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Du Pont Motors, Inc. Moore factory photographs

Creation: 1994
 Collection
Accession: 1994-254

Abstract

DuPont Motors, Inc. was a manufacturing company of luxury automobiles, founded by E. Paul du Pont (1887-1950) in 1919 in Wilmington, Delaware. These photographs show exterior views of the vacant DuPont Motors factory in Moore, Pennsylvania, where briefly (1922-1925) DuPont automobiles were assembled.

Dates

  • Creation: 1994

Creator

Extent

8 item(s)

General Physical Description

8 photographic prints : color ; 3.5 x 5 in. 19 negatives : color ; 35mm.

Historical Note

DuPont Motors, Inc. was a manufacturing company of luxury automobiles, founded by E. Paul du Pont (1887-1950) in 1919 in Wilmington, Delaware. The company originally produced marine engines during World War I.

Arthur Maris served as DuPont Motors first Vice-President and General Manager. Maris had been the President of the Biddle Motor Car Company, which was a luxury automobile manufacturer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Wright-Martin Airplane’s John Pierson served as DuPont Motor’s chief engineer. The Merrimac Automobile Builders were hired to do the bodywork for DuPont Motors from 1927-1931.

The company produced eight models, each with several body styles, plus a few special models. Each of the vehicles were made in limited production resulting in only 537 vehicles manufactured in the twelve years of the company’s operation.

The first DuPont model was the Model A which debuted in 1919 at the Commodore Hotel International Salon Show in New York City. The Model A had a four-cylinder engine with a wheelbase of 124 inches and was offered as a two passenger roadster, a four-passenger touring, and a four-passenger sedan. Touring vehicles are open, sedan vehicles are closed. The selling price was between $4,000 and $5,600.

Model B appeared in 1920 with only slight modifications. In 1923, Model C was introduced, it was powered by a six-cylinder Continental engine and came in four styles.

In 1925, the Model D had a six-cylinder Wisconsin engine, and two years later two additional styles were available, a seven passenger touring and a four passenger convertible. The Model E was an experimental model made with a supercharger and the chassis was exhibited at the 1928 Chicago Auto Show. The Model F was introduced in the same year, which had a unique seat adjustment feature. Models E and F were not successful.

Between 1928 and 1931, the company produced the Model G, which had an eight-cylinder engine and came in many different body styles including convertible sedan, sport phaeton, limousine, club sedan, seven-passenger touring, sport roadster, convertible coupe, and a five-passenger Victoria. The 1930 Model G was owned by several celebrities such as Jack Dempsey, Eugene O'Neill, Will Rogers and Douglas Fairbanks.

After only manufacturing three Model H cars, in 1931 the company suspended production due to effects of the Great Depression and went out of business in 1932.

Scope and Content

This small collection consists of eight photographs. These photographs show exterior views of the vacant DuPont Motors factory in Moore, Pennsylvania, where briefly (1922-1925) Du Pont automobiles were assembled. The Du Pont logo created in terracotta is clearly visible in several of the images. Ten of the images show fireman at the abandoned factory responding to an active fire.

Location

GL Box 2.

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Related Material

Accession 1979.285, Du Pont Motors, Inc. photographic reproductions, Audiovisual Collections and Digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum and Library.

Language of Materials

English

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title:
Du Pont Motors, Inc. Moore factory photographs
Date:
2015
Description rules:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description:
English
Script of description:
Latin

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Audiovisual Collections Repository

Contact:
PO Box 3630
Wilmington Delaware 19807 USA
302-658-2400