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Under the Hood
1900 Motor Wagon 1904 ST. LOUIS MOTOR CARRIAGE TONNEAU 1906 Success 1924 Dorris 1924 Moon

1904 ST. LOUIS MOTOR CARRIAGE TONNEAU
Made by the St. Louis Motor Carriage Company of St. Louis



Wheelbase: 82 inches
Engine: One cylinder water-cooled
Horsepower: 12
Price new: $1,500

BACKGROUND: Built originally as a tonneau in late 1903 or early 1904, this car has the engine under the front seat unlike earlier automobiles. A tonneau was a rear seat that riders climbed into by opening a door in the back of the tonneau. Once everyone was in, the door was closed and latched, becoming the center seat back.

This St. Louis was originally owned by Douglas Watson of San Francisco, California. In the summer of 1904 he drove through Yosemite Valley. His story was published in The Automobile magazine, and images were featured in the St. Louis Motor Carriage A Bit of Nature booklet. Despite breaking the drive shaft (which took 5 days to get a new one), and running out of gas (which took three weeks to get more), the trip was successful and he felt that he and his friends had "accomplished something extraordinary."

1900 St. Louis Gasoline Motor Car
  

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