, or a surviving corporate organization. The brand is therefore best understood as a brief regional participant in the highly fragmented American automobile industry of the 1910s.

• 1919

  Jackson factory sold

  [1]Marion-Handleyen.wikipedia.org

  The factory associated with Mutual Motors and Marion-Handley was sold after automobile production had ended.

• 1918

  Production ends

  [1]Marion-Handleyen.wikipedia.org

  Mutual Motors Corporation ended Marion-Handley production after approximately 2,081 cars had been built.

• 1917

  Six-cylinder model range and factory pricing documented

  [1]Marion-Handleyen.wikipedia.org

  The marque's documented range included the 6-40 and 6-60, and the factory price of a Marion-Handley automobile was reported as $1,575.

• 1916

  Marion-Handley enters production

  [1]Marion-Handleyen.wikipedia.org

  Mutual Motors Corporation began producing Marion-Handley automobiles in Jackson, Michigan, following the consolidation of the Imperial Automobile Company and Marion Motor Car Company.

A short-lived American assembled-car marque offering Continental-powered six-cylinder touring cars and roadsters during the 1910s.

• Passenger automobile · 1916

  Marion-Handley 6-40

  The 6-40 was one of the documented Marion-Handley model designations. It used a Continental six-cylinder engine and was built on a wheelbase of approximately 10 feet, or 3,000 millimeters. The available reference material does not specify a complete body-style breakdown for this model.

• Passenger automobile · 1916

  Marion-Handley 6-60

  The 6-60 was the longer-wheelbase model in the documented Marion-Handley range. It used a Continental six-cylinder engine and had a wheelbase of approximately 10 feet 5 inches, or 3,180 millimeters. The source identifies the model as part of the marque's production range but does not provide a full specification sheet.

• Touring car · 1916

  Marion-Handley touring car

  The touring car was one of the two principal body styles offered by Marion-Handley. It was equipped with wooden artillery wheels as standard and used the marque's Continental six-cylinder powertrain. The reference material does not identify its exact seating capacity beyond distinguishing it from the four-seat roadster.

• Roadster · 1916

  Marion-Handley four-seat roadster

  The four-seat roadster was the second principal body style in the Marion-Handley range. Wire wheels were available as an option, contrasting with the touring car's standard wooden artillery wheels. Like other documented Marion-Handley automobiles, it was powered by a Continental six-cylinder engine.

1. 1Marion-Handleyen.wikipedia.org