MOORE

Moore Motor Co. (1916-1918)
Minneapolis, Minnesota 

Moore Motor Vehicle Co. (1919-1920)
Danville, Illinois 

This is a Moore radiator emblem (1916-1920)    sam
Size: 103mm wide 30 high   MM: Unknown

George L. Moore established the Moore Motor Company in 1916 in Minneapolis to produce an assembled 30 hp four-cylinder touring car to compete with the Ford Model T. Sales were modest but increased each year through 1919. The company was reorganized in 1919 as the Moore Motor Vehicle Company and relocated to Danville, Illinois. 

The Moore was advertised as "The World's Biggest Little Automobile" and "The Modern Motor Miracle" but, clearly, the Moore was not the success that had been hoped for. The company was not well financed from the start and sales were weak. Much effort was placed in stock sales. The Moore sale price rose from an initial $550 to over $1100 in 1919, which was unlikely to have helped. George Moore resigned as president of the company in August 1919 and receivership followed in 1920.  A total of about 1100 Moore cars had been produced.

 

In 1921, George Moore and other Moore officials were convicted of misrepresentation in the sale of stock. 

Emblem

The metal Moore radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post is inscribed "The World's Biggest Little Automobile" and may have been used throughout the life of the Moore automobile, although I cannot confirm this. This Moore radiator emblem is extremely rare.

The following is a Moore serial plate from the 1916-1918 period in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This Moore serial plate is very rare.

This is a Moore serial plate (1916-1918)    mjs
Size:90mm wide 38mm high

The following poor quality photo shows a Moore serial plate used in the 1919-1920 period in Danville, Illinois:

This is a Moore serial plate (1919-1920)    sam
Size: Unknown

The following photo shows a very different Moore serial plate, which may be an engine plate:

This is a Moore serial plate (date uncertain)    sam
Size: 84mm wide 47mm high