1929 Ruxton

Not everyone knows at first glance what a Ruxton is, but it’s a car that few people forget. That’s just how its parent company New Era Motors intended it. In photos, the wild, multi-colored stripes make it one of the most instantly memorable cars to ever turn a wheel. When seen in person, the radical, low-slung body just adds to that impression. In addition to being innovative, the Ruxton Model C stood out in an era of cars that specialized in standing out. That uncommon paint job (which is not a custom job; it was applied at the factory in St. Louis, MO) was chosen to put an exclamation point on a most uncommon car. The brainchild of William Muller, the Ruxton was a ridiculously long and low-slung front-wheel drive car in an era when front-wheel drive was almost unheard-of. The car was initially intended as a prototype that would convince a manufacturer to step up and produce it and named for an industrialist whom it was hoped would subsequently invest in the project (he didn’t and ultimately had nothing to do with the company whatsoever). When the search for a builder fell through plans were undertaken to put it into production independently. That’s the extremely simplified version: the car that became the Ruxton bounced around and was connected to a veritable who’s-who of 1920s American car manufacturers in its quest for production, including Hupp, Gardner, Kissel, Marmon and Moon. Ultimately, Muller and Wall Street wheeler-dealer Archie Andrews formed New Era Motors and bought out the Moon Motor Car Company. One hostile takeover (complete with executives barricading themselves in the factory) later, the Ruxton went into production in 1929. Two things snuffed the Ruxton’s candle within a year: the stock market crash and the introduction of the Cord L-29. The front-wheel drive Cord, fielded by the much better-established Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg triumvirate, outsold the Ruxton handily, and arguably left a bigger impression on the automotive industry. After four months production was halted with just about 500 cars built. The Ruxton’s grand gesture was relegated to being a fancy footnote. Although not often seen among the literal and figurative big boys of the 1920s and 1930s, a few Ruxtons have survived and been restored, making these candy-striped, odd-shaped sedans a rare treat. Continue reading to learn more about the 1929 Ruxton. https://www.topspeed.com/cars/others/1929-ruxton-ar171851.html