Topic: OP's Puzzle #1577 - Maytag-Mason Automobile

[Otto Puzzell]

Wisconsin?

Go West, young man.

[pnegyesi]

Wyoming?

[Otto Puzzell]

Just a little farther...

[pnegyesi]

Idaho?

[Otto Puzzell]

Just a little farther West from Wisconsin, not west of Wyoming.

[pnegyesi]

Sorry, just found the photo!

Great Old Maytag-Mason Automobile 1910-1912

[Otto Puzzell]

You've got it 90% solved! Please review the early Q&A with Paul.

Locked for you for 24 hours.

You got while I was typing.

Nicely done!

[ftg3plus4]

I'm confused. The books I have say that the company's cars were known as Mason from 1906-10 and Maytags from 1910-15. I don't see anything about the cars having both names at the same time.

[pnegyesi]

Actually I believe you are right.
Though the history says:
"Research shows that the Mason Car Company was founded in about 1906 to build a car that was designed by the Duesenberg brothers. Fred L. Maytag and his son Elmer decided to enter into the automobile manufacturing business. They bought into the Mason Car Company and renamed it Maytag-Mason Motor Car Company. Waterloo,Iowa was now the base for operations around 1910. The company produced many different models of cars and trucks.. The company was only about two years old when it went out of business in 1912."

But the photo which has a caption of Maytag-Mason shows a Mason - if you look closely at the picture you can see it in the lower left hand corner:


Just my 2 cents. Otto, what do you say?

[Otto Puzzell]

The articles I've read suggest the two-part name was used briefly, after Maytag became an investor:

The Maytag-Mason is a fairly obscure car. The first Mason was designed and built in Des Moines in 1905 by Fred and August Duesenberg. Their car has a two-cylinder, 200-cubic-inch engine mounted under the seat. It produces between 24 and 28 horsepower. Fred L. Maytag invested in the company in 1909 and moved the factory to Waterloo in 1910. Maytag soon sold his interest in the company and by 1912 the name reverted back to Mason Motor Co. The company went bankrupt in 1915 and was totally out of business by 1917. Approximately 1,500 cars were built, but only about 20 of them exist today.

and:

Fred Duesenberg and August Duesenberg came to Des Moines Iowa from Rockford, in about 1900 to establish a bicycle shop. The Duesenberg's wanted to produce a automobile in about 1906. They had Des Moines Lawyer, Edward B. Mason to finance the their design and the building the first Mason automobile. While F. L. Maytag was still using washers as a way to fill the seasonal slumps in farm equipment production, his interest turned to a new development in manufacturing the automobile. He was taken with the success of a Des Moines, Iowa. builder of autos, Edward Mason, Maytag decided to invest in the company. In 1909, he did just that, purchasing 3/5's of the company, Owning $75,000 of the $125,000 for which the company had capitalized. Mason Automobile Co. became known as the Maytag-Mason Motor Co, with the production facilities being moved from Des Moines to Waterloo, Iowa. Accompanying the Mason name and background came two of the most famous designers and builders of cars in the early days of automotive engineering, Fred and August Duesenberg. Their knowledge and craftsmanship contributed almost totally to the success of the Mason and later the Maytag-Mason automobile. When F. L. Maytag joined with Mason to build cars, the Mason was a 2-cylinder model that was noted for its hill-climbing ability. The chain-driven automobile had a horizontally opposed engine of 5-inch bore and 5-inch stroke. located under the floor board at about the center of the car. The crankshaft ran crosswise so that it could be cranked from the right side

[Ray B.]

I had searched the Iowa makes, of course, and come across those. I didn't pay attention because it wasn't filed with that double name. I should have looked closer because there was a picture showing just the same car. So, no complaints.