10HP MMC

Posted on October 21, 2022 by classiccarweekly

1902 MMC 10HP Twin-Cylinder Rear-Entrance Tonneau

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | November 4, 2022

MMC seemed to have been named in a hurry. The Motor Manufacturing Company didn’t get a fancy name, probably because company backer Harry J. Lawson was in a hurry. MMC was formed out of the remnants of the Great Horseless Carriage Company in 1898. The company went out of business in 1904 when Lawson was sent to prison for fraud. It reorganized twice before disappearing for good in 1908.

The 1902 model line included three front-engined options: a single, a twin, and a four-cylinder car. This car is the middle offering, powered by a 2.1-liter vertical twin rated at 10 horsepower.

This example has known history back to 1951, when it was found in a scrapyard. It took a while to get it back on the road, with the reconstructed body not being completed until the 1990s. It now carries an estimate of $195,000-$250,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $281,915.

MMC Charette

Posted on October 25, 2019 by classiccarweekly

1900 MMC 6HP Charette Rear-Entrance Tonneau

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | November 1, 2019

The Great Horseless Carriage Company was founded by Harry J. Lawson, who would end up in prison by the time MMC, The Great Horseless Carriage Company’s successor, went out of business (for the first time) in 1904.

MMC staggered around until 1908, but it was the early years that they did their best work. Lawson had managed to get his hands on the Daimler patent, and this car’s six horsepower, 1.5-liter inline-twin was a Daimler engine.

The original owner of the car is known, and it remained with his family for 53 years. During WWI, the body was removed and the car was hooked to a bandsaw. In 1927, the original owner’s sons put the car back together and hoped to partake in the 1930 London-to-Brighton run with their “1897 Daimler.”

They didn’t make it, but the car did compete in 1931 – and by this point, they realized it was an MMC. It continued to compete through the 1930s, and in 1953, with its next owner, it completed a 10-day, 870+ mile trek. It was restored in 1996 and was purchased by the current owner in 2005.

MMCs are rare, but not unheard of. This one has great history and should sell for between $280,000-$340,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $290,428.

MMC Tonneau

Posted on October 19, 2015 by classiccarweekly

1904 MMC 8HP Rear-Entrance Tonneau

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | October 30, 2015

Photo – Bonhams

MMC is the abbreviation for the creatively-named Motor Manufacturing Company. Harry J. Lawson invented the “Safety Bicycle” in the 1870s and later saw the future: automobiles. His plan was to basically own all British motor production by acquiring as many patents as possible. He organized the Great Horseless Carriage Company in 1896. It failed quickly and was re-organized as the MMC in 1898. This company actually built some cars but went bankrupt in 1904. They built a few cars between 1904 and 1907 and were gone by 1908.

This car appears to have an eight-horsepower single-cylinder engine and known ownership history back to 1953. The restoration was finished in 1960, just in time for the car to be featured in a number of films in the 1960s. It was last used on the road in the 1960s and had some touch up work done in the 80s.

It is not road-ready, but it is rare, coming from a marque that had but a brief history and is fairly unknown. MMC is perhaps best known as having been founded by Lawson, who was later convicted of fraudulently raising money for his businesses – including this one. It should bring between $61,000-$92,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $79,383.