Makes › Ruxton › Model C (front-wheel drive) · Rare production · 1929–1930 Extremely Rare
Ruxton
Model C (front-wheel drive)
Pioneering low-slung front-drive car; about 96 built at three plants; 12 Baker-Raulang roadsters (seven exist)
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 96 Built
- Years
- 1929–1930
- Engine
- Front-mounted in-line eight, front-wheel drive · 4,390 cc / 4.4 LFactory: 268 cu in · converted
- Power
- 74.6 kW / 101 PSFactory: 100 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- William J. Muller (engineering); Joseph Ledwinka (sedan roof); Josef Urban (paint schemes)
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Ruxton was America's first front-wheel-drive production automobile, notably low and styled with bold horizontal-band paint schemes. Recent research puts production at only about 96 cars before the company collapsed in 1930.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionabout 96 built (11 Philadelphia, 65 St. Louis, 20 Hartford WI) | 961 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Budd Company engineer William J. Muller proposed a front-drive road car, and Budd shareholder Archie M. Andrews took the project, prototypes and Muller into the holding company New Era Motors in 1929. Cars were assembled in Philadelphia (11), St. Louis by Moon (65) and Hartford, Wisconsin by Kissel (20), with about 10 completed by the bankruptcy agent. Shortages of transmissions and front-drive axles hampered production, and the company went bankrupt in 1930. Only 12 Baker-Raulang roadsters were built, seven of which survive.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Model C (front-wheel drive).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Front-mounted in-line eight, front-wheel drive2 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 4,390 cc / 4.4 LFactory: 268 cu in · converted2 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 74.6 kW / 101 PSFactory: 100 hp · converted2 Independently researched |
| Power at | 3,400 rpm2 Independently researched |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | 3-speed manual, front-wheel drive2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Ruxtons use a Continental straight-eight driving the front wheels through a three-speed gearbox, and sit very low (the sedan roof is about 10 inches lower than contemporary cars). Engine numbers seen on catalogued cars are in the Continental 18S series. Roadsters were bodied by Baker-Raulang (12 built, body numbers recorded); Josef Urban's horizontal-band paint designs were original to the marque.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
RM Sotheby's Guyton Collection 2019 – 1930 Ruxton Model C Roadster by Baker-Raulang Level B
- 96 about 96 built (11 Philadelphia, 65 St. Louis, 20 Hartford WI)
-
2
1930 Ruxton Model C Saloon, chassis 1005 (Lot 77, The Scottsdale Auction) Level C Bonhams · 2016-01-28
- 268ci Inline 8-Cylinder; Front Wheel Drive
- 268ci Inline 8-Cylinder Engine
- 100bhp at 3,400rpm
- 3-Speed Manual Transmission; Front Wheel Drive
Keep exploring
More from Ruxton
This is the only Ruxton documented so far.
More from United States
-
Chevrolet · 1969
Yenko Camaro (COPO 9561 L72 427)
198 Built
-
Cadillac · 2015
CT6 V-Sport
Production not yet verified
-
Ford
RS200 Evolution
24 Built
-
Marmon · 1911
Wasp
1 Built
141 other makes from United StatesAC PropulsionAcuraAllstateAMCAmerican LaFranceAmerican MotorsAmerican UnderslungApteraArmstrongArnoltAuburnBaldwin-MotionBantamBarris KustomsBendixBerger ChevroletBill ThomasBollingerBremerBuckeyeBuffumBuickCadillacCallawayCastleCheckerChevroletChristieChryslerClenetCodaColumbiaConsulierCordCunninghamCzingerDana ChevroletDean JeffriesDeSotoDetroit ElectricAll makes →