Marathon · 1908–1914
Marathon
The Marathon was an automobile built by the Marathon Motor Works company in Nashville, Tennessee, United States.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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History
First built in 1908 by the Southern Motor Works in Jackson, Tennessee, it was called the Southern. In 1910, Southern Motor Works built additional premises named the Marathon Motor Works in Nashville to produce the Marathon automobile. The Marathon motor, a four-cylinder engine in unit with a transmission, was designed by William H. Collier of Southern Motor Works. By 1913, the Marathon was available in three different chassis sizes and at least 10 different body styles. The three chassis sizes were: Runner: 25 horse power, 104 inch wheelbase Winner: 35 horse power, 116 inch wheelbase Champion: 45 horse power, 123 inch wheelbase In 1914 Marathon prices were mid-range from $975 to $1,470,(equivalent to $47,250 in 2025) The Marathon was popular with the public, and by 1912 was producing 200 cars monthly. H. H. Brooks, General Sales Manager, arranged for an Indianapolis automaker to take over sales of the Marathon in 1913 while the company was having financial difficulties. In 1914 after Marathon went into receivership, Herff-Brooks purchased the Marathon machinery and moved it to Richmond, Indiana. The Marathon was continued as the Herff-Brooks for two seasons. Only nine examples of the car are known to still exist, five of which are in Nashville.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.
Specifications
- name
- Marathon
- Manufacturer
- Marathon Motor Works
- Production
- 1908–1914
- Predecessor
- Southern (Southern Motor Works)
- Successor
- Herff-Brooks
- Body style
- Touring, Roadster, Coupe
- Engine
- Marathon Motor Works
- Transmission
- Marathon Motor Works
- Designer
- William Henry Collier
- Assembly
- Nashville, Tennessee
Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6754995CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon_(automobile)CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1343560536 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marathon_automobile.jpgCC0 · Photo: Kaldari · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.