Rider-Lewis was a brass era automobile built first in Muncie and then Anderson, Indiana from 1908 to 1911.[1]
 Excellent Six | |
| Company type | Automobile manufacturer |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1908 |
| Founder | Ralph Lewis, George D. Rider |
| Defunct | 1911 |
| Successor | Factory: Nyberg Automobile |
| Headquarters | Anderson, Indiana, United States |
Key people | Ralph Lewis, George D. Rider |
| Products | Automobiles |
Production output | 250 approx. (1909-1911) |
History
editRalph Lewis of Boston, designed an overhead valve, overhead cam six-cylinder engine of 40/45-hp. George D. Rider financed manufacturing and the Rider-Lewis Motor Car Company was established. Rider-Lewis introduced the automobile at the Indianapolis Motor Show in March 1908 priced at $2,500 (equivalent to $84,778 in 2023). Production began in Muncie in a converted factory, though in 1909 the company moved to a newly built factory in Anderson, Indiana.[1]
For 1910 the "Excellent Six" was joined by a four-cylinder Model Four automobile selling for $1,050, equivalent to $34,335 in 2023 . In September 1910 the company was in receivership, though production continued. In October the Rider-Lewis property in Anderson was attached by court order when creditors thought Rider-Lewis was preparing to move out of state. A few more Model Fours were built into early 1911, but by March the Rider-Lewis plant was sold to Nyberg Motor Works.[2][1]
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1909 Rider Lewis Four IV Advertisement -
1909 Rider Lewis Six VI Advertisement
References
edit- ^ a b c Kimes, Beverly Rae; Clark Jr., Henry Austin (1996). Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942 (3rd ed.). Krause Publications. ISBN 978-0-87341-428-9.
- ^ Georgano, Nick (2001). The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile (3 vol. ed.). Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers. ISBN 1-57958-293-1.
External links
edit- Rider-Lewis, Nyberg Factory - Historic Structures
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. IN-38, "Rider-Lewis Motor Car Company, West Second Street & Sycamore, Anderson, Madison County, IN", 13 photos
- Herald-Bulletin Article - 1 Factory 3 Cars by Beth Oljace, 2011
- Herald-Bulletin Article - Several Auto Factories by David Humphrey, 2013
