Marathon Motor Works was a brass era automobile manufacturer based in Tennessee. Southern Engine and Boiler Works founded in 1889, which made industrial engines and boilers in Jackson, Tennessee, established the factory in 1907. From 1909 to 1914, the company manufactured the Marathon automobile in Nashville, Tennessee.

History

Southern Engine and Boiler Works engineer, William Henry Collier, developed a gasoline engine and prototype automobile in 1906. Southern Engine built a few automobiles to Collier's design before expanding to a plant in Nashville. The Marathon Motor Works were established from a cotton mill complex.

1909 saw a two-model lineup, roadster and touring car, powered by 35 HP 4-cylinder engines. Both were open bodies (tops were optional) and sold for about $1,500. By 1912 production reached 200 cars monthly.<gallery>

File:Marathon Motor Works 2.jpg|alt=|Marathon Motor Works in 2009

File:Marathon Brochure Cover 1910.jpg|alt=|Marathon Brochure from 1910

File:Marathon Automobile Ad - Motor Age 1911.jpg|alt=|Marathon Advertisement from 1911

</gallery>In 2008, a mystery novel called The Marathon Murders was published by Nashville author Chester Campbell. Although the murder itself is fictional, the book uses the documented disagreements and possible dishonesty among the board and executives to provide a plausible motive.

The Marathon Motor Works building houses an antique store called Antique Archaeology (the business at the center of the television series American Pickers). It was closed in April 2025.

Marathon Music Works is a mid-sized music venue & event space located in Marathon Village. The venue's name was selected through a local community process. Residents of Nashville submitted their ideas and the chosen name pays tribute to the building's previous use as Marathon Motor Works.

References

  • Marathon Village
  • Tennessee Museum - Marathon Motor Works
  • NRHP - Marathon Motor Works Record
  • Marathon Motor Works on Pinterest
  • Marathon Motor Works History - Trolly Tours
  • Style Blueprint Article, Marathon Motor Works